Via

Signed on for Via instead of Über for this visit to NYC. Heard good things and looking forward to using this time for work and leisure. Hey, if you need a $ 10 ride credit promo to join (I used one, thanks Heather) it works great! Use:
joseph5u8
Update: first pickup was outstanding! Picked up exactly where instructed (right where I was), in 3 minutes (was texted 5 min). Dropped at front door of Jacob Javitz Center as hoped. Driver was pleasant and professional. Car was newer SUV, all leather, clean and roomy. Could not have been better. Go for it! Here is my promo for a $ 10 credit:
joseph5u8
Update: 8 perfect car service rides this weekend — midtown to Houston (Arturo’s)? and midtown to Zabars, all quick pickups! $ 10 credit: joseph5u8

Pretty awesome and addictive. I’ve used it 4 days in a row because it’s well priced, efficient and easy to use. The drivers have all been friendly, they seem happy working for VIA and all the passengers I’ve traveled with love it too, so overall the ride is fun! Of course, you hit traffic during rush hour and the drivers have to follow their assigned route to pick up other passengers so good to keep that in mind if you are in a hurry. I haven’t had to walk too far to get picked up but will see if that does become an issue — so far they’ve kept their promise of only 1 to 2 blocks, which I don’t mind at all. Very intelligent software algorithm, within seconds you get a driver and they have already figured out your route and who else is being dropped off and picked up along the way. Pretty amazing.

My sister was just in a bad accident in a VIA because the driver was texting and not paying attention to the road. There is no number to available to reach a live person. They make you text them and they just text back to seek medical attention. All they are offering her is a 15 dollar credit. Her back and neck are in excruciating pain and nobody is calling us back to help. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. Customer service is terrible. I cannot believe they are not doing more to help her especially since the driver was texting and doing something illegal.

I finally got one of those non-​luxury rides that I read about. In fact the driver had an «Über» sign in the window and was replacing it with a Via sign as she pulled up. The car was very ‘Über Pool,’ average. Nothing like the nice SUVs that I expected. The driver was nervous and wanted to drop me off on the street side. The fellow passenger expressed concern and told me to be careful.
Because the service is $ 5 and unlike Über Pool, you at least ride toward your destination picking up other passengers (Über Pool drivers will go 20+ blocks in the opposite direction to pick up a second passenger), I’ll cut them some slack. I also arrive at my destination much earlier than if I’d taken the bus and cheaper than Über’s lowest rate. So this service is still a winner at this point in my book. It’s just no longer as perfect as my first experience.
By Comparison:
Über Pool — Rates are most comparable to Via’s but the driver may drive far in the opposite direction to get another fare. Via tends to stay en route for additional fares (from my experience so far).
The Über Pool cars are rarely luxurious SUVs, sometimes nice sedans, sometimes dirty old cars.
Via — I’ve only taken it a few times but so far all but one have been luxurious SUVs.
Via’s unavailable at times when Über is available.
Über’s door-​to-​door is nice during in bad weather or when you feel less safe standing somewhere unknown waiting for Via.
With Via, I’ve been fortunate to get dropped off right across the street from my home and once picked up right at my job.
I feel safer in a luxury SUV than some of Über’s raggedy rides.
Twice so far, Via drivers have wanted me to get out on the side of traffic where cars are approaching. Very unsafe. They should recognize where people are that they have to drop off and drop them curbside. To one driver’s credit, he did assist me and hold up traffic to allow me to get out… but still. d

Pure crap! We waited at the place we were old that the driver would be for 10 minutes, during which time the driver said he was there. There were no cars at that intersection or in front of the bank which the driver mentioned in his message. After 10 minutes we got a message that the driver had to move on. Driver is a liar!

Love via — for $ 2.50 more I would rather take this car across town any day. Always fast. I have been very lucky and have had to share a car with 2 people at most. Über is just so expensive I might as well take a yellow. Only 4 stars because of the hours the cars are running 9:00 PM in the city is pretty pointless

It’s really slow. Price is good, nothing beats $ 5, but I would pay a little more to get to work on time! Some day takes 30 minutes but another day took 1 hour… there were people getting on and off, traffic, waiting for people etc. another thing i don’t like about the app is its not like other app, it doesn’t tell you who’s getting dropped off first etc, I hate being in a dark place not knowing (could be just me), I tried to look up and make a suggestion to their product development team but couldn’t find. Anyways, Via if you see this comment, hope you can make user experience more transparent.

Not bad but a lot of times they give you cars that are very far and while you stand there waiting, you see several empty via cars driving by. I was happy when it was all SUV and not so much now that they have these small compact cars or giant vans that make you feel like cargo.
I get a lot of drivers who won’t drop you off at a spot which they’re already heading so you have to get out and walk a block in the same direction they’re driving.
Half the drivers complain about having a dog in a carrier even though the FAQ page says it’s ok if they’re in an airline approved carrier. You get a lot of drivers who make up their own rules.
I’ve had drivers who won’t take me if I bring my 18m old even if I mark as having an additional passenger.
I’ve had drivers who drive past and never stop, and don’t cancel the ride.
I’ve had drivers who refuse to take me if I have a small dog on a carrier or my kid with me but refuse to cancel the ride and Mark me as being in the car so I can’t book another ride.

