Uber soon to launch ‘Uber Hot-Air Balloons’!

Uber users in China will soon be able to travel by car, boat, or even hot air balloon. The moves come as part of the company’s new Uber+Travel venture, announced Monday by Uber China’s vice president of operations Kate Wang. Speaking at TechCrunch Shanghai, Wang also introduced a new digital magazine service called UberLIFE, which connects passengers to local events.

“This reminds us that Uber is a global service serving global citizens,” she said. “It is rooted in each of the cities.”

Uber found its users stay in its app for 90 seconds once they get in a car, according to TechCrunch. The new features let Uber take advantage of customers’ attention, and they fit into the company’s plan to grow beyond ride-hailing.

In few countries, Uber Other new initiatives have included UberEATS, an on-demand food delivery service that recently expanded to London. Uber also leases short-term housing to its drivers through a subsidiary, Xchange Leasing.

Hot air balloons aren’t Uber’s first foray into creative forms of transportation. The company flies Uber Chopper customers to the annual Coachella music festival in helicopters and recently brought back UberJet after a two-year hiatus. It’s also building driverless cars.

For now, Uber+Travel and UberLIFE, which will be rolled out at some point this year, are only available in China but the day is not far when Uber users in India will also be able to avail the Hot Air Balloon facility in India.