Uber's corporate-focused division Uber for Business has
introduced a new ride type designed to meet a growing need the company sees
from its business travelers, Uber announced Tuesday.
Dubbed Uber Business Black, the service
"reimagines" the traditional black-car experience, according to Uber.
Perks include luxury vehicles like the Mercedes G-Class or
Rivian R1S; extra time for pick-ups; and on-time pick-up protection—Business
Black riders will be issued Uber Cash if a driver isn't matched "in a
timely manner," or is late for a pick-up starting at five minutes. How
much extra time is allotted depends on whether the ride was reserved or on
demand. Note, though, that there is an Uber Black grace period of five minutes
for non-airport pickups and two minutes for airport pick-ups before a
per-minute wait fee is applied. The fee varies by market.
In addition to the on-time pick-up protection, where Business
Black differs from Uber Black is customers or executive assistants can use flexible
scheduling with Uber Reserve to schedule Uber Business Black rides in advance
or use the Uber app to request a black car on demand; there is a dedicated 24/7
customer support line for up to 72 hours post-ride versus the 24 hours for Uber
Black; and receipts are delivered via email once a ride is completed, or if
expense integration is enabled, receipts will be uploaded to the user's expense
provider, according to Uber.
"Uber Business Black is designed to improve the
business travel experience and provide much-needed peace of mind," Uber
for Business global general manager Josh Butler said in a statement. "The
new ride type combines the luxury and comfort executives need to unwind between
meetings with the flexibility and convenience of Uber to ensure a smoother,
more reliable experience."
Uber introduced
Uber Business Comfort in mid-2023, and since then the company noted that
more than half of all active Uber for Business riders have opted for premium
trips such as Business Comfort, Comfort Electric, Black or Reserve. "Business
riders have made it clear: they want enhanced support, comfort and reliability
when traveling for work," Uber said.