Travelling in the 21st century often involves airport travel.  Low flight prices and expanding flight routes has resulted in air travel being a more affordable and viable option for travellers both for business and pleasure, overseas or domestic.  

How to get to and from the airport itself?  Public transport can be encumber-some and after years of poor investment in the networks coupled with re-occurring strikes over employee rights.  I am sorry to say, but public transport has become an unreliable option for travellers who are beholden to timescales of a ‘check-in’ slot. 

Passenger car transport through Private Hire has become the most viable option for the majority of travellers to get to and from UK airports.  The highest performing service within the Private Hire industry for Airport Transfers is a Chauffeur.  Many travellers may have the impression that a chauffeur is exclusive and reserved for the famous, wealthy or business executives.  However, a chauffeur is in fact an available option to any, and all passengers seeking reliability, comfort, professionalism; and well, who doesn’t want a touch of luxury in their life!

4 Reasons Why A Chauffeur Is The Best Option for Your Airport Transfers? 

1. Reliability

A Chauffeur does not rely on short distance work or back to back bookings.  They specialise in more bespoke travel, often over the longer distances, tailored to a customer’s travel needs and will rarely have multiple bookings for the same vehicle within a 24hr period.  This means a chauffeur can adapt to time and itinerary changes, plan and prepare for traffic contingencies making them highly reliable and on time for your Airport Transfer. 

2. Professionalism & Discretion

It goes without saying that a Chauffeur is a highly professional service with absolute privacy and discretion. You can hold meetings and conference calls on the way to the airport or have family discussions without any concern that the information will leave the vehicle. Furthermore, true chauffeur vehicles will be approved for private hire plate exemption, meaning there is nothing on the external of the vehicle to identify that it is a licensed private hire vehicle.  

3. Driving Standards

Chauffeurs have extensive experience in driving large luxury vehicles over longer distances, and within a variety of environments, through busy cities and rural back roads. They are skilled drivers with focus on defensive and smooth driving skills. 

4. Comfort & Convenience

Luxury long wheelbase vehicles specific to the chauffeur industry make for the ultimate option in comfortable travel. The perfect way to travel after spending hours on a flight and in airports. Leaving you to sit back relax and maybe even take a well-deserved sleep in the electric reclining seats. 

How to Find The Right Chauffeur Airport Transfer Service?

Vehicle Quality

Vehicles synonymous with the Chauffeur Service within the UK are long wheelbase saloons like Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8L or BMW 7L and XL Wheelbase MPV’s of which there is only really one; The Mercedes V-Class although Lexus LM series may become a potential alternative to the V-Class which is due on the UK markets in 2024.  

However, not many vehicles can compete with the versatility of the V-Class when it comes to passenger numbers and luggage capacity.  So you want to make sure that the airport Transfer service you book has these vehicle types.  Smaller saloons like Mercedes E-Classes can be commonly seen promoted for Airport Transfers.  Strictly speaking these are executive vehicles that are still used by some chauffeurs.  However, they have become accessible to taxi’s and private hire companies who may present themselves as Chauffeurs.  So be mindful as you may end up paying the same price for a lesser vehicle and service when choosing executive vehicles or companies with no chauffeuring backgrounds.  

Flexibility

Airport travel comes hand in hand with flight reschedules and cancellations.  So you want to make sure that the chauffeur service you book will be able to accommodate those alterations through their own vehicle fleet, or will source you an alternate vehicle through their sub-contractor network.  A chauffeur should not pass a booking back to you or cancel your booking because you have alterations to your itinerary.  A Chauffeur should do the work and provide you with solution’s so your travel remains un-interrupted. 

Experienced Professional Drivers

Look for services that invest in their drivers and provide drivers who possess excellent driving standards and customer service skills. This may include drivers who are from emergency service or military backgrounds which have instilled a higher level of driving standards within their training.  Some drivers may hold additional skillset like SIA Close Protection or accreditation from the guild of chauffeurs.  Whilst still a very male orientated industry a chauffeur company that is able to provide options of both male and female drivers will undoubtable provide more choice for travellers who may feel more comfortable being driven by persons of the same or opposite sex. 

Minimum Chauffeur Standards

A Chauffeur Service for your airport transfer will include as a minimum; A suited driver, Meet & Greet inside terminal with nameboard, airport parking and drop charges, luggage assistance, in-car refreshments and charging cables. A Chauffeur will track your flight, review and plan the route in advance ensuring for the smoothest of pickups and effortless drop off door to door between airport and home, or office.  

