Uber's Explore tab aims to create new excuses to go out
You can make dinner reservations, get concert tickets and find places to visit.
Uber is rolling out a feature designed to help people discover new things in the areas around them. Through the Explore tab in the Uber app, you can make dinner reservations, check out concert listings and learn about cultural highlights. You'll be able to see Yelp reviews, photos and directions for a variety of experiences.
For the first time, users can book experiences and buy tickets through the app with their Uber wallet and payment profile. With one-click rides, you can instantly book a trip to the restaurant or concert venue.
Based on your Uber and Uber Eats history, you'll see recommendations for things like food and drink, art and culture, music and nightlife. There will be offers available, including discounted rides to certain restaurants. Uber says the deals will change depending on what's popular in a given area.
Uber isn't charging restaurants a booking fee for reservations made through Explore. However, it may add a service or booking fee for some experiences. The company will reveal more about ticketing partners at a later date. It's not yet clear what kinds of benefits Uber One members will receive through the Explore tab, though Uber promised to share more details in the coming months.
The feature goes live today in 15 areas: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, Minneapolis - St. Paul, New Orleans, New Jersey, Upstate New York, Orlando, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle and Mexico City. Uber plans to bring Explore to more locations and to add other types of events and experiences.
Uber Explore could be useful for spontaneous trips to a new city if you don't have much time to plan beforehand. It could also come in handy for downtime on business trips or to just learn about new things in a place where you've lived for a while.
Offering recommendations about local experiences, events and places to check out is hardly new. Foursquare, Airbnb, Google Maps and Eventbrite (to name a few) have been offering people recommendations for things to do for years. Still, by baking Explore into its ridehailing app, Uber not only wants to help you find cool spots and events, but to help you get there and back home.