Great concept in theory. But in practice most of the time too slow and unreliable. It is time for a faster and more reliable share car service to emerge. Ok if you don’t mind standing at the corner for 30 minutes typing on your phone.
And again the car never came. Very unreliable. If you have all the time in the world you can take Via. If you have a schedule to meet or need to get to the office do NOT use Via.

Extremely disappointing. During the evening hours (all the way up until 9pm) they never have a car available. The app just says «we are experiencing a heavy demand. Try back later.» This has happened to me several times.
Or, they say «Your ride will be here in 16 minutes» but their clock never moves. So you are waiting 20 –25 minutes but their clock still says the same thing. The car never showed up but they texted saying «Your car is 2 minutes away» but it was nowhere to be found.
They do not respond when you try to reach them about these problems.
Their software is badly in need of repair and they need to increase (greatly) their level of overall service.

Via is ok but they should really reduce the amount of pick ups per car when there is heavy traffic I literally took an hour and a half to get from downtown to 48^th st that makes no sense the subway would’ve got me there in 20 min

It’s definitely a hit or miss service. It’s great if you have a regular route that’s the same time every day. Lately the drivers have been horrible. Two mornings in a row the drivers FELL ASLEEP. Last evening a driver screamed at me to mind my own business because I asked him to stop texting while driving. He kept yelling ‘Am I driving?’ at a stoplight so I reminded him that he was behind the wheel of a car with an engine running on an NYC street so yes, he was driving. He so got violent that I had to get out of the car before the ride ended. This monster should not be allowed to drive anyone, anywhere, anytime. I reported him to Via but have not heard back. I strongly urge anyone who gets this driver to cancel your ride. He is dangerous:
Christopher Suarez of Schmecken LLC (B02682)
He drives a dirty Toyota Camry.
I guess you get what you pay for.

Hi Via, it’s your old friend, customer from 2013 and (sort of) former lover of your service.
Way before Lyft Line started their $ 5 (plus tip) promotion in the summer of 2015, Via was doing $ 5 rides (plus tax). The only reason I ever strayed from Via was when in the spring of 2014 my office moved downtown, outside the bounds of Via’s service. Fast forward to fall of 2015 and now Via serves all of New York City below 100^th (ish) Street. When I first heard the news Lyft Line was still pushing their $ 5 promo and it was nice to guarantee there wouldn’t be so many people in the car in the morning… also their drives tend to arrive faster. A few weeks ago when Lyft went up to $ 8, I hopped back on the Via horse and I hate to say that I’m a bit disappointed…
All-​in-​all, without delving any further, it’s a solid service. If you’re going crosstown in midtown, or crosstown in a fairly close range, Via is fantastic. If you’re attempting to take advantage of traveling the length of Manhattan, you’re in for a handful of frustration. Granted, you’re still getting a luxury car ride from right near your location to right near your destination, Via’s route software has now become far outdated in the world of ride share technology. While I’m sure they are doing the best they can to keep the price point the same, it’s functional but not efficient. I travel from York Ave. on the Upper East Side to Grand St. on the Lower East Side and it takes me the exact same time it does on the subway (45 to 55 minutes), which if you equate time to money has anyone taking a similar route operating at a loss (considering rides are $ 2.25+ more than a Metrocard swipe). The drivers are not allowed to take the FDR, even if their vehicle is nearly full, so unlike Lyft Line, Gett, or UberPool, you are stuck going local for up to 100+ blocks. To make matters entirely worse, if all passengers are riding from uptown to downtown and they see no hope of pick-​ups along 2^nd Ave., they re-​route to Lexington losing everyone in the car an additional 10 minutes minimum… not to mention this starts a lengthy conversation between drivers and passengers about the lack of intelligence behind their iPad app, and what was once a silent and relaxing drive to work becomes 30+ minutes of angry banter.
While I’m sure the owners see logic in the current system, right now their customers are losing their patience. What was once a dynamic and economical service you could use daily has now become a ‘sometimes if I’m not in a crazy rush thing,’ and just frankly not worth the money in the way it used to be. Sometimes it’s less about the time spent in the car and more about the idea of sitting in stand-​still traffic unnecessarily that grinds my gears. At any rate, I still give Via 3-​stars as it’s a viable alternative to public transit if you’re in need of a personal service without crowds but it just doesn’t provide the same benefits as other ride share programs. I wish them the best in working out the kinks with their downtown expansion but for the sake of keeping their staff and consumer base I hope they allow FDR trips during rush hours.

