Uber moves toward becoming an ‘everything app’ with hotel bookings powered by Expedia

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Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. listing / ˈlɪs tɪŋ / (n.) – a list of items, services, or information, often shown in a clear or organized way
    Example:

    I checked online listings to find an apartment.


  2. perk / pɜrk / (n.) – an extra benefit you get in a job or situation, in addition to your main pay or reward
    Example:

    Free meals and parking at work are nice perks of this job.


  3. evaluate / ɪˈvæl yuˌeɪt / (v.) – to carefully think about something to judge its value, quality, or success
    Example:

    The teacher evaluated the students’ projects.


  4. mutually / ˈmyu tʃu ə li / (adv.) – in a way that is shared by two or more people or groups
    Example:

    They agreed to help each other mutually.


  5. beneficial / ˌbɛn əˈfɪʃ əl / (adj.) – helpful or good for someone or something
    Example:

    Regular exercise is beneficial for your health.


Article

Read the text below.

Uber is expanding into a different side of the travel business: hotels.


The ride-hailing and delivery company said that users of its app can now book hotel rooms. Uber is using hotel listings provided by Expedia Group, a booking service that works with 700,000 hotels and other properties globally. More than 1 million vacation rentals from Vrbo–which is owned by Seattle-based Expedia–will be added to the app later this year, the company said.


Sachin Kansal, Uber’s chief product officer, said hotel booking is a big step toward San Francisco-based Uber’s goal of becoming an “everything app” that serves many customer needs. Uber, which was founded in 2009, launched Uber Eats for restaurant deliveries in 2015 and expanded with grocery deliveries in 2020.


“Consumers are spending too much time coordinating their life, using multiple apps. AI is in the air, and they’re all trying to figure out, ‘How does AI help me or does it not help me?’” Kansal told The Associated Press. “Our goal with these announcements is to bring everything into one app, to help them save time, and to also help them save money.”


Any Uber app user will be able to make hotel reservations. But Uber One members, who pay $9.99 per month for zero delivery fees and other perks, will get a 20% discount off a rolling list of 10,000 hotels plus 10% back in Uber credits they can use to book rides, Kansal said.


Kansal said Uber evaluated multiple partners before partnering with Expedia. Uber then spent months integrating Expedia’s technology into its own app. Kansal wouldn’t share the financial terms behind the partnership.


“They’re very excited because Uber brings a certain user base that is very travel-friendly,” Kansal said. “So I would say it’s going to be mutually beneficial for both the parties.”


Travel is a big part of Uber users’ lives, he said. More than 100 million people use Uber to get to or from an airport each year. And last year, more than 1.5 billion Uber trips took place outside of a rider’s home city.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Uber is moving beyond rides and deliveries by allowing users to book hotel rooms in its app. From a business’s perspective, do you think it is a good idea for one app to offer many different services? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • From a customer’s perspective, what do you think are the advantages of Uber’s services? Would you be interested in using this app? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Uber is trying to make things more convenient by putting many services in one place. Do you value convenience more than having many choices? Why? In your opinion, how can too much convenience affect people’s decision-making? Discuss.
  • Uber says people spend too much time using multiple apps and wants to simplify this. In your experience, what tasks take the most time when using different apps? Do you think combining services in one app really saves time? Why or why not? Discuss.