airline points on uber? (these are surprisingly sticky with consumers)
uber exclusivity deals or packages at hotels?
I expect to see more bundles of things with uber involved.
Uber's success has been about evolving a core product in an emerging category. Product-market fit or whatever you like to call that kind of narrow, aggressive focus. As little "hair" as possible. Market share. Simply defined product. Simply defined (and bull-headed) strategy. Basically, make uber a significant mode of transport (again!).
Expedia is all about maximizing revenue from the existing mess of travel product categories. Finding ways of inserting themselves between consumers and: hotels, flights, rentals, tours.... Basically, people are going places and doing things. Get expedia a piece of it.
Very different approaches.
If uber starts to retain customers with miles or try to diversify revenue sources, I think it'd be a bad sign. But, who knows.
The cynic in me says that you can juice Uber with a bunch of these tie-ins, box out competitors by creating these partnerships, and IPO at a valuation based on aspirational performance of these partnerships that would make most people happy.
(btw, thanks for the friendly disagreement. Much appreciated)
Watch the international space closely, uber had to retrench itself from a few international markets and it seems like those decisions may get revisited.
Uber is losing money and can probably only continue losing this amount of money for a few years, he needs to make sure Uber doesn't go bankrupt in the short term.