Streamlining business travel

Interview with Jenna Brown, Director, Uber for Business UK

What is Uber for Business all about?

Uber for Business takes care of business travel needs through the highly popular Uber app. Easy to use, it provides access to reliable, convenient and cost-effective ground transportation, as well as food delivery, in more than 70 countries around the world. With abusiness profile linked to a corporate account, users have the option to order, or reserve, premium vehicles, such as Uber Business Comfort, Business Exec and Lux, and then have all their expenses automated. They can access additional benefits, such as priority pickups and the ability to earn double Avios when they link their British Airways Club account and take a work trip in the UK. From an employer perspective, Uber for Business also helps to control costs, monitor carbon emissions and track employee movements for duty of care purposes.

What are the biggest challenges that your customers are facing when it comes to travel in 2025?

While sustainability has consistently been the top concern for customers since 2020, increased economic pressure has brought about a change in 2025. Our research has found that cost saving is now the highest priority and we are supporting customers in this area –through a range of features, spending controls and low rates. When compared to the alternatives, we help the average employer save up to 10% on travel costs. In many cases, these savings can be much higher.

Sustainability also remains a big concern for both employers and employees, however. Two thirds of travellers (65%) now say it’s important to have green vehicles as a travel option – a figure that rises to more than three quarters (77%) among C-level executives. Uber is meeting that demand through its Uber Green vehicle option – and almost a third of Uber miles in London are already being completed using electric vehicles. Companies can also monitor the carbon emissions generated from every ride their employees take with Uber. This can be viewed on a dedicated sustainability dashboard, which enables easy carbon reporting.

Are businesses cutting back on business travel generally?

Rather than cutting back on travel, businesses are looking to tighten up their spending over the next 12 months. Companies still see the value in business travel but they want more cost-effective ways to get their people to meetings, events, airports and hotels. It’s true that in some cases budgets will be lower. When we asked 1,000 travel policy decision makerswhether they were planning to reduce or increase spending on business travel in the next year, 28% said they were planning a reduction. But, at the same time, 21% said they intended to increase spending!

Isn’t it easier for employees to just book their own rides and expense them?

Uber for Business allows employees to order or reserve their own rides, but without the hassle of manual expenses or worrying that the trip they’ve booked is out of policy. When users swipe over to their business profile on the Uber app, travellers don’t need to keep receipts or file expense claims, as expenses are automated. This is a great relief for many business travellers – who, on average, spend 40 minutes each month filling out expense claims. In fact, when we asked travellers what their biggest frustrations were when it came to ground transportation, ‘expensing’ was ranked in the top three sources – alongside ‘unexpected delays’ and ‘travel disruptions’.

How do you authorise rides if employees can just use their own app?

If an employee has linked their business profile to their company account, any vehicle they see in the Uber app will have been preauthorised by their corporate travel manager. This is because Uber for Business allows companies to set their own policies and decide whether premium options, such as Uber Business Comfort, Business Exec and Lux, can be accessed or not. Companies can also define the time and day that employees are able to book a trip, as well as from which locations.

With Uber for Business, it’s possible for an authorised third party, such as an executive assistant or personal assistant, to book vehicles on your behalf. This Delegate Booking feature also enables that third party to track receipts and manage any post ride issues, such as the recovery of lost property.

So what’s the magic formula for business travel?

Comfort, convenience and reliability are key if you want a happy business traveller. It’s understandable that if travellers are constantly on the go that they will crave a little comfort – so that they feel well rested and ready to go when they reach their destination. But at the same time, it’s essential they are never left waiting for a ride either. They want easy access to a reliable ground transportation service, wherever they are in the world. This is one of the reasons why Uber for Business introduced its Reserve feature. It enables a traveller to book in advance, lock in the price – to avoid any surge charges during busy periods – and be granted extra driver wait time, just in case they are delayed for any reason. This is all available on an easy to use app, that most people already have on their phone.