Uber’s travel’super app’ Plan includes Flight Bookings

Uber, the world’s largest ride-hailing company, has begun offering flight reservations in the United Kingdom (UK) as part of its most recent effort to develop a travel super app that would enable users to move freely between various modes of transportation.

As part of its strategy to diversify into new markets, the company has partnered with travel agency Hopper to offer domestic and international flight booking services only in the UK.

According to Uber’s UK General Manager Andrew Brem, the action is “the latest and most ambitious step” in the company’s strategy to grow its primary ride-booking business.

According to the Financial Times, Uber will deduct commissions from each ticket sale and may later tack on additional booking fees.

The San Francisco-based company already offers train and bus booking services in the nation, and its most recent development brings it one step closer to having a platform for booking travel.

As a testing ground for its long-term goal of developing into a travel booking platform, Uber is using the UK, its largest market outside of North America.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which saw countries impose lockdowns and movement restrictions, put an end to Uber’s initial 2018 plans.

The ride-hailing company has previously ventured into the airline industry.

Uber Copter, a helicopter-hailing service that was introduced in the UK in 2019, was suspended in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.