For a brief time, some Uber riders may enjoy an extra perk when they summon a ride: a free trip in a Maserati (or the like), with built-in entertainment to boot.
The ride-hailing startup has teamed up with Amazon to give select users in Los Angeles an upgrade to its premium car service, UberLUX, the company said in a blog post on Thursday. As they're being driven around, users will be handed a Kindle Fire HD tablet from which they can watch Amazon Original Series shows like Transparent, Bosch, or The Man in the High Castle for free.
"Request, relax, and watch some of the best Amazon Original Series from the backseat of your UberLUX — the ride and the entertainment are complimentary," Uber said in an email sent to an unknown number of users.
The promotion will run from 8 a.m. to midnight between May 12 to May 14, Uber said in its post, and it'll appear as an option to eligible users in Uber's app.
While the promotion is a definitive collaboration between the two companies, in recent months, Uber and Amazon have been viewed more as competitors. Last fall, Uber rolled out UberRUSH, an on-demand delivery service in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco that industry analysts said could challenge Amazon.com's dominance in the on-demand delivery space. Amazon soon struck back, inviting its fleet of drivers in the spring to take on more same-day deliveries.
At least this week, however, a small group of Uber riders will reap the benefits of the two companies' partnership.