[toast0]

> You can get off an airplane just about anywhere in the world and get an Uber. That’s huge value.

You can get off an airplane just about anywhere and get a taxi at the taxi stand, but that never enabled a global company.

Airports with local unlicensed taxi services generally have advertising in the airport for arrivals. Installing a new app in each city, and putting in payment information is more hassle (especially if payment options aren't geared towards international visitors), but you do it once per trip, just like the in flight entertainment app.

[lotsofpulp]

>You can get off an airplane just about anywhere and get a taxi at the taxi stand, but that never enabled a global company.

Because it didn't streamline the process as much as Uber/Lyft (and the use of internet). It's a big difference when you don't even need to talk to anyone.

>but you do it once per trip, just like the in flight entertainment app.

And that is enough friction to make Uber/Lyft worth it. The in flight entertainment app has a monopoly. If there was sufficient broadband access on the plane, no one would get the in flight entertainment app either.

However, I might download a new local app if I found out the local app's fare were sufficiently cheaper, since the friction of downloading a new app is relatively low.

[killerstorm]

With a local taxi stand, you don't know if that would be over-priced, if they accept your card, etc.

I've been in a situation where card should accepted in theory, but driver insists on cash, and I'm a kind of a person who doesn't like arguing.

Using a global brand which handles shit smoothly is valuable to consumers.

[satyrnein]

Yes, I've encountered so many "broken" credit card readers...