The hide-hailing giant, Uber, aims to become a travel super app after increasing its operations beyond ride-hailing. In general, the company recently invested in the air travel industry by offering international and domestic flight bookings. Reports indicate it intends to expand its services to the United States and other regions but is currently available in the UK alone. Investing in air travel marks a significant step in the company’s broader ambition to expand services.
In any case, Uber aims to become a one-stop solution for all travel-related issues. After introducing flight bookings, the company now aims to offer a seamless travel experience for its customers. Hence, Uber users can now book accommodations, and flight rides all in one place. The company announced that the newly launched UK flight booking service is a test for them to set up similar services in other regions.
They also aim to promote car service demand through flight bookings. Meanwhile, the company is also testing bookings for international and national coach and rail journeys in the United Kingdom. Uber believes if clients book flights via the Uber App, they will also book its ride-hailing services to move from and to the airport. In other words, the flight booking option is a feature for its clients to enjoy the ease & convenience of using its app.
But the recent expansion does not come as a surprise since Uber has relentlessly expanded its service bay in the travel industry. Since its launch in 2009, the company has gradually expanded its packages beyond ride-hailing. Over the years, it has offered alternative services such as freight shipping service, food delivery and bike rentals. Nonetheless, launching flight bookings has attained a substantial step in its evolution as it aims to become a top player in the travel niche.
Another significant step to becoming a supper travel app is its agreement to integrate all New York City yellow cabs into its platform. Overall, the company aims to widen its services beyond the travel niche. The company’s chief has indicated their ambitions are beyond flight bookings and taxis. Instead, the company aims to become the operating system for anyone looking for travel services and supplements.
Since ride-hailing accounts for about 15% of the company’s gross bookings, they will offer discounts on car trips between airports. Above all, the company is co-piloting with Hopper Travel Agency to earn a commission on each flight booking through the Super App. They also aim to decide the flight fees after the business stabilizes. After the company rolled out the new feature to users across the UK, train reservations rose by about 40%. The rise comes amid negative impacts from train strikes throughout the country.
