For Uber China, The Sky’s The Limit
Every weekday morning I have the same routine. I wake up, get dressed, make my coffee, read about the Royals, kiss my fiancé goodbye, and take the bus to the train. I’ve taken Uber to work before, but only when I’ve woken up late, which thankfully isn’t that often. I live and work in Brooklyn, however, Uber China will soon be offering some high flying travel options.
UberLIFE and Uber+Travel will be introduced in China by the end of the year. While these services are different, both aim to broaden Uber’s popularity and set it apart from the competition.
Of the two, Uber+Travel is most similar to traditional Uber. Uber+Travel allows passengers to schedule trips on different kinds of transports, including by boat and hot air balloon.
UberLIFE is a bit different. Somewhat of a digital magazine, it includes information about events happening nearby, including sport matches and opera concerts. It may seem like an odd addition at first, but the mission statement is still the same: Make a better driving experience. UberLIFE aims to turn the company into a lifestyle brand. This is not the first step away from traditional ride-sharing for the company. Last year Uber secured a patent for “Uber Travel”, which seems to be somewhat of a travel agent app.
While this is a reality in China (I can’t believe I’m writing about ride-sharing in hot air balloons), it’s unclear when or if UberLIFE and Uber+Travel will make it to the United States. I can’t get the silly idea of balloon-to-balloon traffic during rush hour out of my head.
Uber also delivers food in some places.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChEHAweahQw
Back in New York, an expanded ferry service, that costs the same as a Metro card swipe, will be realized next summer. Initially this ferry service will not be connected to the MTA.
Maybe someday soon I can wake up, get dressed, make my coffee, read about the Royals, kiss my fiancé goodbye, and call a hot air balloon to take me to work. Now that’s a commute to look forward to.
