Uber Comfort Offers Chicago Riders Bigger Cars And Shhhh

CHICAGO — Uber Comfort has launched in dozens of cities, including Chicago, with a pitch of offering riders more legroom, higher-quality drivers and even silent trips. The service is offered in major cities including Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Washington D.C. It is also offered statewide in New Jersey, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Those interested in chatting with drivers can indicate they’re “happy to chat,” and those seeking a quiet ride can request “quiet preferred.” The default setting is no preference.

An Uber spokesperson told TechCrunch that reaction to the “quiet ride” service has been generally positive among drivers and riders. The service is meant to limit conversation rather than mandate outright silence.

“Riders appreciate the consistency and control they have over the type of their travel; business travelers in particular have shared how rider preferences have helped them be more productive en route to the airport, important meetings, or other work-related destinations,” the spokesperson said. “Drivers have shared how these new rider preferences have helped take the guesswork out of riders’ expectations, and helped them provide the best service possible.”

The service, which costs up to 40 percent more than UberX, also allows riders to request custom temperature settings.

Uber Comfort drivers must maintain a rating of 4.85 or higher to qualify for the service, the ride-hailing giant said in a news release.

The service comes after Uber went public earlier this year.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.