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Uber
39 posts about Uber. Every summary links to the original.
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How to Rent a Car in Bakersfield, California
Renting a car in Bakersfield can provide flexibility for city travel, trips beyond the city, airport arrivals through Meadows Field Airport (BFL), business stays, or extended visits. The guide describes using Uber Rent to browse, compare, and book vehicles from rental companies, with options ranging from sedans to SUVs and reservations available through the Uber app or online. It outlines choosing a vehicle based on trip purpose, space, rental duration, and budget, then covers reserving, picking up, and returning the car while keeping booking details in the app and confirmation email. Requirements include being at least 18, presenting a matching valid driver’s license and physical credit card, and reviewing supplier-specific conditions; personal car insurance is not required, though protection plans may be offered at pickup.
Uber Advertising Launches New APIs to Unified Campaigns & Workflows
Uber has launched Uber Ads APIs to reduce the need to manage advertising and performance across separate tools and systems. The APIs let POS systems, aggregators, agencies, and other partners create and manage campaigns programmatically while giving brands direct or integrated access to performance and sales data. They support onboarding, activation, and ongoing campaign management across a merchant base, including campaigns for restaurants and Sponsored Listings. Partners can embed Uber Ads in existing platforms so merchants can launch campaigns and increase visibility without navigating separate workflows. Documentation, representative contact, and an integration-planning process provide the stated starting points, with the broader aim of combining advertising and operations in a unified retail media system.
Piloting estimated earnings per kilometer on trip requests
Uber is piloting an estimated earnings per kilometer badge on trip requests in selected cities, giving drivers another way to compare potential trips alongside the upfront fare. The calculation starts with the upfront trip fare and divides it by the total estimated driving distance: from the driver’s acceptance location to pickup, plus from pickup to the final destination. It is intended as a benchmark that works across requests with different durations and excludes distance driven while waiting between rides. Drivers continue to be paid per trip based on the upfront fare, not per kilometer; the estimate is not a guarantee, can change when trip details change substantially, and may differ from actuals because the distance estimates depend on the driver’s location and request details.
Autonomous vehicles are coming to more cities
Uber is introducing autonomous vehicles (AVs) on its app in selected sections of Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, and Las Vegas, as part of a hybrid marketplace that includes both AVs and drivers. Availability is limited by geography and time of day, monitored during each rollout, and expected to change over time. Riders requesting UberX, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric may be matched with an AV and can adjust app settings to increase their chances; some trips may initially include a specialist from an autonomous partner who can take over if needed. The company says AVs are intended to complement drivers, helping meet demand during busy periods or where fewer drivers are available. Uber expects minimal driver impact and says expanding rider engagement will create more opportunities for drivers.
We’ve improved Destination Mode to get you better matches
Destination Mode has been updated to prioritize trip requests that move drivers toward a chosen destination while accounting for added time and distance. Drivers can choose Flexible route, which widens the search area for more opportunities but may lengthen arrival, or Faster route, which limits requests to trips directly on route for potentially quicker arrival but fewer offers. To use it, drivers search for a place in Driver App, enable Destination Mode, select a route, and accept trips. Destination Mode can be used twice daily, with a session starting on an Exclusive trip request; drivers can decline or cancel up to two Exclusive offers on Faster or three on Flexible before the session ends, and those offers still affect Acceptance Rate. Delivery requests remain unfiltered, and the mode cannot be enabled at airports.
Next-gen transit: Votran’s innovative model for multimodal partnership
Volusia County Transit Services (Votran) has partnered with RATP Dev, Spare, and Uber Transit to unify demand-responsive transportation for more than half a million Volusia County residents. The VoTran On Demand app, powered by Spare, brings together the Transportation Disadvantaged program, VoRide microtransit, and other options alongside traditional fixed-route and paratransit services. Votran uses a mixed fleet of dedicated vehicles and Uber’s non-dedicated driver network to improve on-time performance, enable same-day trips, and reduce the cost of serving low-density areas. In zones such as Ponce Inlet, the app can request an Uber ride for local travel or connect riders to a suitable fixed bus route for destinations outside the zone, offering a model for balancing coverage and efficiency across a 1,100-plus-square-mile county.
