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What is Uber & My Experience

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I had heard of Uber,  the very popular app that connects drivers and people sort of a taxi service, but better! As I live in Leeds and we don’t have Uber here I couldn’t use them before, but on a recent trip to Abu Dhabi, I thought we give them a go. Uber offers different car styles, like taxi, UberX, UberBlack, and UberLux. The ones in the UAE are UberBlack which is always a big nice flashy car, like BMW 6 Series, Lexus, etc. I am not a very big car fun but one thing was sure, my husband really loved it, no need for him to drive anymore. Uber’s tagline is “Everyone’s personal driver” and in my experience, it was really my personal driver.

The app is very easy to use and I had found a coupon for Uber that gave me a 20% discount on the first 6 rides by using Mastercard to pay, this made it even sweeter of a deal.
 
 
How it works:
You download the Uber app, the app finds your location and the cars available in your area, as well as the time it will take for the driver to arrive. You choose how you want to pay and the app lets you know when the driver arrives.That’s it. It is super safe as you can track where it takes you, you can let your friends know where you are, you have the driver’s details as well as your registration plate. We used Uber for most of our trips and my husband didn’t even want to use the normal taxi, I don’t blame him!

I really enjoyed Uber, I liked the fact that I had so much control over the whole process, I don’t have to carry cash in order to pay as everything is automated and paid via my credit card. And the best part for me was that I can rate the driver at the end for the service they provided.  With regular companies, if you have a problem you are most likely to struggle to find a solution, you don’t know how much they will charge or if they will take the extra-long route so they make extra cash. With Uber, you can use the fare quote engine to estimate your trip and at the end of the ride you rate them and if you have a problem you leave feedback for them.

On one occasion I made an observation, which I put in the comment box. The following day I had a lovely lady email me with regards to my feedback. After every feedback, I would receive an acknowledgment email which is a very nice touch that means there are people on the other end of the line that read your comments and feedback. If there are any problems they will try and rectify them and also refund you if there is any price difference. Uber is a start-up and they have invested huge sums so no wonder that they want to succeed. Uber is definitely a nicer way of traveling than regular taxis.

Also what I really loved about Uber is the actual empowerment they have for some people. In one of my rides, I spoke with the driver, who worked for himself, bought the car, and works exclusively with Uber now. He was making more money than before and he employed his nephew as well to do the other shift. For the UAE and the immigrants there, this is a great way of becoming self-employed. I know of many other stories in the US where people supplement their income with Uber and for me, this is a really nice thing.

On one occasion the queue for a taxi outside the mall was so big we decided to call Uber. We had our driver there before we re even close to the front of the queue. Uber in the UAE is about 30-40% more expensive than regular taxis however you pay for what you get. For me, there is no comparison really as you have a regular taxi in one hand and a private driver waiting for you outside your preferred stop on the other. I must admit we turned quite a bit of head especially with the bell boys in our hotel, as every night we

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The taxi queue outside the mall! I didn’t have to wait there Alhumdulillah

 

I would use Uber again and will definitely recommend them. It is a nice thing to travel around the world and not worry whether you will find a taxi at the end of your destination. With Uber, you can log in and order one to pick you up and drive you where you want, just like your personal driver.Uber can be found around the world, you can check if they are available in your area here: Uber Cities

If you decide to sign up you can use my referral and you will receive £10 credit towards your next ride.
UberMuslimtravelgirl

p.s. If you are in the UAE or the GCC let me know and I can share the 20% code with you, It is valid until the end of July 

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