New S.U.V. Service Is Here for the Fourth

    After two successful months in New York City, Uber, an app-based car service start-up, expanded to the East End this week, hoping to take advantage of the many travelers on the Fourth of July weekend.

    As of yesterday, people from Westhampton to Montauk can use Uber to call for their own private drivers. The company will run an S.U.V. service on the East End through Labor Day weekend.

    Additionally, Uber is now offers rides between New York and the East End, with one-way flat rates ranging from $300 for a car to $500 for an S.U.V.

    Not fast enough for you? Uber celebrated its launch here by running helicopter flights on an experimental basis throughout the day yesterday. Christened UberChopper, the new high-end shuttle had S.U.V.s take customers to the closest helipad in New York City, where they took off for East Hampton Airport, to be met by another S.U.V. for the last leg of the trip. The service cost $3,000.

    After some regulatory battles with New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, Uber is increasingly popular in the city, and now operates its app business in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and overseas in cities like London and Berlin.

    Its S.U.V.s can seat up to six people. The rate is $6.50 per mile on the East End, with a minimum fare of $50. Cancellations will cost customers $15.

    The Uber app for iPhone or the Android operating system can be used to request an S.U.V., or the Web site m.uber.com can be visited. All payments are processed through the app, and receipts are e-mailed instantly. Customers don’t even have to wait outside — Uber tells you where your driver is, and notifies you when your S.U.V. is arriving.