Alto Rideshare Review
Uber and Lyft have dominated the rideshare market for years, but a luxury alternative has been flying under the radar for a while. Alto is a luxury rideshare service that operates much like Uber and Lyft on the surface. But once you look under the hood, Alto offers a much nicer experience. Alto owns all of its vehicles and drivers are actual employees instead of independent contractors, which means a much nicer and consistent experience for customers, as we cover in this Alto rideshare review.
What is Alto?
Alto launched in 2018 and claims to be the first ride-hailing company to hire W-2 employees as drivers. This differs from Uber and Lyft, whose drivers are contractors.
Alto markets itself as a luxury rideshare service. Its entire fleet consists of Buick Enclaves, so passengers always know the car they are going to ride. Through the Alto app you get to set select what kind of music you want for your ride by choosing your “vibe.” All the drivers I have traveled with thus far have been courteous and professional.
Currently, Alto operates in Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles.
How Alto Works
The app functions very similarly to Lyft and Uber. Perhaps the biggest difference is that Alto rides have a 10-15 minute wait. This wait makes sense given that Alto has fewer cars available (Alto owns all of its vehicles). Wait times do vary, and I have had drivers show up faster or take longer. But the estimated time has been accurate every time.
To bypass the wait time, you can schedule a ride in advance. I have used this function multiple times and it has worked out well each time.
My favorite feature about Alto is that their cars have access to the taxi lanes at airports. This means you don't have to walk to the rideshare pick-up spot at the airport to meet your driver. This can make a world of difference at some airports (LAX, anyone?!). Being able to walk out of the terminal onto your ride can make the premium worth it over regular Lyft or Uber rides.
Lastly, Alto also offers a delivery option. You can prepay for an order at a store or restaurant and your Alto driver will pick it up and bring it to your location.
Alto Rideshare Pricing
My experience with Alto thus far has been excellent. The cars are immaculate and the drivers are pleasant and professional. Rides arrive at the scheduled time almost to the minute no matter where they're coming from. This all of course comes with a price.
Alto is usually more expensive than a regular Uber or Lyft ride (but not always). Every once in a while, the price with Alto is the same or even a couple of dollars cheaper than Lyft or Uber. Also, unlike Uber and Lyft, Alto does not give users the option to tip their drivers.
Alto offers a membership, though being a member is not required. Members get discounted rides on the app (according to the website, members save an average of 30%). Three membership options are available:
- Monthly membership of $12.95 per month
- Annual membership of $119 per year
- Family membership of $119 per year + $25 per additional family member
For those wondering, Alto has coded as travel across my credit cards so far.
Alto Rideshare Review: ToP Thoughts
Alto has been around as a luxury alternative to Lyft and Uber for many years now. But its smaller footprint has kept this service under the radar. More options are always a good thing for consumers. As Alto expands into new cities, this could become a good option for your travel needs. If Alto is not available in your hometown yet, consider checking it out when you visit one of the cities in which it already operates.
