Uber reached one billion passengers over the holidays, and to celebrate, it’s partnering up with Facebook Messenger, StubHub and United Airlines. So long, Lyft!
Uber Brings in Trip Experiences
The personalized cab service is on the lookout to make riding more fun, especially since a lot of customers use Uber for longer rides. As such, Uber brought in third party app developers to send notifications and other content to passengers upon getting permission from the riders.
This is the first major update the app has released since the Ride Request service update launched back in March 2015. Trip Experiences brings in music playlists that are completed exactly by the time you reach your destination. It also gives users news subjects on different categories. It also helps you look into the restaurant or bar you’re on your way to, offering honest reviews. It even allows you to set reminders.
Uber Tramples Lyft
Valued at $62.5 billion, Uber is really breaking ground. Now, it’s spreading out beyond being just a car services. Lyft has given Uber a lot of grief in terms of competition, and these features put it a step ahead. The service has even tested food delivery services in the US. Allegedly, they are now working on acquiring and operating self-driving cars.
By bringing in third-party apps, Uber takes things one step further. They are putting in full efforts in their partnerships with Facebook Messenger, StubHub and United Airlines, and more brands will be joining them throughout 2016. Riding a Uber is now more productive, more efficient and more enjoyable.
Riders Might Get Annoyed By Ads
Although users might find this new Trip Experiences tool useful, advertisers are going to jump at every opportunity to target riders. This may annoy some customers into opting to not receive the services, so all riders should be aware that there is ad content in this feature.
As the update rolls out, it will certainly be interesting to see how Lyft and other competitors will retaliate. Will Lyft also decide to partner up with third party app developers? These relationships can be short lived as we’ve seen with Facebook and Twitter. For this specific service, it could work out.
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