Ground Transport

A cluster of comparatively under-the-radar startups have caught our notice: Two let travelers book specific cars on lots rather than broad vehicle categories (like "compact"), two are bringing metasearch to car rentals, and one is a hidden jewel of Hawaii's tech scene.

The iCars merger with Limos.com could make the combined company a viable competitor against Blacklane and GroundLink, leaders in private car aggregation for corporate travelers. But all the companies need to step up their games.

As economies around the world continue to fluctuate from boom to bust times, the bus market will remain relevant to capitalize on what consumers can afford and what amenities they're willing to give up -- or gain -- from choosing the road over the skies.

We don't need supersonic travel, robot butlers, or Alexa in every hotel room. Just a few upgrades to improve the experience overall.

Here's what the industry's top leaders told us in 2016.

A next step for Rideways, if it really wanted to get out front, would be to transition to an on-demand service and start recruiting drivers, but being part of a public company, the Priceline Group, Rideways has to be very cautious about regulatory issues. That's sort of like trying to be a disruptor -- or a hedge against disruption -- with one hand tied behind your back.

Autonomy will have implications for short haul air travel. The question is when.

Rail and local connections usually get the short shrift in discussions of travel. Unless you're talking to SilverRail's Gowell, that is.

Car rental brands are losing customers to ascendant ridesharing services. As they become more nimble and technology-focused, however, car rental companies should be able to regain some share in the ground transportation marketplace.

While ridesharing has gained solid traction in corporate travel, the business model of traditional car services providing ground transportation to companies is still strong. What remains to be seen is whether car services will widely adopt more user-friendly interfaces for hailing cars on demand.