Uber Tesla - 3 Things you should know about #UberBlack

Uber is a heated topic in Hong Kong. Debates about it's business model to government relations to it's  marketing stunts create buzz, ooos and ahhhs in forums and press. Perhaps Uber is most well known for it's signature UberBlack services, and recently they had an Uber Tesla promotion.... and I missed it! However, on a rainy morning, I was feeling under the weather and woke up late for work. In the midst of my struggle trying to wave down a traditional red cab, I pulled out my phone to call for an Uber. I was thrilled to know a Tesla was on the way to pick me up for work! Here goes a couple of things I think you should know when taking Uber Black. 

1. It's less expensive than you think

I used to think I cannot afford an Uber Black trip, but having been on one, it cleared my misconceptions. It is around 20-30% more expensive than a red taxi, depending on the demand and supply dilemma that sets the Uber fares. And, it is totally worth it. My driver Chor was such a sweetheart to call can remind me to bring an umbrella and handed me water and phone charger to make me feel at home, in a Tesla. The car itself was a great experience, and I can share my ETA (expected time of arrival) and location to friends, family and boss if you are stuck in traffic. 

2. They drive celebrities around as a full time job

As I chatted with my driver, we discussed more about the partnership structure Uber has in Hong Kong. He mentioned that he is a full time driver at a licensed limo fleet company that partners with hotels and restruants to get VIPs around town. Hence Uber is utilising resources in the society to help ease the traffic pain in HK. 

3. There's quite a lot of them around

It's always been a struggle to flag down taxis in Hong Kong AND to convince them to get you where you want to go, even though there seems to be quite a lot of them strolling around. With Uber, there's always a few of them within 5-10 mins from me, and they pick up the order pretty quickly. From the couple of times I have used Uber, the Black cars seem to always be in stock :) 

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Best use of $ money @ Santorini!

Anyone who’s seen the photos wants to go there. Those who Expedia-ed it know it’s not cheap.

Travel Smart. Make the best use of your time and money @Santorini! I had the best five days my life on the magical Greek island for just over GBP 350 (HKD4,300). That’s including direct return British Airways flights from London, four nights in a hotel and three days of car rental. Moreover, I only booked two weeks before departure and it was coming up to peak season.

Here are a few tips I want to share with you, which may inspire you to travel there and are also useful takeaways for future trip planning.

1.      Bring a friend (or two)

      I enjoy travelling alone, but there’s nothing like sharing the experience and joy with a travel buddy (Thank you Bel!). They share the cost too (e.g. Hotels, car rentals, meals etc.)! ;) 

2.      Know your options

      There are two legendary ways of getting from London to Santorini.

      

      Option 1: London >> (Fly) Athens >> (Ferry) Santorini

                                                   - People generally perceive this to be a cheaper option

                                                   - It’s great if you have more than 5 days and want to visit Athens too.

                                                -   But beware that there are limited ferries every day and no night ferries (so you can’t sleep there                     for the night to save on hotel and time). Duration is 5-8hrs depending on the provider and price.

Option 2: London >> (Fly) Santorini

 It was a more expensive option, as British Airways pretty much monopolized the route.  At the time of our research, it was around GBP500 direct return.

   UPDATE (after trip): EasyJet is now a notable BA competitor on this route, prices fluctuate a lot. Read more: http://goo.gl/YGRxww

The ferry option happened to be around GBP 100 (HKD1,200) more expensive, and also 3x  less quality time on the beautiful island.

3.      Cross-check multiple Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

 Even same company’s .co.uk has different prices from its .com.hk

  

 Remember I mentioned BA’s price was around GBP500? That’s the price on Skyscanner.net (UK version) and Expedia.co.uk. However, we accidentally found out a very different story if you use Expedia.com.hk (credits to Bel). Long story short, we managed to get the same deal for 1/3 of the price booking through Expedia.com.hk instead of the UK site. 

      This is something I don’t have enough data and information to give a legit explanation for… but this had happened before when I booked a package from HK to Tokyo during peak season. And booking via a UK travel agent site was cheaper than HK sites. My guess is supply and demand are not synced across all OTAs, so try the ones with less demand and compare!

4.      Transportation. Driving. Taxi.

   There are buses on Santorini, however, if you can drive, drive.

  

      Time is money. Because we rented a car, we could go anywhere anytime; we watched sunset every evening at Oia and went to different beaches during the day. Renting a car on the island is affordable, petrol is cheap, and you can park literally anywhere for free.

5.      Try out different hotels

a.      We tried two. Very affordable (still had in-room balcony!) to classic white volcano cave with sea view infinity pool. We loved both! :)

                                                  

  i.     ErsiVillas

                                                

   ii.     Angels& Stars Suites Spa

Happy travel planning!

p.s. Let me know how you plan your travels and share your research! :)