Last week's news that Super Shuttle is shutting down on December 31 turns out not to be the whole story. In a number of cities, where local companies operate under the Super Shuttle name as franchisees, service will continue, but under new names. All corporate-owned locations will shut down.
The service which provided airport transfers under contract with 80 airports, mostly in the U.S. but also including a number of cities around the world, has run into stiff competition in recent years from app-based car services such as Uber and Lyft. Where its original model was a low-cost shared van service, in recent years it has moved to more direct service to individuals or groups traveling together.
A Washington Post article noted that it had been unable to determine how many locations were company-owned, and how many were franchisees. At least one franchise operator, in Austin, TX, has made clear he will continue, but find a new brand name. The same is likely for others in areas where the service is still profitable, although they will lose the advantage of having a national reservation service to feed customers. to them.
At LAX, where it was founded in 1983, users will feel a particular pain when it stops. The airport recently moved all app-based services to a centralized location and banned curbside pickups and dropoffs. Super Shuttle was the only service allowed to continue curbside service.
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