For many of us Christmas Eve is the time for the traditional last minute dash for presents. Uber, however, celebrated Christmas Eve by securing a patent for an online trip planning tool which includes itinerary management and live updates.
Uber is clearly signalling intent to target the business travel market.
Many of the patents that are granted in the US end up collecting dust and never become commercially viable products. But this tool has some familiar aspects with a few modern twists.
At present business travellers can book directly online via corporate booking tools or OTAs. They can have itinerary management via TMC technology tools such as CWT To Go or Concur's TripIt. They can book ground transport via an app but Uber is proposing to bring booking content and functionality and real-time trip advice together in one place.
Uber Travel would enable travel booking just like any other online tool but it would also include an itinerary management service.
The patent application makes many mentions of monitoring the progress of the booking or travel — absolutely essential for effective itinerary management so the traveller can be advised of any delays or other changes to schedule. There will also be a facility to book a trip-specific, real-time accurate car transfer for either end of the journey to give the traveller a one-stop shop, full door-to-door journey experience.
Because this online tool will carry both content and the real-time trip progress information an alternative can be sourced and booked if the confirmed flight or hotel is not used for one reason or another. This level of real-time hotel and air content and performance data is only possible if there is a direct connect between the tool and suppliers' computer systems.
In short Uber is proposing a metasearch, booking site and itinerary management system all rolled into one with the bonus of a ground transport tool linked to real time rather than expected time.
It would provide anything a TMC provides but in one place, eg a traveller's mobile device. It also would not be dependent on a GDS distribution system. With everything being done on one tool corporate managers would potentially have access to relevant data on one platform.
Given all the trends for the traveller being the booker and the desire for corporate travel to become user friendly and carry real time information, this could be massive.
Readers should also note that the head of Uber's global procurement and supply chain, Howard Jaffe, is the name on the patent application. Someone who works in procurement is likely to know better than others how corporate travel procurement works and what it values.