So Uber got Grabbed but what does it mean for travelers?

GOODBYE, UBER. It has been swell, and all good things have to come to an end.

On March 26, 2018, Grab released a statement confirming rumors that the company will be taking over Uber’s operations and assets in Southeast Asia as both ride-sharing giants will merge into one, effectively turning Grab into a ride-hailing juggernaut.

This includes Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Uber, which is preparing for a potential initial public offering in 2019, lost US$4.5 billion last year and is facing fierce competition at home and in Asia, as well as a regulatory crackdown in Europe, Tech Wire Asia wrote.

“Grab today announced that it has acquired Uber’s Southeast Asia operations. This deal is the largest-ever of its kind in Southeast Asia,” Grab wrote.

“Grab will integrate Uber’s ridesharing and food delivery business in the region into Grab’s existing multi-modal transportation and fintech platform.”

As part of the acquisition, Uber will take a 27.5 percent stake in Grab and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join Grab’s board.

Singapore-based Grab has confirmed purchase of Uber’s Southeast Asian business. Source: Shutterstock.

While Uber employees in Singapore and Malaysia were scrambling to evacuate the offices, Uber’s loyal riders took to social media to wail: “What about my five-star rating on Uber?”, “With no competition, does this mean no more competitive pricing?”, “Will I still be able to order food from UberEats?”

Here’s what you need to know:

What’s going to happen to your Uber account?

As a rider, getting a five-star rating on Uber is such an immensely gratifying achievement. What’s going to happen now that the ride-sharing giants are merging?

Your account will still be active, so your five-star rating is not going to just disappear into the virtual abyss. But you can only use it in countries where Uber operates.

With Grab and Uber coming together, your account’s data will be transferred over to the Grab app. Source: Shutterstock.

You will still be able to view your past trips and ratings in the Uber app, but data that you’ve previously shared with Uber (excluding payment information) will be transferred to Grab and it will not be visible in the Grab app.

If you don’t have the Grab app, you will need to download it and register your account.

Will fares change?

No competition equals no competitive pricing?

Grab says fret not.

According to Grab, the calculation of fares will still be fair. Source: Shutterstock.

Just like before, fares will continue to be calculated based on a base distance, with an applicable surcharge based on demand and supply, traffic conditions and estimated time taken for the journey.

For the GrabTaxi (Metered) and GrabTaxi (Executive) options, passengers will continue to pay by metered fares set by taxi companies.

Does this mean faster booking?

The assumption is that the Uber and Grab merger will result in more drivers on the road and therefore, shorter waiting times and faster bookings.

And that is the dream.

Eventually, riders will be able to experience shorter wait times. Source: Shutterstock.

However, as the companies are going through a transitional period, so will the drivers. Grab will need to get Uber drivers on board the Grab platform and also iron out the kinks.

As a rider, expect some service disruptions during the transition timeframe. But all will be well once the trial and error period is over, and you should be able to enjoy a faster booking experience.

What about UberEats?

Did you just start loving Uber’s food delivery app and how you can literally have food delivered right to your doorstep at work?

Unfortunately, UberEats will cease to exist in Southeast Asia in May.

Grab’s food delivery business just bit an entire chunk out of Uber’s. Source: Shutterstock.

In its place will be a new food delivery platform, GrabFood. GrabFood already exists in Indonesia and Thailand but an expansion to Singapore and Malaysia, and other major countries in Southeast Asia, is currently underway.

All your favourite restaurants on UberEats will be available in the new GrabFood app and the prices are expected to remain the same as before. To use the service, you will have to sign up with a fresh account and profile on GrabFood.

I’m an Uber for Business user. What gives?

Just like Uber’s service in Southeast Asia, the Uber for Business service will no longer be supported for trips taken in Southeast Asia.

The merger affects Uber for Business users too. Source: Shutterstock.

Uber for Business lets companies set up corporate accounts through which employees can charge their rides directly to their employers.

If you’ve been using Uber for Business, it’s best to start looking for alternatives if you need to be shuttled about in Southeast Asia for work.

The Uber app will continue to operate for two weeks to ensure stability for Uber drivers.

Come April 8, 2018, Uber’s services in Southeast Asia will be unavailable.

The post So Uber got Grabbed but what does it mean for travelers? appeared first on Travel Wire Asia.

Source: travelwireasia.com