You'll Soon Be Able to Order Flights Through the Uber App The company is pilot testing new integrations in its U.K. market.
By Emily Rella •
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's … all soon to be available on your Uber app!
The rideshare company announced on Wednesday its plans to become a "super app," expanding beyond allowing users to hail cars and trucks to allowing users to book trains, planes and buses in its U.K. market by the end of the year in a pilot (pun intended) trial.
If all goes well, the company plans to expand the service to other markets.
The vehicles will not be owned directly by Uber, but instead the app will provide third-party vendors and rental services that will be integrated into the Uber app, the specific third-party partners to be announced in the coming months.
Related: Lyft Follows Uber as Both Announce New Surcharges, Fees
"You have been able to book rides, bikes, boat services and scooters on the Uber app for a number of years, so adding trains and coaches is a natural progression," Uber U.K. general manager, Jamie Heywood, said in a statement per CNBC. "Later this year we plan to incorporate flights, and in the future hotels, by integrating leading partners into the Uber app to create a seamless door-to-door travel experience."
Uber had pilot tested helicopter charters in the U.S. market in 2019, offering chauffeur rides via the app to a helipad that would take customers from Manhattan to JFK airport during select hours on Monday through Friday.
The company also announced this week that riders in New York City would be able to book yellow cabs directly through the Uber app, offering cab rates that are directly comparable to what a rider would pay for a typical UberX ride.
Uber, which had its operating license in London removed twice (in 2017 and 2019), recently regained a 30-month license from the European city after it was deemed that the service passed all regulatory and safety standards.
"Through our collective technology, resources and experience, we can help public transportation agencies build out their current and long-term software infrastructure for mobility management based on their changing community needs," Uber said in a paper published by the company in 2021. "We are at a crossroads today where public transportation desperately needs innovative new ideas, technologies, cost structures and supply modes to make the mobility system more financially sustainable and better for all."
Uber was down over 6% in a 24-hour period as of early Wednesday afternoon.
