Business travelers who like to schedule all of the details of their trips now have another arrow in their quiver: Uber is rolling out a new program that lets you schedule Uber rides up to 30 days in advance.
The program, called Schedule a Ride, which rolled out in Seattle this summer, is the latest advancement for the company that pioneered a new category of ride sharing six years ago. Schedule a Ride is now available in 44 US and eight international cities.
“Even though we’re an on-demand company, we totally get it. Sometimes you just want that extra reassurance that your Uber will be there when you want to leave,” Tom Fallows, Uber’s director of global experiences, told Wired.
The service will also send you a reminder notice 24 hours ahead and again 30 minutes ahead, and the standard cancellation policy that allows you to cancel a ride within five minutes of when the car is dispatched without incurring a penalty also applies to this new feature. Rates are the same as standard UberX rides, and surge rates during peak travel times will also apply.
The “Schedule a Ride” offering is in response to business travelers’ request for this level of predictability. As a nod to those users, Uber will offer priority access to those who have business profiles or whose profiles are linked to their company’s Uber for a Business corporate account.
Uber isn’t the only ride sharing company offering a scheduling option. Lyft also launched a similar service exclusively in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., but rides can only be scheduled seven days in advance.
Business travelers, how do you normally get around town on your business trips? Have you ever tried ride sharing? Would you try it if you knew your ride was guaranteed, or will you stick with cabs and car services? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or in our Twitter stream.
Photo credit: Alper Çuğun (Flickr, Creative Commons)