[southerndrift]

The limit of the airline metaphor is that uber doesn't have to own the fleet. The fight is in subsidizing rides, like with lift. Then comes softbank and they pick the winner because they have the deepest pockets. Who would go up against those pockets but a bigger player? And then, uber can offer them shares and the fight is over and uber keeps on winning.

Regarding the price checkking: it's one thing to compare ride prices if you fly once a month but it is something else if you buy a ride 5 times a day. Like businesses buying flights from one supplier, consumers will buy rides from one app.

Uber will be profitable once nobody is willing to burn more money. That day will come sooner than later.

Uber has thought this through because their name is not lift, but uber.