Latest news with #ShwetaMantri
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
More reliability, peace of mind: Pre-scheduled ride's a preferred choice for riders
Uber today released key 2024 trends for Uber Reserve, its pre-scheduled ride option, showing a sharp rise in usage across Indian cities as more riders explore the advance- travel-booking feature. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With bookings growing close to 200% year-on-year, Reserve is becoming the preferred choice for riders looking for reliability, especially for odd-hour airport trips, festival travel, and business commutes. Nearly one in four airport drop-offs now happen via Reserve, showing growing demand for certainty when timing matters most, with Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai leading in usage. Airport drop-offs were the primary use case for Reserve during 2024, with as much as 40% of overall Reserve trips ending at an airport. Beyond the airport use case, spikes in Reserve bookings were observed during wedding seasons, exam dates, and major festivals like Diwali, Eid, and Christmas, where the usage increased almost 15% ahead of public holidays. Intercity travel using Reserve also rose significantly, up 40% during the Diwali festive period, and close to 30% over long weekends during 2024. Speaking on the growth of the product, Shweta Mantri, Head of Rider Verticals, Uber India and South Asia, said: 'Riders are telling us what they value most - reliability, flexibility, and peace of mind. Uber Reserve is helping them take more control of their time and their travel. Whether it's for a flight, a meeting, or a family celebration,Reserve is becoming the preferred choice for planned journeys across India. ' Riders have the option to book Reserve trips up to 90 days in advance, and in one case, a rider booked their trip as early as 89 days ahead, reflecting the faith they put in their trusted ride option. The average lead time for Reserve bookings was 9 hours during 2024. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Popular Reserve time slots included 4-6 AM for flights, and 7-10 AM for office commutes. Reserve trips made through Uber for Business rose 140% year-on-year, and now make up a tenth of all Reserve bookings - a sign that working professionals are increasingly opting for more control and certainty with pre-scheduled transport. In terms of product adoption, Chennai led the charge during 2024, with the highest proportion of the overall trips being reserved ahead, followed by Bangalore and Hyderabad. With growing momentum across use cases and cities, Uber Reserve is poised to play a larger role in how India plans its travel. As rider expectations evolve, Uber remains committed to building solutions that offer greater control, reliability, and peace of mind.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Uber reserve bookings triple in 2024, airport and business travel lead growth
Uber has reported a significant rise in usage of its pre-scheduled ride feature , Uber Reserve , in 2024. According to the company, bookings for the service nearly tripled year-on-year, with a growing number of users opting to plan their travel in advance for work, airport commutes , and public holidays . The platform noted that nearly one in four airport drop-offs were made using Uber Reserve, with Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai leading in usage. Airport travel accounted for about 40 per cent of all Uber Reserve trips during the year. Shweta Mantri, Head of Rider Verticals, Uber India and South Asia, said: 'Riders are telling us what they value most — reliability, flexibility, and peace of mind. Uber Reserve is helping them take more control of their time and their travel. Whether it's for a flight, a meeting, or a family celebration, Reserve is becoming the preferred choice for planned journeys across India.' Use expands beyond airports In addition to airport commutes, Uber observed spikes in Reserve usage during weddings, exam periods, and major festivals such as Diwali, Eid, and Christmas. Bookings increased around 15 per cent ahead of public holidays. Intercity travel through Reserve rose 40 per cent during the Diwali period and nearly 30% over long weekends. The average lead time for bookings was 9 hours in 2024, with some riders booking as early as 89 days in advance. Time slots between 4–6 AM and 7–10 AM were the most commonly chosen, coinciding with airport trips and office commutes. Reserve usage through Uber for Business also grew, with a 140 per cent increase year-on-year. These trips now account for 10 per cent of total Reserve bookings, showing increased adoption by working professionals. Chennai recorded the highest proportion of Reserve trips among Indian cities, followed by Bangalore and Hyderabad. Uber stated that the service is expected to play a growing role in planned mobility across India.
