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What is Uber Comfort – and how does it work in London?
Everybody dreams of getting paid extra money for doing the same amount of work. With Uber Comfort, this is a reality for PCO drivers who know how to play the game.
What is Uber Comfort?
In December 2020, Uber introduced a new category of trip in several UK cities, including London. The big idea is that some riders will choose to pay roughly 20% extra for trips that are more comfortable than standard Uber X and yet still far cheaper than the Uber Exec or Lux tiers.
For the driver, it’s a great way to earn more money for the same work because Uber charges a fixed service-fee percentage. This is one quarter (25%) of the trip value, no matter which category it falls into.
How does Uber Comfort work?
There are several reasons why riders will pay extra for Comfort. The most important one is that the PCO car must be large enough to offer plenty of legroom in the back – for example, the MG4 or Kia Niro EV 2 – and it must also be fairly new.
Another key benefit to riders is that Comfort drivers must be experienced and also highly rated by Uber. Finally, there are the service benefits such as the ability to select a car temperature at the moment the customer books. Riders also get more time for handling pickup issues. In London, they have 12 minutes to get to the car before a trip is automatically cancelled but if this happens, the driver is paid even more.
How to sign-up for Uber Comfort?
To take on these trips, you must first satisfy Uber’s four golden rules:
- Driver has completed at least 500 trips
- Driver must maintain a minimum rating of 4.85
- Vehicle is mid-sized with extra passenger legroom*
- Vehicle was manufactured within the last 7 years
*This rule is slightly vague but there is more information below
If you meet the above criteria and enable Uber X in the Driver app, you should see that ‘Comfort’ will appear on some incoming trip-requests. Whenever you get one of these, your earnings are boosted.
Does my car qualify for Uber Comfort?
The official list of Uber-approved cars for London shows exactly which models are acceptable for Uber Comfort. Sadly, the list is out-of-date as the maximum age is 7 years and so in 2023 it should say 2016.
Aside from age, the main reason why some cars are allowed onto Uber Comfort trips is size. As a rough guide, Uber says the manufacturer’s specs should state there is at least 91 cm of passenger legroom.
| Model | Model | ||
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 Premium | ✅ | Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid SE | ❌ |
| Kia e-Niro 3 | ✅ | Hyundai Ioniq Plug In Hybrid Premium SE | ❌ |
| Kia Niro 2 Hybrid | ✅ | Nissan Leaf e+ Tekna | ❌ |
| Kia Niro EV 2 | ✅ | Nissan Leaf N-Connecta | ❌ |
| MG4 SE Long Range | ✅ | Toyota Prius Hybrid Active | ❌ |
| MG4 Trophy Long Range | ✅ | Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Business Edition Plus | ❌ |
| MG5 EV Long Range Exclusive | ✅ | VW ID.3 Life | ❌ |
| MG5 EV Trophy Long Range | ✅ | ||
| Skoda Enyaq iV 60 | ✅ | ||
| Tesla Model 3 | ✅ | ||
| Tesla Model Y | ✅ |
Did you know?
Only one car has ever been demoted from the Uber Comfort approved list and even this was not a problem for drivers.
Which drivers are eligible for Uber Comfort?
It’s not enough to simply do these 500 trips and reach the minimum Uber rating. The real challenge is to consistently keep your rating above this level, even when things get difficult on the road. Should your score ever drop below the minimum of 4.85, you are not out of the game completely but you must rebuild it back to this level in order to take on more Uber Comfort trips.
To help you do this, Uber provides a few tips or you can read our post on how to boost your Uber rating.
- Keep the vehicle clean and smelling fresh
- Run the satnav (GPS) in silent mode
- Be friendly, courteous and professional
- Perform pickups, drop-offs and navigation confidently
How much extra can drivers earn with Uber Comfort?
In general, the value of each trip is 20% higher than Uber X but there are a few differences in terms of the way this is calculated. For example, here is a fare from Ealing to Kings Cross at off-peak (no surge).
| Uber X | Uber Comfort | |
| Base fare | £2.10 | £2.70 |
| Minimum fare | £4.30 | £5.20 |
| + Per minute driving | £0.10 | £0.12 |
| + Per mile driving | £1.16 | £1.37 |
| + Per minute waiting | £0.38 (first 3 mins free) | £0.50 (first 4 mins free) |
| Estimated operating fee | £7.98 | £10.03 |
| Estimated Upfront Price (EFP) | £24.99 | £30.73 |
Is Uber Comfort a good idea for PCO drivers?
In one word – yes. Every Uber driver should be thrilled to make a bit more money by doing the same job. That said, these Comfort riders demand a higher level of service. For example, they might want help with bags and expect the driver to respect the options chosen while booking the trip, such as arriving with the correct car-temperature or knowing if the riders prefer to travel in silence. Drivers willing to go the extra mile to meet these needs will find this is a great way to earn extra. After all, every little helps.
Not sure which PCO car to choose? Try our car selection tool to find out the car that best suits your needs.
Want to learn more?
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