Uber is introducing options meant to ease airport-pickup headaches.
For travelers who reserve rides in advance, a choice now available at two dozen U.S. airports, the app will keep track of flight information and automatically update reservations if a plane is early or delayed. Drivers will also wait up to an hour if passengers aren't ready to go straight to their vehicle after landing.
The features come as Uber expands its advance-reservation options, which did not include rides from airports when its Uber Reserve system debuted last year. Travelers can use Uber Reserve to lock in a ride up to 30 days in advance, although it's only available for the higher-priced Uber Black and Uber Black SUV services. The fare includes a reservation fee, which can vary by city, the company said.
Uber plans to roll out the option to more U.S. airports in the months ahead, but for now, it is available in cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Seattle and D.C.
The updates come as the number of air travelers continues to recover from last year's drop-off - and as ride-hailing app users have complained about high prices, long waits and difficulty finding rides at all. The Transportation Security Administration said 2.1 million people went through checkpoints on Sunday, compared to 900,000 at the same time in 2020.
Uber announced Wednesday that it hit a 2021 high in U.S. airport trips last month.
"Even as more people hit the road again, it's also true that air travel can feel more stressful and uncertain than before," the company's announcement said. The airport-reservation features, it said, are aimed at "providing extra peace of mind so you can step off the plane and know your ride is waiting for you."
