Uber will now allow users to book Hot Air Balloon rides. Here’s how it works

How to book hot air balloon rides with Uber? 

Uber app users can pay $159 to reserve a seat on the 1.5-hour flight over the Unesco-listed volcanic landscape, Bloomberg reported. Known for its 10th-century cave cities and churches, Cappadocia is one of the country’s top tourist attractions, accounting for around 10% of the 44.6 million foreign visitors expected in 2022. However, Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has set a target of attracting 60 million tourists to Cappadocia in 2023.

According to a Telegraph report, Uber has timed the launch of its new hot air balloon service to coincide with Turkey’s centenary year, offering free rides to the first 100 customers. The report adds that the hot air balloon service will be less spontaneous, with users required to book rides at least 12 hours in advance through Uber’s Reserve section.

In a press release about the new programme, quoted by Bloomberg, Uber noted that Turkey is one of the fastest growing markets for the ride-hailing service, citing a more than 50% increase in the number of trips made using the app since last year and the presence of more than 30,000 active taxi drivers in nine Turkish cities.

Is Uber offering similar services elsewhere in the world? 

Uber has been offering people in New York the chance to book an Uber Helicopter since 2019 and Uber Sleigh in Lapland from 2022, giving users the chance to ride on reindeer during the Christmas period, the Telegraph reported. There are other examples too, with Uber offering boat rides in London from 2020, with an average ride costing around £5.40.

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Updated: 23 Oct 2023, 09:08 AM IST