More space for legs, less conversation for Uber cyclists who pay

Cathy Bussewitz, writer of business

Update

12:26 PDT, Tuesday, July 9, 2019

NEW YORK (AP) – Uber lets passengers tell their drivers in advance that they would like to have a little less conversation and more legroom, if those passengers are willing to pay.

The US giant launched Tuesday "rides" in dozens of cities. Motorcyclists enjoy 36 inches of legroom in "newer" cars, that is, those under five years old, and they can request an air temperature preferred. Runners can also use the app to tell drivers that they do not want to chat, avoiding what some consider to be a delicate exchange.

Uber responds to requests from business travelers and other people who claim to simply want to work or rest peacefully when they go to the airport.

"It's a way of setting expectations from the start (it takes a bit of work)," said Aydin Ghajar, senior product manager at Uber.

At the start of the race, when the drivers of Uber and his main American rival, Lyft, started looking for riders in their personal cars, they were often talkative, asking many questions to drivers.

"It was so new and innovative that many people were curious about what they were doing (the drivers)," said Harry Campbell, founder of The Rideshare Guy, a blog and online community for the pilots. "Over the years, this has become more transactional."

Uber rolled out a "silent mode" for Uber Black – its premium car service – in May, which left some drivers feeling like robots.

"Some drivers like it, they do not want to have to look at social cues," Campbell said. "Other drivers think it's a little dehumanizing … I really feel like in our society, everything becomes an app and we lose the lost art of conversation."

Comfort journeys cost 20% to 40% more in time and distance than standard Uber X routes.

This decision could help Uber increase its revenues, which could prompt the company to move closer to its profitability.

"I think it might help to increase those numbers a little bit and maybe give some Wall Street analysts something more to do to stay optimistic, given that the company is still not there. profitable, "said Daniel Morgan, vice president of Synovus Trust Company.

Uber has not yet made a profit and lost $ 1 billion in the first quarter of 2019. The executives said it could take years to make money.

It is unclear whether the benefits offered by Uber Comfort will be enough to convince bikers to spend more money. A five-year-old car is not really "recent", it's more "middle-aged," Morgan said. And with 6 feet 5 inches tall, extra legroom would not really be enough for Morgan – but that might be enough for people of average height, he said.

"They could try once and see if that represents such an improvement and is worth it," Morgan said. "If they can not deliver it and it's not so much more comfortable, then it's like, I'm not really going to pay for it."

Uber refused to provide an average age for the cars of its drivers, and this age requirement for vehicles varies by city.

Uber already offers premium products that are more expensive than the basic Uber X. For example, Uber Black includes high-end cars driven by professional drivers. Families or groups of six can choose Uber XL for a van or SUV. Uber Select connects runners with highly rated drivers. In contrast, Uber Pool is the cheapest option, but passengers must share the car with passengers heading to other destinations.

Uber says its Uber Black product will typically cost more than Uber Comfort, but specific prices will vary by city.

Drivers who meet the requirements can earn about 20% more on a Uber Comfort ride than on a Uber X ride, said Uber spokesman Steve Imm. But some drivers earned less at a Uber Comfort driver because their cars qualified for the more expensive Uber Select or Uber XL options, and they could not easily retire from the Uber Comfort option, said Campbell. Drivers will now be able to disable UBER Comfort with the help of the app, Imm said.