Uber's New Airport Service Is A Phone-Free Alternative To Get A Ride With No App Needed

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These days, there's an app for everything. And while phone apps can be useful and financially sensible for ordering food delivery, making appointments, and booking flights (even Rick Steves keeps a list of favorite travel apps), it can be cumbersome to download new software for every small task you want to accomplish. There's nothing worse on a long travel day than arriving in a new country and realizing you need an app just to get out of the airport — especially when there's no Wi-Fi, nowhere to buy an eSIM, or your phone flashes that dreaded "out of storage space" message. There are also many reasons not to use airport Wi-Fi, as it can make your data accessible to hackers. That's why Uber's new airport service — a physical kiosk with a touchscreen to order rides — is such welcome news. Beginning in the U.S. with Terminal C at New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Uber installed physical kiosks in December 2025 to help travelers request rides without downloading anything.

All visitors will need to do is walk up to the kiosk (similar to the flight check-in kiosks many airlines have at airports) and select their ride type and destination. Voilà: The kiosk will print a paper receipt confirming all the ride details. Uber doesn't operate in all countries, so even tech-savvy travelers from places like Seoul or Bangkok often have to download a U.S.-based rideshare app like Uber or Lyft upon arrival, and vice versa: American travelers often have to download new transit apps while traveling abroad. Being able to land at an airport and order a ride on the spot, app-free, blends the best of old-world taxi-hailing with the security and convenience of Uber's modern technology. The company has also announced plans to install these kiosks in hotels, ports, and additional airports internationally.

Uber hasn't announced a timeline for rolling out its Uber kiosks throughout the U.S., but the company has tested the concept in the Czech Republic. The alternative to apps allows the company to become a more accessible, centralized platform for transportation. According to Michał Konowrocki, the general manager of Uber Poland, the kiosks provide access for underserved demographics. "It offers us the opportunity to reach a completely new customer base: the elderly and those less digitally savvy," Konowrocki told Ekonomia (also published in English by Polskie Radio). 

But for those eager to enter a Jetsons-era future of autonomous vehicles and Uber helicopters, don't worry: Uber has also planned to continue growing its transportation offerings. In 2026, the ride-share company announced it would expand its autonomous robotaxi services, beginning with road-testing that started in 2025, with plans to unveil a 20,000-unit fleet. The program is being developed in partnership with Lucid, which manufactures the all-electric Lucid Gravity SUV, and Nuro, an autonomous vehicle company. Uber has also signaled even bigger ambitions, with plans to eventually scale the fleet to as many as 100,000 vehicles deployed in San Francisco in collaboration with AI-chip manufacturer Nvidia, beginning in 2027. Self-driving cars aren't the only futuristic tech the rideshare giant has a hand in: Uber has even announced a vision in which users can book seaplanes and helicopters directly through the app.

To better serve more customers, Uber has also launched Uber Shuttle, a low-cost, shared-ride service, at several major airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey. The service offers shuttles between the airports and designated stops, with main terminals in Manhattan's Greenwich Village and near 42nd Street. For travelers facing steep ride-share fares or lengthy public transit journeys, Uber Shuttle presents a welcome alternative and a more budget-friendly way to get around town.