The introduction of the scheduled ride feature – being rolled out to Uber customers across the capital on Thursday – is a big move for the San Francisco firm and one that Uber expects to resonate particularly well with business customers.
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Customers using the UberX app will be able to schedule rides from 30 minutes to 30 days in advance, the kind of service cab and limo companies using central dispatch have offered for decades.
The novelty of having the option to book an Uber far in advance is something that every user wants and after the success of the scheme in the US, Uber are going to allow users in London to now book a ride up to one month in advance.
Customers will receive an estimated fare when booking the ride, but if it increases by the time of the pickup due to surge pricing, they will be able to cancel without penalty. Travellers can still cancel without charge before the vehicle is dispatched and up to five minutes after it has.
Uber has had a rough ride since its launch in London, but the app-powered taxi service has found favour with Londoners, beating black cabs hands-down when it comes to prices on those longer rides around the city, especially for revellers heading home at the end of the night. Uber will hope that some of those people will be tempted over onto its platform as a result of the new feature.
You will soon be able to schedule an Uber for a ride to the airport – just like taxicabs do now.
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London is the first city to get the new feature, and it officially goes live at 4pm today for business users, with the rollout hitting the company’s two million normal users in the next fortnight. “Whether it’s having a auto ready at the end of a meeting or to take you to the airport, scheduling your Uber in advance means there’s one less thing to worry about”.
