Uber is introducing a new slate of travel features designed to ease the pressure of what is expected to be an unusually busy holiday season, including a tool that lets users pay for someone else’s trip directly from the app.

The update centers on Send a Ride, a feature that allows users to book and pay for rides on behalf of another person without needing to coordinate pickup details manually. Instead, the recipient gets their own live tracking link and trip information, making the process cleaner for families, caregivers, and anyone coordinating transportation remotely.

Uber says it is responding to seasonal travel patterns that typically bring higher demand, more airport traffic, and increased reliance on ride-hailing during the November and December rush. The company has expanded gifting tools in parallel, letting users send Uber Cash or scheduled rides as presents, a trend that has grown since the pandemic shifted more consumers towards digital convenience.

The move positions Uber to capture a bigger share of holiday mobility spending. Competition from Lyft and local ride-hailing startups has intensified recently, particularly as both passengers and drivers scrutinise pricing and platform policies. Streamlining ride coordination, especially for older adults or people without smartphones, could help Uber broaden its user base.

From a technical standpoint, Send a Ride removes friction that previously required riders to share codes, manually share their trip status, or navigate unfamiliar app settings. Uber emphasizes that safety measures remain intact, since recipients retain full visibility of driver details, vehicle information, and support tools during their ride.

With airports preparing for record footfall and cities bracing for packed transit routes, Uber is betting that simplifying ride gifting will make it an essential add-on for travel planning this year.