Just in time for the holidays: Uber’s new travel & shopping upgrades

Uber’s hoping to be the Rudolph to your Santa Claus this holiday season, releasing a slew of new features to its rideshare and delivery platforms that are tailored to holiday shopping, shipping, and travel needs.

New features released under the banner of Go, get, and give with Uber include personalized holiday shopping on Uber Eats and a refreshed version of its same-day delivery service, Uber Connect.

“This year, whatever the holidays look like for you and your family, Uber is here to help you Go Anywhere and Get Anything —whether you’re traveling, hosting, or sending gifts,” Sundeep Jain, Uber’s chief product officer said in a blog post on Monday. 

So what’s new?

GO 

• Uber Travel organizes hotel, flight, and restaurant reservations by linking travel plans from Google, Outlook, and Hotmail email accounts.

• Uber Explore helps travelers book activities in their local area.

• With Uber Charter Expansion, you can book a party bus or passenger van directly in the Uber app. Available in 20+ major US cities.

GET 

• Uber Eats Holiday Shop is a one-stop shop for party must-haves — including convenience, grocery, and alcohol purchases — from major retailers like Albertsons, Walgreens, and Total Wine.

• Users can create ‘custom orders’ for specific items not found within the app.

GIVE

• Uber Connect helps customers send and receive packages to and from different destinations.

• ‘Make it a gift’ feature allows customers to order a gift via Uber Eats, along with custom messages and tracking info.

• Scheduled Go/Get gift cards for your friends and family

Don’t feel bad for leaving your holiday shopping last minute because I definitely don’t now that Uber is doing most of the work for us. Let’s just hope they can deliver at the eleventh hour.