Uber, Lyft not popular with business travelers

Although ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft continue to expand across the country, the services remain one of the least popular ground transportation options among business travelers.

When business travelers need a ride, 36% rent a car, 24% hail a taxi and 13% call for a chauffeur, with only 11% relying on a ride-sharing service, according to a new study by the educational arm of the Global Business Travel Assn., the trade group for the nation’s business travel managers.

Nearly 20 airports in the U.S. and five in California allow ride-sharing services to make pickups, including San Francisco International Airport, Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport and Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.

The board that oversees Los Angeles International Airport recently gave ride-sharing companies the green light to pick up passengers at the nation’s second-busiest airport.

One reason ride-sharing companies have yet to overtake taxis and rental car companies in popularity among business travelers is that 24% of travel managers say their companies do not allow their business travelers to use ride-sharing services, according to the GBTA study.

“A large number of companies still have not adopted policies around ride-sharing companies, revealing a need for education about the benefits and the risks,” said Michael McCormick, executive director of GBTA.

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