Uber Black is the ride-hailing service’s expensive tier. You’re essentially getting a black car-like experience with the tier as compared to Uber X which is the entry-level tier. The company has now launched a new tier called Uber Comfort which will provide riders with additional amenities without charging Uber Black rates.
Uber Comfort will be a new product category in the app alongside Uber X, Uber Pool, Uber Black and Uber Black SUV as well as Uber XL. It will be available in 40 markets across North America starting today. With Uber Comfort, rides can get extra legroom, quiet and newer cars, and the ability to set the temperature in the vehicle before pickup.
This is obviously going to come at a price. A spokesperson for Uber says that riders will be paying around 20 to 40 percent over the cost of a typical Uber X to get an Uber Comfort ride. It also provides them with the option to request that the driver not make conversation with them during their ride. This “quiet mode” was previously limited to Uber Black riders only.
Uber Comfort won’t dilute the Uber Black product. Those customers retain privileges such as access to round-the-clock support, request help with luggage, and even get picked up by professional drivers.