Surge, AI & "Surveillance" Pricing — and Why EGT Locks One Honest Rate
A 2026 Consumer Reports study found rideshare riders quoted different prices for the same ride at the same time. Whatever you call it — surge, dynamic, AI, or surveillance pricing — Elite Green Transportation doesn't do any of it. One published flat rate, locked at booking, identical for every rider.
The short version
Consumer Reports' 2026 investigation reported that Uber and Lyft riders were quoted different prices for the same ride at roughly the same time — a median gap of about 50%, and in one case $94.96 vs $65.95 for the same route. CR called the practices "deceptive and manipulative"; Uber disputes the study's methodology and denies using personal data to set prices. EGT's answer is simpler than the argument: one published flat rate per route, locked when you book, the same for every rider — no surge, no AI pricing, no profiling, no fake "discounts." See our booking policy.
What Consumer Reports found
In a months-long 2026 study, Consumer Reports tested 30 rideshare routes digitally across 17 states plus a dozen in-person trips, and reported that Uber and Lyft used "algorithmic and AI-driven pricing tactics" that left riders paying very different amounts for what CR considered the same trip:
- The median difference between the lowest and highest price groupings was about 50%.
- In one example, two riders booked the same route near Florida's Gulf Coast at the same time — one was quoted $94.96, the other $65.95.
- In an 18-mile Kansas City Lyft test, quotes ranged from about $31 to $80 — the highest more than double the lowest.
- CR alleged the practices are "deceptive and manipulative" and "may violate several states' consumer-protection laws," including the use of fake discounts applied to inflated original prices.
What "surveillance pricing" means
"Surveillance pricing" is when a company uses your personal data — your device, your location, how often you've searched, your past behavior — to estimate the most you'll personally pay, and prices accordingly. Regulators and consumer advocates have raised it across travel, events, and ride-hailing. The companies named in the CR study deny doing it. But the very fact that riders now trade tips about using a VPN or booking from a library to dodge dynamic pricing tells you how much trust has eroded.
A premium rider shouldn't have to play games to get a fair price. That's the point of how EGT prices.
How EGT prices instead
- One published flat rate per route. SAN airport rates by neighborhood, fixed long-distance rates (LAX, Palm Springs), and a flat Zone rate are posted and locked when you book.
- The same price for everyone. Your phone, your browsing history, and how many times you've checked don't change it. There is no personalized price.
- No surge, ever. Rush hour, a sold-out SoFi World Cup night, NASCAR weekend, a 5 a.m. departure — the rate you were quoted is the rate you pay.
- No fake discounts. We don't inflate a price to mark it back down. The number is the number.
- All-in. No fuel surcharge, no automatic gratuity, no deposit — and a reasonable stop on the way is included. (Booking policy.)
- Members pay less, transparently. Our free 1K program drops the Zone rate from $65 to $40 — a published member rate, not a hidden algorithm.
Why it matters most for the trips that surge
Demand-based pricing hits hardest exactly when you most need a reliable ride: airport rushes, concert and game nights, holidays, late-night returns. That's when rideshare fares spike — and when EGT's locked flat rate is worth the most. You also get a named driver confirmed in advance and the actual vehicle you booked, in a 100% electric BMW i7 or Cadillac Escalade IQ. Predictable, private, and the same honest price every time.
Lawmakers are moving on it — and the apps are fighting back
This isn't only a consumer gripe; it's becoming law. In 2026, lawmakers introduced more than 40 bills across at least two dozen states to rein in personalized, data-driven pricing. New York's Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act took effect in 2025 and requires a label — "this price was set by an algorithm using your personal data" — on personalized prices. Maryland enacted a ban in April 2026 and Connecticut followed in May, while California's AB 2564 — which would prohibit surveillance pricing with fines up to $12,500 per consumer — cleared a key legislative vote in May 2026.
The ride-hailing companies are pushing back hard: Lyft says it "prices rides, not riders," and a congressional committee has sent inquiry letters to Uber, Lyft, and others. The legal fight will take years. EGT's answer doesn't depend on the outcome — our price was never set by an algorithm reading your data. It's one published flat rate, the same for everyone, today and regardless of how the legislation lands.
Where it stands now — June 2026
The pressure is intensifying by the week. A fresh Consumer Reports investigation (June 2026) reported that every one of 30 routes tested showed at least two different prices for the same ride at roughly the same time — and one Kansas City route produced 29 different prices for 55 potential riders of the identical trip (NBC News). On June 23, 2026, the congressional Monopoly Busters Caucus pressed Uber and Lyft directly over AI-driven surveillance pricing — following a House Oversight Committee investigation opened March 5, 2026 and FTC testimony in April 2026 confirming the agency is still weighing whether highly personalized, data-driven pricing needs new disclosure rules. Uber's line hasn't changed — it "does not personalize prices, period."
EGT's hasn't changed either, and never will: the price for your ride to SAN airport (flat $65 zone), across the border to CBX, on a sold-out concert or game night, or anywhere on the flat $65 city Zone is published, locked at booking, and identical for every rider — no app reading your phone, no algorithm guessing what you'll pay. While the apps spend years in front of Congress, you can just see the number and book it.
One honest rate. Reserve it.
Flat, published, locked at booking — no surge, no surveillance, no games. San Diego's 100% electric premium car service.
Call (858) 522-0264Sources
- TheStreet — "Uber, Lyft use AI to charge riders more, CR says" (June 16, 2026), reporting on the Consumer Reports study, the price-gap examples, and Uber's rebuttal.
- Consumer Reports — "Uber, Lyft: Different Prices for the Same Ride, and Fake Discounts" (2026 study).
- CalMatters — "Why surveillance pricing bans are suddenly gaining traction this year" (May 2026), on California AB 2564 and the multi-state wave.
- Inside Privacy (Covington) — "State Lawmakers Introduce New Wave of Personalized Algorithmic Pricing Bills" — 40+ bills across 24+ states; NY, Maryland, Connecticut.
- Consumer Reports — "Investigation Reveals Uber and Lyft AI-Driven Pricing Tactics" (June 2026) — all 30 routes showed ≥2 prices; one route, 29 different prices for 55 riders.
- NBC News — "Different prices for the same ride raise questions about how fares are calculated" (June 2026), including Uber's denial.
- U.S. House — Monopoly Busters Caucus presses Uber and Lyft on AI-driven surveillance pricing (June 23, 2026).
- Holland & Knight — "Surveillance Pricing, AI Pricing Tools and the Push for Price Transparency" (April 2026), on the House Oversight investigation and ongoing FTC work.
Reporting summarized as published; Uber disputes the study. EGT pricing facts are EGT's own published flat rates and booking policy. Updated June 25, 2026 with the latest Consumer Reports findings and the June 23 congressional inquiry.
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Book a flat rate (no surge, no surveillance): · SAN airport transfer — flat $65 zone · $65 city Zone · CBX cross-border · Concert & event transportation · 1K member rate ($40 Zone)