Massachusetts Driver Benefits
In June 2024, Uber reached an agreement with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell that adds protections and benefits for independent Massachusetts Uber Rides drivers. For Rides trips beginning in Massachusetts, drivers are guaranteed $34.48 per hour of active time, calculated over two-week periods, with supplemental payments when trip fares and included incentives fall short. Beginning November 1, 2024, drivers can accrue up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually at $21.22 per hour, subject to the stated accrual and claiming rules. The post also describes occupational accident insurance, Paid Family Medical Leave payments, a portable health fund with quarterly eligibility, and account-deactivation appeals. It explains how active time, sick leave, guaranteed earnings, and health-fund participation are viewed or claimed through Uber’s systems and related administrators.
Using Uber at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) handled more than 10 million passengers in 2015, a nearly 9% increase from the previous year, making preparation useful for travelers. The post recommends Uber as an alternative to parking, with uberX or uberXL available and pickup at the Ground Transportation Center on the first floor of the short-term parking garage. After collecting luggage and selecting a vehicle, riders should follow the airport signs; drivers wait at designated parking spots, and riders can call if they have trouble connecting. Additional resources cover terminal maps, traffic, flight status, airport updates, TSA guidelines, and security wait times. It also points visitors toward the French Quarter, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, and Casamento’s, noting attractions, trails, historical sites, gumbo, and an oyster loaf sandwich.
Where to Celebrate Valentine's Day in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s Valentine’s Day guide pairs restaurant suggestions with movies, concerts, creative courses, or a cooking class, allowing couples to mix and match stops. Dinner options include Dish Osteria and Bar’s daily-changing classic Italian menu, Morcilla’s shareable Spanish pintxos, Kaya’s Caribbean-inspired dishes, and Everyday Noodles’ soups, dim sum, and soup dumplings. Events range from films at the Manor Theatre and February concerts at Mr. Smalls Funhouse and Club Cafe to multi-week courses at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and a February 11 class at Habitat, which includes lunch and an apron. The practical notes include making reservations at Morcilla, arriving early for a Club Cafe table, and scheduling Uber between destinations for convenience.
New Atlanta Stadium ride guide: Getting there
Uber’s guide explains transportation options for events at Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which it says will host more than 100 events that year. It recommends combining Uber with MARTA: riders can use promo code MARTA2MBS for 50% off eligible uberX or uberPOOL trips to and from select stations, within specified event windows. The discount has exclusions, a maximum value of $10, and applies to up to five rides per event in select Atlanta areas while supplies last; the guide lists dates and times ranging from September 7 through January 8. For direct stadium trips, Uber advises using designated pickup points, avoiding Northside Drive, verifying the vehicle and license plate, and using features such as upfront fares and Split Fare.
Know Your Airport: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark
New York City’s airport system—JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark—can create delays through traffic, security lines, parking constraints, terminal congestion, and redevelopment work. The guide recommends checking Uber airport pages, traffic reports and maps, TSA security wait times, travel alerts, and security guidelines before traveling. JFK may take 30 minutes to two hours from Manhattan and has terminal-specific peak periods, six terminals, an AirTrain option, and no official vehicle waiting zone; LaGuardia has four terminals, redevelopment-related parking limits, and especially busy Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. Newark is about 30 minutes from Manhattan, serves 50 carriers, offers short-term parking but no cellphone lot, and is described as having only 68.4% of inbound flights arrive on time, with terminal-specific busy periods and a 50%-lower UberX and UberXL fare promotion.
Using Uber at Detroit Metropolitan Airport
The guide explains how to request an Uber at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) and offers practical advice for arriving, departing, and spending time in Detroit. After collecting luggage and selecting a vehicle in the app, riders should confirm they are on the arrivals level at McNamara Domestic, McNamara International, or North Terminal; if the driver is hard to find, they should call to coordinate. It also points travelers to terminal maps, WJR-AM 760 AM traffic reports, Google Maps, TSA guidelines, flight-status information, and DTW updates and FAQs. For visitors staying in the city, the guide recommends Hitsville U.S.A., Comerica Park, and Republic Tavern, describing their music history, baseball setting, and locally sourced charcuterie and cocktails.
Soar to the desert with UberCHOPPER
UberCHOPPER offers helicopter flights from Los Angeles to Indio for festival travel on April 7 and 8, with reservations available in the Uber app from noon to 4 p.m. A seat costs $695, allows one-way or round-trip travel, and can be reserved for up to six people; one-way passengers can add an UberSUV return to Los Angeles for $399 total. On flight day, passengers travel to Van Nuys Airport, land at the Indio BLADE Desert Lounge in under an hour, and continue by UberSUV to the festival, while the Neon Carnival helipad is described as walking distance from its entrance. Flights for Neon Carnival operate all night, but bookings cannot be refunded or canceled after purchase, and Blade arranges flights through FAA/DOT-licensed operators.
