How to Pay Less for Your Uber Ride on New Year’s Eve

Peace out after the ball drops: Uber’s prime surge pricing time on New Year’s Eve is between 12:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., so if you don’t bounce right after midnight, you’ll likely be hit with the surge.

Uber encouraged users to take advantage of its “Fare Estimate” feature to find out what they’re in for: “After you’ve tapped “Set Pickup location” and entered a destination, tap Fare Estimate to see the range of fares for your trip”. We love Uber when we’re under the influence, cold and in need a quick ride home on demand, but not so much once we realize we accepted a surge price charge that turned what should’ve been a $10 ride into a $50 ride.

Surge pricing at popular times is an essential part of Uber’s business model.

Transportation aggregator services have, over the past couple of years or so, become fairly ubiquitous in most urban environments, thereby transforming the way people hail a cab in cities around the world.

Surge pricing happens when there’s a high demand for Uber vehicles in a particular area.

When demand falls or supply increases, prices quickly return to normal – and passengers are able to get an estimate on the app before accepting a higher fare.

Tonight is one of the busiest nights of the year for rideshare apps Uber and Lyft but there are ways for revelers to avoid delays and price hikes.

For the first time, Uber is operating in New Orleans and St. Tammany and Jefferson parishes this New Year’s Eve.

Where you ring in the new year may prove less important than how you get there, and get home, as the bitter conflict between Uber and taxis continues.

Uber is by no means unique in its dynamic pricing strategy, either.

Uber says customers will always be notified in big, bold print when surge pricing is in effect and the app allows customers to split fares with friends. By being flexible with your departure time, you can wait until the surge is reduced or over.