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Skift Take
Uber continues to adapt its product with travelers in mind.
Justin Dawes
Uber on Wednesday announced several new features geared toward those booking rides to and from the airport.
Uber has been working to carve a stronger place in the travel industry beyond rideshare.
Uber sells flights through connection with Hopper, and it sells train and bus tickets in the UK and Spain through a connection with Omio.
The company has also been experimenting with boat rides and shuttles to events. And it’s increasing investment in business travel.
There was a report last month that Uber was considering buying Expedia Group (see Skift’s analysis). Expedia’s chairman later said that wouldn’t be happening.
UberX Share at Airports
The company is adding an UberX Share option for rides to the airport.
The UberX Share ride option already exists for trips within select cities, which the company says can save riders up to 20%. UberX is the standard option for a single rider.
The new airport option allows riders to share their trip with one other airport traveler. After selecting the option, Uber searches for a second traveler for a limited amount of time, and then looks for a driver. The rider saves up to 25% compared to a standard UberX fare, even if not matched with a second rider.
The option is launching with 10 airports: AUS (Austin), DEN (Denver), EWR (New York), IAD (Washington, D.C.), MIA (Miami), MSY (New Orleans), PHX (Phoenix), SFO (San Francisco), AMS (Amsterdam), and MAD (Madrid).
UberXXL for More Luggage Space
Uber is adding an UberXXL option, meant for travelers who need more space for luggage to and from the airport. Like UberXL, the new option guarantees space for six people, but it also guarantees more trunk space for extra pieces of luggage.
UberXXL is now available for rides to and from more than 60 airports globally, with more to come. The initial group includes 40 in the U.S. and Canada, including: JFK (New York City), LGA (New York City), EWR (Newark), LAX (Los Angeles), SFO (San Francisco), DCA (Washington, D.C.), ORD (Chicago), DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth), MIA (Miami), and ATL (Atlanta).
The price for UberXXL runs between that of UberXL and Uber Black, the company said.
New Uber Shuttle Route to LGA
The company last month started two Uber Shuttle routes between Midtown Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport.
Uber Shuttle is getting a third route to the airport, from the World Trade Center in Downtown Manhattan.
The two existing routes are to and from Penn Station, and to and from Grand Central Terminal with a stop at the Port Authority Terminal.
Service for all three routes runs every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10:45 p.m., seven days a week.
Riders can book up to four seats between seven days and five minutes before departure. The price is $18 per seat.
The company plans to soon expand the Shuttle service to other airports.
New Uber Reserve features
Uber is adding two new features for users scheduling rides.
The new Flight Capture feature allows riders to enter their flight details into the app, which then recommends a time to leave for the airport. A flight-tracking capability alerts riders of flight delays and then asks about adjusting the drop-off time.
Riders can now input multiple stops when reserving a ride, ideal for airport pickups with multiple passengers going to different destinations.
