PYMNTS-MonitorEdge-May-2024

Lyft Lands At Vegas Airport (Before Uber)

The first ridesharing service up and running at Las Vegas’ main commercial airport isn’t Uber — it’s Lyft.

The company announced on its blog yesterday (Oct. 26) that Lyft has “officially landed” at McCarran International Airport.

“We’re proud to be the first ridesharing partner of McCarran International Airport,” a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement, according to TechCrunch. “Lyft’s launch in Vegas was one of our biggest yet, and collaborating with key stakeholders like LAS is an important part of continuing to grow the Lyft Las Vegas community. We want to thank the Clark County [NV] Commission and staff, LAS Executive Director Vassiliadis and airport staff for embracing the benefits Lyft brings to travelers.”

As the TechCrunch story points out, Lyft’s announcement comes a week after the Clark County Commission allowed both Lyft and Uber to begin the application process for temporary operating licenses at McCarran, and about a month after the Nevada Transportation Authority granted permits to both companies to operate in Las Vegas.

Although its primary competitor beat them to it, Uber remains dedicated to getting its own service in place at McCarran. In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Uber Nevada General Manager Jason Radisson said that his company was “continuing a thorough process with [McCarran] Airport Officials” and that the company’s “priority is to reach a resolution that ensures rider and driver safety along with the best user experience, as quickly as possible.”

For now, Lyft is celebrating this (at least temporary) victory of sorts over Uber by offering users $5 off two rides to or from McCarran anytime in the next six months, attainable with a discount code it provides in the aforementioned announcement on the Lyft blog.

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PYMNTS-MonitorEdge-May-2024