Does Uber Benefit Travelers by Price Discrimination?

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Law and Economics
Year: 2022
Volume: 65
Issue: S2
Pages: S433 - S459

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We use Uber fare data for passenger trips from Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco airports to hotels in those metropolitan areas to test whether Uber engages in third-degree price discrimination by charging higher fares to travelers who originate from the same airports as other travelers but who stay at more expensive hotels. We find that fares are positively and statistically significantly related to the price of hotel rooms. Importantly, we also find that allowing ride-sharing companies to price discriminate improves travelers’ welfare, on average, by increasing their travel options.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jlawec:doi:10.1086/721266
Journal Field
Industrial Organization
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29