Key Points
- Uber is launching physical kiosks for booking rides without the mobile app.
- The first kiosk is at LaGuardia Airport, with plans for more at airports, hotels, and ports.
- The service is aimed at travelers with dead phones or no international data plan.
- The move makes Uber a more direct competitor to traditional airport taxi services.
Uber is rolling out a new way to book a ride, and you won’t need your smartphone. The company is launching physical kiosks that allow travelers to hail a car without using the mobile app, putting it in direct competition with traditional airport taxi stands.
The first of these kiosks will debut in Terminal C at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Uber says it plans to expand to more airports, hotels, and ports in the coming months. The service is designed as a convenient option for international travelers who may not have a data plan, but it’s also a lifesaver for anyone with a dead phone battery.
A passenger can simply walk up to the machine, enter their destination, choose their ride, and receive a printed receipt with all the details of their booking.
By eliminating the need for an app, these kiosks function as a modern dispatcher. It creates a clear, side-by-side choice for travelers arriving at the airport: head to the taxi line or book an Uber from the machine. This makes the rideshare giant an even more formidable competitor to the classic yellow cab.
LaGuardia has been a key testing ground for Uber’s new services. The company first launched its airport shuttle bus service there in October 2024 and later expanded it to JFK.
In another announcement today, Uber said it is bringing the shuttle option to Newark Liberty International Airport. With this latest addition, the shuttle service is now available at all three major airports serving the New York City area.
