Uber Rolls out (More) Affordable Ride-Sharing With Express Pool
Remember carpooling as a kid? The pick-ups and drop-offs, with everyone crammed into a stuffy vehicle? Thanks to technology, like so many things, ride-sharing has improved.
Starting today, Uber — which has always been in on the ride-share action, having launched uberPOOL nearly four years ago — is offering a new product called Express POOL.
Here's how it will work: A rider will see an Express POOL option next to UberPOOL in the app. Once they select Express, Uber books their ride, and starts looking for the best spot for pickup — for co-riders and the driver — within a few blocks. When the ride details are finalized, the rider will be given walking directions and an ETA, so they know when and where to meet their driver. Once in the car and nearing their stop, the rider will be notified of said location, and will be given walking directions to their final destination.
In terms of cost — which will be affected by surge pricing — Express POOL is up to 50% less than uberPOOL and 75% cheaper than uberX. What makes it more affordable is the mix of walking and waiting — this helps the app make more matches, and ultimately deliver a lower price to consumers than they are used to with uberPOOL.
Since introducing uberPOOL in 2014, this is the first new product Uber is launching — deemed their most affordable ride-sharing product yet. Uber has been piloting this product in San Francisco and Boston and are expanding to Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Diego and Denver over February 21 and 22.
Uber's goal was to create a product for their consumers to use every day, with a consistent experience to boot — something that has proven to be tricky for uberPOOL. That means better routes, with fewer detours and a more reliable ETA. Uber aims to roll out Express POOL across more US cities later this quarter.
Images courtesy of Uber
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app