Uber is adding new travel booking options for U.K. users as part of a strategic push to become a super app and one-stop-shop for national and international travel, according to multiple reports on Wednesday (April 6).
The U.S. mobility giant is adding options to book flights, train tickets, hotel rooms and car rentals. Aside from ride-sharing and food delivery, Uber also offers taxis, bikes, boats and scooters in the U.K.
The U.K. is serving as a pilot program for a larger rollout nationwide. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi started dropping hints in 2018 when he took the helm at the tech giant that the goal was to make Uber a super app offering a wide range of mobility options. The pandemic put the plans on hold.
“It’s fair to say that Covid made it a little bit hard for us to progress as quickly as we would like,” Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for U.K., northern and eastern Europe, told Financial Times. “With Covid behind us, with this big push into new modes of transport, we want to signal that this is a very important growth lever for us over the coming years.”
Three years ago Uber integrated options in the U.K. to rent electric bikes and get tickets for the London Underground. Since 2020 Uber partnered with Thames Clippers to provide a passenger ferry service on the Thames in London, rebranded as Uber Boat.
With planes and trains, Uber is not providing these services itself but will work with partners that will be integrated into the app. Uber said it would confirm the various partners for its new offerings in the coming months.
“Everyone values the freedom to make travel arrangements in a simple and convenient way, which is why we’re excited to become a one-stop-shop for all your travel needs,” Heywood said.
