New Rival Could Run Uber’s Biz Travel Dominance Off The Road

It hasn’t always been this way, but Uber is finally gaining traction with business travelers in a big way. Just last March, a study published by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives found that one-fifth of respondents said employees are now allowed to travel on business using services like Uber, while an additional 20 percent of travel managers are considering adopting such policies in favor of the app.

Even with remaining resistance, nearly a third of business travelers use Uber while on a trip – up from just one-tenth reporting Uber use a year prior.

But the higher a company climbs, the more they are targeted by competition. And Uber already has a new rival in the business travel segment. Israel-based startup Gett launched its new New York City program on Thursday (May 14), designed specifically for business travelers, and reports said that the service is fixed on giving Uber a run for its money.

Its tactic, Gett said, will be to offer only black car service that is not subject to surge pricing like Uber is, and this fixed pricing model is what Gett chief executive Shahar Waiser said will be key in taking business away from competitors like Uber and Lyft.

Thursday’s launch marks Gett’s first foray into the U.S. business travel market since expanding throughout Europe following its 2010 beginnings.

Unsurprisingly, however, Uber’s dominance will be a difficult leader to conquer. The company has unveiled new enterprise-specific features that allow travel managers to set limits on employee rides, and Uber has partnered with expense report management firm Concur to streamline the travel expense management process.

But Gett also connects with travel managers by providing monthly employee travel reports to businesses. According to the company, 2,500 companies are already using its service.