Uber launches flight booking trial in the United Kingdom for other markets. With this new development, the ride-sharing app can now be used in booking both national and international flights in the UK.
Uber Flight Booking Trial
Uber is at the moment launching a new flight booking tool for its customers in the UK as part of the wider efforts by the company to expand into other travel markets. Hopper, a Canadian-based travel agency, and Uber announced the very partnership on Wednesday to sell national and international flights via the ride-sharing app.
Uber already has introduced app bookings for flights for some users in the UK and it is now planning to make the tool more widely available across the entire region “in the coming weeks,” as initially reported by The Financial Times. General Manager for Uber in the UK, Andrew Brem, revealed to the publication that this is “the latest and most ambitious step” that the company has taken in its pursuit of creating a one-stop shop for all travel booking needs which is a so-called travel “super app,” if you will.
Uber in the UK before This Announcement
In the UK, Uber already lets users include bookings for trains, boats, and buses via its various partnerships with Eurostar, Thames Clippers, Omio, National Rail, National Express, and Megabus. Brem stated that train bookings have now proved “incredibly popular” so far, thus claiming that the booking numbers have increased by 40 percent each month since the company launched the feature back in August last year. Brem however did not disclose just how many tickets that had actually been sold through the service since its launch.
Hopper also said that Uber customers can now book a flight as they would with most travel platforms simply by inputting their travel details, destination, and dates to find their desired flights. Users for major airlines will also be able to select as well as pay for their seats simply, easily, and directly within the Uber app.
Uber Will Be Taking Small Commissions from Every Sale
The Financial Times however reports that Uber will be taking a tad bit of commission from every sale and that it may consider adding an additional fee to flight bookings in the future to come. Encouraging users to book other travel arrangements through the Uber app also could benefit its main ride-sharing business in the process as 40 percent of Uber trips in the UK start or finish around transportation hubs such as train stations, and the company now claims that airport trips make up 15 percent of its entire gross bookings.
The UK Is the Perfect Place to Test Try This New Feature
The UK at the moment has an extensive public transportation network and it is one of the largest markets for Uber outside of the US, thus making it an ideal guinea pig to trial the expansion of the company into other travel markets. The country was one of the first to receive in-app public transportation schedules and directions way back in 2019. Brem has now confirmed that Uber hopes to “build its core business” and then expand other varieties of travel booking such as flights to more countries in the nearest future, but he however admits that the company at the moment has “no firm plans.”
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