Posted by 
After relying on Addison Lee for the past year, I finally decided to give Uber a try. I was genuinely impressed. Uber is a car for hire service managed entirely through a mobile app. You open the app, let it detect your location through GPS, enter your destination, and select the type of car you want. Options typically include standard, executive, and luxury. The app provides an estimated fare and an expected pickup time, which makes planning incredibly simple.
It is easy to see why Uber has grown so quickly and now operates in major cities across the world. Since moving to the UK, I have used black cabs only a handful of times. My experience with black cabs has been mixed for several reasons: the cost is high, credit cards are often not accepted, pickup refusals are common for short trips or inconvenient routes, and it can take a long time to find one outside central London.
This is why I relied on Addison Lee for so long. They were reliable for the most part, but recently I have noticed a significant shortage of available drivers. Several times I called for a ride only to be told they were fully booked and could not accept my request. Being asked to call back in an hour does not help when you are trying to get home from the airport.
That exact situation happened yesterday. I had just returned from a trip and did not have my booking account number with me. Rather than scrambling to retrieve it, I opened the Uber app. Within seconds I saw a driver available. I booked the car and received a call immediately. The driver asked me to meet him at the departures level, and within five minutes I was in a comfortable car on my way home. He even offered water and a phone charger. In contrast, Addison Lee pickups often required a 20 to 25 minute wait, followed by extra time spent directing the driver to the meeting point.
The fare was another pleasant surprise. My Uber ride cost less than half of what I would have paid through Addison Lee for the exact same route. After that experience, as long as an Uber driver is available, I do not see myself going back to black cabs or Addison Lee.
If you want to try Uber yourself, you can use this link to sign up and receive a ten pound (or ten dollar) bonus: http://www.uber.com/invite/0i7l6