The New Normal Starts with Your Safety
Uber announced that, beginning May 18, 2020, riders, drivers, and delivery people would be required to wear masks or face coverings on its platform as cities began reopening during the COVID-19 crisis. The policy applied in many operating countries and was paired with cancellation and reporting options for people who felt unsafe or encountered noncompliance, while discriminatory cancellations remained prohibited. Drivers and delivery people had to complete a Go Online Checklist covering face coverings, sanitation, and keeping the front seat empty, then verify mask use with a selfie; riders had to confirm precautions, sit in the back, and open windows. Uber said it had allocated $50 million for supplies, secured more than 23 million masks, and was developing safety guidance with WHO and CDC.
Introducing Uber VIP - Premium Rewards For Top Riders
Uber VIP is a no-cost monthly rewards program for riders in Nashville who complete 10 Uber trips each month. Members receive access to the highest-rated driver-partners, premium rides in top-quality cars, advance access to promotions, VIP-only giveaways and perks, and a monthly newsletter featuring local discounts and events. VIP rides cost the same as uberX, although the program warns that fewer VIP vehicles may mean longer wait times. Riders qualify by taking 10 rides in Nashville during each monthly period; Uber says it will provide status updates and automatically add VIP to eligible accounts at the start of every month. Keeping the benefit active requires completing another 10 rides per month, with examples of local discounts including Two Ten Jack and Blowout Co.
Strengthen customer loyalty and employee engagement with Vouchers for Uber Eats
Uber for Business is introducing Vouchers for Uber Eats, a meal-benefit feature intended to help organisations engage customers, guests, and employees during changing work and event routines. Businesses can create single or bulk voucher campaigns, choose coverage amounts, and apply controls for spending per order, order counts, dates, times, and other parameters. Recipients claim vouchers through an Uber account and redeem them at checkout, while administrators can track claims, meals ordered, total spending, and costs within a set time frame. The post presents uses including feeding teams returning to work, supporting remote events, treating clients, welcoming guests, and recognising employees, with no-contact delivery and access to 400,000 restaurant partners in over 6,000 cities cited as supporting options. It also says average delivery time is under 30 minutes, based on internal Uber data from 2018.
NYC Driver Benefits
Eligible Uber drivers in New York City may receive minimum earnings and several protections established through an agreement involving Uber, the New York Attorney General, and New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) rules. For trips beginning in the city, the TLC minimum-pay formula considers time, distance, and driver utilization, while incentives and guarantees count toward earnings but tips, customer-charged fees, and offline promotions do not. As of March 1, 2026, the listed rates are $1.283/mile and $0.681/mile, with different rates possible for wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) trips and out-of-city portions. Eligible drivers may also access Black Car Fund benefits, possible unemployment insurance, and paid sick leave, which accrues at one hour per 30 hours worked up to 56 hours yearly and can be redeemed for $18.58 per hour as of that date.
Introducing HoosierShare, Indiana University’s innovative program with Uber
Indiana University Bloomington has partnered with Uber to launch HoosierShare, a 24/7 shared-ride option for verified students, faculty, and staff traveling around Bloomington and campus. Powered by Uber’s Closed Loop Share feature, the program matches IU riders heading in the same direction, permits up to two other individual riders, and can cost up to 20% less than standard UberX fares. Enrollment requires an Uber account, IU-credential verification, and use of the designated IU Ride service zone, where every trip must start and end; HoosierShare allows one person per booking. The program is intended to expand transportation access and support IU sustainability goals, while the first 10,000 enrollees receive $5 off their first trip and shared rides are designed to add no more than eight minutes on average.
Mobility for all: How Uber supports Los Angeles’s vision of universal basic mobility
Los Angeles’s Mobility Wallet pilot provides low-income residents with funds for shared transportation, including Uber rides, as part of Universal Basic Mobility initiatives. Phase I ran from May 2023 to April 2024 and gave 1,000 South Los Angeles residents a monthly $150 stipend on prepaid cards usable for transit, bikes, e-scooters, regional travel, and ride-hailing. Participants reported improved quality of life, citing redirected transportation spending for bills, school supplies, social activities, and savings, along with reduced financial stress and improved mental health. During the phase, participants took more than 7,600 Uber rides to reach fixed transit, appointments, homes after late shifts, or social events. Phase II began in fall 2024 and expanded eligibility to 2,000 participants across LA County, offering up to $1,800 over 12 months and Uber vouchers, while results remain forthcoming.
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