Uber Announces Its New Feature That Allows Passengers To Schedule Rides Up To 30 Days In Advance

Good news for people who prefer to make plans in advance. Uber Technologies Inc. has announced a new feature allowing passengers to request ides 30 minutes up to 30 days ahead of time.

According to a report from The Verge, it is currently being tested in Seattle, but will soon be available in other "top business travel cities." It also shows a significant shift in the company's operations, as it looks to broaden its customer base to a more business-minded clientele. Just last month, Uber's main rival Lyft revealed it would experiment with scheduled rides in San Francisco, but only 24 hours in advance.

"Even though we're an on-demand company, we totally get it," says Tom Fallows, Uber's director of global experiences. "Sometimes you just want that extra reassurance that your Uber will be there when you want to leave."

The app will basically work after tapping on UberX in the Uber app. Users will see a new option enabling them to schedule a ride to within a 15-minute window. They can set their their pickup date, time, location, and destination, and be able to edit their details up to 30 minutes before the pickup time, wired.com reported.

According to Tech Times, the company says the price is the same. However, it is subject to pricing condition at the future time depending on the time the request was made. Surge pricing may also apply, but because it is using real-time computation, passengers will only be able to see the base fare when they first pre-arrange their ride.

Uber said it is also possible for users to cancel anytime without having to pay a penalty as long as your ride isn't already on the way to pick you up. The company also said it will send users reminders 24 hours ahead of their ride, and again 30 minutes before. After five minutes, standard cancellation fees will apply, which differs per city. In Seattle and San Francisco, the fee is $5. In Paris, it is 5 Euros.

Uber is a company that is based on immediate requests, so the new feature marks a significant change in the company's operations. The fact that the company is prioritizing business travelers means it seeks to expand its customer base to more business-minded patrons.

"Even though we're an on-demand company, we totally get it," says Uber's Global Experiences Director Tom Fallows. He says passengers often want extra assurance that Uber will be there when they want to leave.