NEW YORK, Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bandwagon, a Brooklyn-based ridesharing app and logistics startup, has developed a marketing partnership with United Airlines' Eco-Skies program to make sharing car service and splitting fares to and from Newark Liberty International Airport easier than ever with enhanced experiences in United's Terminal C.
United customers can now use Bandwagon to share a ride from Newark International Airport and save up to 60 percent of the cost of typical car service. Shared rides reduce costs, congestion and pollution, giving Newark International Airport an eco-efficient upgrade. Drivers also benefit by making more money on multi-stop rides and by gaining access to additional customers — who may have relied on personal automobiles if ridesharing were not an option.
"Reducing United's emissions and helping our customers reduce theirs is one of the best ways we can act responsibly as a global airline," said Angela Foster-Rice, United's managing director of environmental affairs and sustainability. "Partnering with other environmentally responsible companies like Bandwagon further strengthens our commitment to offering sustainable travel options to our customers at all points of their journey."
To rideshare with Bandwagon at United's Newark Terminal C, customers enter their destinations in Bandwagon's mobile app. As Bandwagon's state-of-the-art Ridebatch Server looks for the most convenient match, rides appear on a number of responsive displays throughout United's Terminal C baggage claim area.
"Think of it as a tech-savvy way to shout out to everyone in baggage claim looking for shared car service," says Bandwagon Design Director Brendan Dalton. When the Ridebatch Server finds a convenient match, United customers follow the Bandwagon app to a designated Rideshare Meetup spot. Customers can then book a car service directly through Bandwagon and the app allows customers to split their fare digitally.
"If we can make better use of empty seats in vehicles that are already at airports, we can make transportation to and from airports throughout the world much more efficient," says David Mahfouda, CEO and founder of Bandwagon. The Bandwagon/United Eco-Skies program could save over 42,000 gallons of gasoline and 80,000 pounds of CO2 emissions over the next 12 months. Jigar Shah, notable Bandwagon customer and author of Creating Climate Wealth is also enthusiastic about the program, "I travel to and from Newark often, so the costs add up. United's Eco-Skies Bandwagon program isn't just a win for the environment, it also makes it a lot easier to find a low-cost rideshare option from United's largest terminal at Newark Airport." Global Gateway Alliance Founder and Chairman Joe Sitt said, "This partnership between Bandwagon and United is a great step in utilizing 21st Century technology to improve transportation to and from New York & New Jersey airports, to make rides more efficient and affordable, and to bring us closer to the amenities offered by the world class airports that we compete with."
Collaborations with airlines like United are part of Bandwagon's strategic growth plan. "This partnership is the beginning of a new deal to expand access to transportation and create more affordable and sustainable mobility options by using existing resources," says Mahfouda. "It's an exciting time for mobility—an era when vehicle transportation can be far smarter and cheaper, and when transit moves with you and the people around you."
As a network for connecting passengers to each other, Bandwagon integrates seamlessly with airline, airport and convention center partners. Bandwagon will continue to expand its services through a number of major additional partnerships cities throughout the country and the world.
About Bandwagon
An industry leader in the growing field of real-time ridesharing and dynamic route coordination, Bandwagon has developed a solution for matching passengers on city streets, within businesses, and on long taxi lines at airports, hubs, and events, reducing wait times and costs. In the past year, Bandwagon has grown its coverage of locations to include multiple New York and Las Vegas Airport and event hubs.
Launched in 2013, Bandwagon is based at the Urban Future Lab, an innovative cleantech incubator in downtown Brooklyn powered by an unprecedented partnership between NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering and The City and State of New York. Emily Wheeler, Director of the NYU Urban Future Lab and the NYC Accelerator for a Clean and Resilient Economy (ACRE) had this to say about Bandwagon's collaboration with United Airlines: "We are proud of NYC Acre tenant Bandwagon's collaboration with United Airlines. It is another shining example of how we are at the forefront of the cleantech entrepreneurship movement."
Bandwagon has received accolades from the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, New York City's BigApps, Ultralight Startup's Future Energy Competition, Verizon, Ford, and others.
Bandwagon is available for iOS and Android at http://bandwagon.io.
About United
United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,100 flights a day to 374 airports across six continents. In 2013, United and United Express operated nearly two million flights carrying 139 million customers. With U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates more than 700 mainline aircraft. This year, the airline is taking delivery of 35 new Boeing aircraft, including the 787-9 as the North American launch customer, and is welcoming 32 new Embraer 175 aircraft to United Express. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 192 countries via 27 member airlines. More than 85,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.
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SOURCE Bandwagon