Dive Brief:
- Uber Eats partnered with Tampa International Airport to offer online ordering from its concessions, the company said Tuesday.
- TPA is Uber’s first official airport partner in the U.S., but Uber Eats previously tested this program at John Glenn International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International airport and has full operations at the Toronto Pearson Airport.
- Expanding into airports aligns with Uber Eats’ current focus on growth in heavily populated spaces, such as stadiums.
Dive Insight:
Through this program, travelers and airport workers can order ahead and skip the line at over 20 concessions locations within the airport. Uber One members have access to various benefits, including discounts on eligible orders, according to the press release. The program may have room to expand as TPA has a total of 66 shops and restaurants.
The TPA partnership gives Uber Eats access to a captive audience of 21 million travelers and workers, a similar value proposition to its stadium program. At stadiums, guests can put in their seat location and find concessions close by within the Uber Eats app. At both stadiums and at TPA, guests order online and pick up their food. The stadium program is available at over a half dozen venues.
Airports have been expanding online ordering programs over the last few years, and apps like AtYourGate, which launched in 2018 and allows guests to order food for delivery or pickup in specified locations. This service is available in at least 17 airports with two more on the way, according to its website. Servy, which offers a similar service, operates in about 60 airports in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
