Should You Consider a Lyft Subscription?
Avid ride hailers have a new subscription option that could potentially save them over $ 100 a month: Lyft’s new monthly full access plan .
Here’s how it works: Passengers are allocated up to 30 rides per month at $ 299, up to $ 15 per ride (if your rides exceed $ 15, you pay the difference). You will receive a 5% discount on additional trips over 30.
This is a maximum savings of $ 150 per month (assuming all rides cost $ 15). If you get on average less than that, say $ 8 per ride, you end up paying more for a subscription than without it (the break-even point is actually $ 10 for 30 rides).
If you skate infrequently – especially less than 10 times a month – this is probably not the best option for you. Unused trips will not carry over to the next month.
There is another snag that Lyft called for launching the subscription package: encouraging people to rethink owning their own vehicle. “This is the first step towards our goal of making car ownership optional, and we are constantly looking for new ways to provide passengers with the simplest and most comfortable options.”
Uber is testing a similar service , according to CNBC . “Details and prices vary, but passengers typically pay between $ 4.99 and $ 15.99 for a flat discount on the respective fares.”
Assuming that you can always find the car when you need it, $ 299 (not including tip for your driver) is much cheaper than the average monthly expenditure on car maintenance, which in the past year ranged from 523 to 706 dollars per one AAA … This is, of course, oversimplified; for example, if you have a family it will not be as economical (or possibly logistically) as the deal covers solo travel and car-sharing . But it’s an interesting proposition for people who frequent Lyfts or want to cut back on their personal car use.