Uber Expands in the Executive Ride Space With Blacklane Acquisition

Rideshare giant Uber has announced its intention to acquire Blacklane, a global chauffeur service popular with executives and business travelers.

“We’re incredibly impressed by what Blacklane has built, and we’re eager to work with them to amplify how we deliver truly exceptional service to more people in cities around the world,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

Here’s what you need to know about the deal, as well as why certain Citi cardholders should pay special attention to this news.

Uber Will Acquire Chauffeur Service Blacklane

Earlier this year, Uber announced Uber Elite, a new option for Uber members in certain cities that lets them select new, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicles, airport meet-and-greets, and more.

To bolster its position in this space, Uber has announced its acquisition of Blacklane, an established player in the on-demand chauffeur-driven ride space. Blacklane offers both a mobile app (iOS, Android) and a web platform that allow riders to book executive rides in more than 500 cities across 60+ countries worldwide.

The deal still needs to be approved by the relevant regulatory agencies, but once approved, it’s likely that Blacklane’s existing service model and extensive network will be folded into the new Uber Elite service, which is currently available in only a few U.S. cities.

This news should be of particular interest to those with the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, which offers an annual statement credit of up to $200 for Blacklane, delivered as a $100 credit usable from January through June and another $100 credit usable from July through December.

It’s unclear what will happen with this specific credit once the acquisition goes through. However, Citi will likely have to reimagine this perk, as it doesn’t seem likely that the Blacklane brand will live on after Uber absorbs it. It’s also an interesting development for those who hold cards with perks and credits for Uber purchases. Consider the Platinum Card^® from American Express, which offers monthly Uber Cash ($15 per month with a $20 bonus in December) after adding the card as a payment method in your Uber account and paying with an Amex card.

This monthly Uber Cash allotment covers rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S., and we may see the ability to use it for a Blacklane-like service through Uber Elite in the future.

Final Thoughts

Uber is acquiring Blacklane. If you’ve ever used the chauffeur service before, this is pretty exciting news. Soon, you’ll no longer need to bother with an entirely separate platform for booking these kinds of rides.

We’ll continue to monitor this deal to learn more about how Blacklane’s services will be integrated into the new Uber Elite option and, of course, how Citi will treat its existing statement credits for Blacklane purchases on the Citi Strata Elite card.