Uber is Rolling Out New Airport Services: Here’s What You Need to Know

It’s no secret that ridesharing has had a bumpy year. Travelers have seen long wait times, unexplained driver cancellations, and a massive increase in ride prices over the past year. A driver shortage coupled with a bounce back of travel and an increased demand has been much to blame. Adding that to a nationwide rental car shortage meant business travelers found themselves needing to plan way ahead when prepping for a business trip if they wanted to get anywhere fast (and reasonably priced). 

In an effort to alleviate some of the stress around travel right now and rebuild trust among customers, Uber has responded with a new program: Uber Reserve. Uber Reserve will enable users at 20 airports in the U.S. - including Chicago (ORD and MDW), Nashville, New York (JFK and LGA), and Washington D.C. (DCA and IAD) - to request and book an Uber Black or Black SUV up to 30 days in advance at any time and on any day of the year. 

Uber Reserve will also include a “Ready When You Are” service, a hybrid of on-demand and advance bookings. It allows you to request pickup after landing at your destination’s airport - you can choose to be picked up in 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or ASAP. This feature is currently only available on Android (iOS should be coming next month) and is being tested at six airports in the U.S. and Canada with a larger rollout slated for early 2022.

And while this is great news, we all know travel can be unpredictable. To solve for potential cancellations or flight delays, Uber is using smart technology to connect into airport departures and arrivals so that it can track flights and adjust pickup reservations accordingly. 

There is a complimentary driver wait time of up to 60 minutes, which should leave enough time for the plane to taxi, to grab your bags, hit the bathroom, etc. Right now the process to find your Uber will remain the same - you’ll need to head to the designated rideshare pickup area at the airport to find your driver. But Uber is looking to streamline this process in the coming months as an added benefit of this new feature.

The post-COVID world is certainly different, and companies are adjusting accordingly. With updates like this, the future of airport travel is hopefully looking a little less chaotic. While things continue to evolve, one thing remains the same: AmTrav is here and we’re ready to help. As your company gets back on the road and you begin to book travel, our team is committed to making your life easier so you can focus on doing what you do best.