Who Via is great for: anyone who wants a cheap car service in a luxury SUV for whom time and walking is not a major issue.
Who Via is not great for: anyone who needs to get somewhere quickly, wants to be picked up and dropped off at their exact location, and wants to ride alone.
I’m young/​ambulatory and loathe taking the subway to work, so Via is a great option for me (so long as I leave until buffer time). The cars are always brand new Suburbans or Tahoes and the drivers are always great.
However as the service grows in popularity, the quality is definitely declining. Wait times have at least doubled since I joined 2 months ago. The app doesn’t incorporate traffic time whatsoever into estimates — kind of a problem for a service that only operates within Manhattan. Wait time will sit at «1 minute» for 7+ minutes. This morning I waited 5 minutes for my driver before finding him a block away taking a smoke break (he said he didn’t see the pickup request).
It’s a classic case of «you get what you pay for.» For many people, including me, the extra walking/​waiting is worth only paying $ 5.44 (incl. tax) per ride and avoiding the daily fresh hell of the A train commute.

I try to get a car 4 times this week.
2 times they didn’t have cars available and 2 times the rate was 60% higher because of pick time.
The same time Über didn’t have the pick hour rate so I used them.

PROS: clean cars, nice drivers, app is super engaged with you keeping you informed during your trip, only $ 5, first few rides free if you share with friends, quicker than bus and usually subway, most of the time I don’t have to share my ride with others
CONS: doesn’t take the quickest routes so it can find other riders, if you’re stuck in traffic, the driver feels forced to stay in that traffic since the app is telling them to do so, other riders sometimes are pompous dicks. Don’t be like that. Don’t start making all these demands on the route to get you to your destination when there are others in the car. If you’re alone, that’s one thing, but it’s a shared app and we all have places to get to.
I live on the upper east and my job is on the upper west. This is hands down the best way to get to and from work. I take VIA to work and walk through the park on the way home from work. Round trip it costs the same as taking the bus/​subway round trip across the park and it’s faster.
Wish it would be available on the weekends, I’d take it everywhere for my errands.
In my opinion the pros far outweigh the cons. Use this!

It has changed my quality of life.
I’m disabled and too vain to carry a cane.
For the extra 2.25 a ride vs. a train (the steps) or a bus it’s a no brainer to take a clean black car. Look at it as your uncle picking you up on his way, you just can’t keep him waiting.
My only complaint would have to do w/​the fellow riders who forget it is a share service and often demand door to door while that isn’t in the terms of the deal.
Drivers are diplomatic and courteous: I wish the service would run later in the evenings and keep my fingers crossed they don’t increase the fare.

Tried to use yesterday afternoon. I didn’t realize they don’t pick you up at your actual location. Once I re read the text cause they said my car was here and it wasn’t, we quickly texted them that we were on our way ½ and avenue, and one block up. But when we arrived, they didn’t state which corner. SW, SE, NW, NE??? Saw car across the street. The car left by the time the light changed and we got there. Why was the car on the SE, if we were on the SW going to the west side???
We hopped a taxi and Via didn’t charge me.
Tried it later in the afternoon. The car came quickly as per the text messages, so happy about that, but we were told to be in front of a building around the corner on the east side of avenue, but the car was on the west side of avenue in front of a different building. So we ran across the street and asked if he was our correct driver. He confirmed my name. He didn’t care when I told him he was on the wrong side of the street. Good thing he didn’t leave before the light turned so we had time to run across the street while holding a million bags. Annoying.
I’ll try again and see if they improve.

I am becoming a bit Via obsessed lately. I’ve had four super positive experiences. For starters, Via’s vehicles are very nice and very clean. All of my drivers have been friendly, and made me feel at ease with the way they drive. They don’t drive like morons, which I appreciate. Best of all, they get me within a block of where I need to be, regardless of the distance or traffic condition for $ 5! That’s right, FIVE DOLLARS! I’ve also earned free rides from trying the service for the first time, as well as sharing my promo code with others.
Other Unilocalers have commented on wait time. I’ve found that neighborhood and time of day both are a factor. I live on the Upper West Side, and 3 out of my 4 trips had an UWS pick up and drop off. All 3 were a breeze. The other trip started at Grand Central and had me crossing town at rush hour. I did have to wait for my Via for longer than quoted and it took us a good half hour to cross town, but I could care less — I was comfortable and able to rest my aching feet.

This is an okay service.
For $ 5, it is what it is: subpar.
The drivers take absolutely annoying, time consuming routes, going through the most traffic laden places in the city to get you to your destination. That doesn’t make any sense to me. Yet, the app is directing them to do so.
The drop off points change all the time. When going back to my place, they’ve dropped me off in front of my place, passed my place to drop me off, dropped me off 2 blocks from my place… (you get the picture)
Don’t use them if you’re in a hurry, the rides tend to take 15 – 25 min longer than they should. In some cases, I can walk faster than they can drive me to my destination. Definitely NOT joking. It’s pathetic.
They need more consistency, less annoyances in their system to make them more efficient. Hopefully they work the bugs out cause my patience wears thin on most of the days I use them.