Lyft starts a business travel brand, escalating its Uber rivalry

· 3 min read

Lyft starts a business travel brand, escalating its Uber rivalry

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Alex Bitter

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Travelers with luggage wait near cars at a busy terminal curbside pickup area under partly cloudy skies.

Lyft is starting Alcove, a new brand aimed at business travelers.

Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Lyft is creating a new brand to target the business travel market.

The division, called Alcove, will combine new corporate travel offerings with UK-based TBR Global Chauffeuring, which Lyft acquired last year for the equivalent of $110 million.

Alcove will provide "the highest levels of service" with "great chauffeurs," Lyft CEO David Risher said in a statement Thursday.

"Like the bridge instead of the tunnel? Prefer 72 degrees? Want the rear window open just a bit? That's what Alcove will offer," he said.

Alcove is the latest effort by a ride-hailing company to tap into business and executive travel — a market that companies believe is more lucrative than your average ride.

In March, Uber started its own version, called Elite, as a similar black-car service "designed for executives, frequent travelers, and riders looking for a more elevated experience," the company said. The same month, Uber acquired Berlin-based chauffeur service Blacklane.

The global chauffeur market is worth "tens of billions of dollars," Lyft said in its statement announcing Alcove.

Alcove will initially work directly with companies and travel management firms, Lyft said. The company plans to formalize the new brand by unveiling a new portal and a mobile app next year, it said.

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Alex Bitter

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Alex Bitter is a senior retail reporter covering Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and related companies. His coverage ranges from the experiences of gig workers to what's happening inside the world's biggest ride-hailing and delivery companies.Alex has also written about the retail and food industries. Convenience store chain Sheetz ended its "smile policy" after his reporting. Alex lives in the Washington, DC, area, where you can find him studying ancient coins or searching for Civil War artifacts with his metal detector in his free time.Got a tip? Reach out at [email protected] or via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (808) 854-4501.

  • Lyft
  • Uber
  • ride-hailing
  • More
  • Business Travel