taxis-VTC

On 17 March this year, the introduction of confinement gave the impression that France had come to a standstill. Yet the need for mobility has not disappeared for a number of key sectors. "At the height of the crisis, we supported industries that were still operating, with many e-commerce companies asking us to supply their centres...

Regularly singled out for flaws in its security arrangements - the reason given by the London authorities for withdrawing its licence - Uber is stepping up its efforts to strengthen this aspect. Since 24 February, business travellers have been able to request a four-digit PIN code when making a booking. This...

Uber Rewards has been a long time coming, and you will have to wait a little longer before you can collect your first points. But the loyalty programme's arrival in France was made official on 29 January, and its effective roll-out has been promised "over the coming weeks". The most frequent customers of the VTC platform - particularly...

The management of urban transport can sometimes be chaotic - even during strike weeks - and the problems are of course proportional to the number of passengers... In other words, when it comes to transporting dozens or hundreds of participants to a corporate event, it's best to turn to a specialist, and if possible...

Air France does not intend to limit its scope to airport sites: on 27 November, the airline unveiled a new agreement with another business travel player, Hertz, called Hertz DriveU. The two partners are now offering passengers a chauffeur-driven service to and from the airport in a saloon car or van. A...

G7 is turning the corner on loyalty with the launch of a brand new programme designed to reward its most frequent customers. This new loyalty scheme is designed to complement the various subscription offers already available, with members able to accumulate points according to the number of shopping trips they make each month. The programme is...

New entrants to the travel industry are tending to irritate business destinations, particularly in Europe... While the Mairie de Paris - and hoteliers - are up in arms about the new sponsorship contract between Airbnb and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it is Uber's turn to attract the wrath of the public authorities. In London,...

As announced at the end of April, Wheely has its eye on the Paris travel market. It's official as of 16 September: the VTC service is making its debut in the capital, having already refined its offering in two other business destinations: London and Moscow. The service will be available...

On the face of it, this is a clear-cut ranking, marked by the unchallenged domination of Milan and London: that of the most expensive business destinations to reach the city centre by taxi from the airport. According to a study published by AirMundo, Milan and London airports monopolise the European top 5, with, in order: Milan Bergamo (105...

As new VTC platforms set their sights on the French market, and in particular on business customers - Wheely is expected to arrive in Paris in August - the existing players are seeking to consolidate their position. On 8 July, SnapCar announced that it had reached an agreement with LeCab, with a view to acquiring its...

Kapten Business aims to drive business travellers to their meetings, while giving decision-makers the keys to mobility. After building up its brand image under the name Chauffeur Privé, the VTC made in France has changed its name while remaining true to its philosophy. Its 'pro' offering is...

After gaining experience as a taxi driver in Zurich, then proving itself in Russia and the UK on the high-end VTC market, Wheely has chosen its next business destination: Paris. The platform, founded in 2010 by Anton Chirkunov, has raised $15 million in funding, which will enable it to...

Uber is moving into a strategic market for business travel: the Middle East. The American giant has just made official its acquisition of Careem, its local alter ego. "Uber will acquire all of Careem's mobility, delivery and payments businesses in the Greater Middle East region, from Morocco to Pakistan, with a focus on...

Seven years after its launch in France, Chauffeur Privé has become Kapten. The name change reflects the company's desire to expand internationally, in addition to its presence in Paris, Lyon and Nice. "The name Chauffeur Privé had two limitations: its upmarket connotations and the fact that it was difficult for non-French speakers to...

Will 2019 see the disappearance of Uber vehicles from the streets of Brussels? That seems to be what the Belgian media have been saying since 3 January, based on a decision by the Brussels Commercial Court dating back to last December. No immediate impact on our activities For their part, Uber's managers have stated that the decision...

If you're running late for a strategy meeting, or just shivering in the winter cold, you don't want to waste time playing "Who is it? So Uber has just launched Spotlight on the French market. This feature is based on the principle of a colour code identifying the passenger. The passenger...

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company, is officially launching the first commercial autonomous taxi service in Phoenix, Arizona. For the time being, only people who have taken part in the research programme launched by Waymo and those accompanying them will be entitled to use the service. The service, called Waymo One, will initially be limited to...

Since 28 November, Blacklane and Shangri-La have been working together on business travel and building loyalty among this high-contribution clientele. Members of the Golden Circle hotel loyalty programme earn points each time they book a Blacklane vehicle. In concrete terms, for every two US dollars, pounds sterling...

The Uber Rewards loyalty scheme has just been unveiled in the United States: when do you think you'll be able to launch it in France? Franck Monsauret - I'd like it to be as soon as tomorrow! The United States is a pilot market for launching projects and new products. We expect Uber Rewards to be rolled out in France in 2019, but...

In an article published on Medium on 23 October, Peter Ondruska, co-founder and CEO of Blue Vision Labs, announced that this British start-up had been acquired by Lyft. Specialising in augmented reality, the company will become part of Lyft's "Level 5" division, responsible for developing autonomous vehicles. Blue Vision Labs has already...