Clear & Transparent Terms

Any reputable chauffeur service should be providing clear and precise pricing and terms in advance.  They should include details of VAT, parking, tolls etc along with clear information about cancellation policies.  Most chauffeur services price by the hour or based on itinerary.  Be wary of any Services that have multiple add-ons or extras.  Where a Service accepts card payments for their airport transfers, transactions should be exempt of any surcharges, except when:

• International Cards
• Business to Business

Conclusion: For Finding The Right Chauffeur Service For Your Airport Transfer

When looking for airport transfers services, choosing the right chauffeur service can truly enhance your travel experience. Reduce your stress and let you take time to relax, sleep or catch up on work in transit.  By considering the factors outlined in the blog you can Truely improve the way you travel and find a service that you can use time and time again for all your travel needs, not just airport transfers.  Chauffeurs provide a valuable and truly unparallel level of service for all aspects of passenger transport.  Whether for business or pleasure, airport transfers, business meetings, event attendance, family visits and more once you travel with the right chauffeur, you will never look back. 

At Valkyrie Chauffeurs Ltd we have been providing luxury chauffeured airport transfers since 2014. Based in the Cotswolds we provide airport transfers to major and private airports throughout the UK for customers within the Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Wiltshire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire areas.

So much more than a taxi….

When considering the options available, many potential customers often inquire about the cost of a Chauffeur Service to ensure they make an informed decision.

Unlike a taxi company that has a fleet of cheap to run vehicles travelling short distances around the clock, a chauffeur service will have fewer vehicles that are higher in value, travel longer distances, and offer a more customer focused service. To a taxi firm it is about the number of jobs vs cheap running costs that is of the greatest importance, which is why you will find little difference in price between taxi companies. 

However, you may find that chauffeur companies vary much more on price, this is because no one chauffeur company will have the same vehicle, service or overheads and there are fewer of them.

For a chauffeur the standard of vehicle is important and, as you can imagine running a Mercedes S-Class is a lot more costly than a Ford Mondeo. Chauffeur companies also have an additional costs which they have to consider – licensing, private hire plate exemptions, PAYE, insurance and other maintenance and running costs which all bear an impact on the pricing. This too varies from county to county, as do the restrictions on use and costs involved.

All of these factors will have an impact on the pricing of services offered by chauffeurs. In order to stay competitive chauffeurs will often tailor their price based on the type of service requested. This allows them to remain competitive, but without undervaluing the service offered. 

How much does a chauffeur service cost for an Airport Transfer?

This is a core part of a Chauffeurs business and they may often have to compete strongly for corporate work and with other private hire or taxi firms. So the cost is often at a fixed rate for customers within a county area. For example a Cheltenham to Birmingham Airport transfer in a small chauffeured saloon ( S-Class Luxury Long Wheelbase Saloon) could cost around £200.00 + VAT, for a Cheltenham to London Heathrow airport transfer it would be £260.00 + VAT including ALL airport charges .

This is just £60 more than you would expect to pay for a basic taxi or private hire. Which is not quite as much as some may think when comparing all the extras you may get like additional leg room and in car comforts, such as premium water as standard.

How much does a chauffeur service cost for a Wedding?

Whilst there is an array of wedding vehicles to choose from (vintage, classic & modern), most chauffeurs will specialise in modern. This is because many of the older vehicles would not meet the requirements for private hire licencing and so a chauffeur would be limited on the vehicles use.

A wedding car service offered by chauffeurs can be calculated a number of ways. They can be as a set price, a hourly rate, a mileage rate or a mixture of all. Whilst some executive private hire companies may offer the smaller saloons (Mercedes E-Class) for wedding hire, you may find them a little cramped inside for the brides dress. Having said that, the size of vehicle should be reflected in the price and a smaller executive saloon may suit those on a budget or those in need of a support vehicle.

However for a touch of luxury you can book a long wheelbase luxury chauffeured saloon (Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series or similar) you can expect to pay around £300.00 to £350.00. A Modern Bentley can cost £650.00 to £700.00 and a modern Rolls Royce is likely to set you back between £850.00 and £950.00. 

Be mindful when booking wedding car services that unless the vehicle and driver are licensed for private hire and operating under a licensed private hire operator licence they many councils legally prohibited providing any transport outside of the religious ceremony unless they hold a private hire licence. So if you are looking for “end of evening” transport home, or to a hotel you must ensure the company and associated vehicles/drivers are licensed for private hire in accordance with their registered council.

How much does a chauffeur service cost for a bespoke itinerary?

For any other chauffeured services the cost is often based on a minimum hire rate of 2 or 3 hours with a mileage allowance incorporated into that price. Any additional miles are then calculated which can vary between £1.00 per mile and £1.50 per mile depending on the vehicle. However, another method for calculating the cost of a chauffeur hire is an hourly rate for driving time and a reduced hourly rate for waiting. E.g.

Travel from Worcester to Birmingham Bull Ring for a shopping day could cost around £450.00 for a Mercedes S-Class (based on up to 3 hours waiting). However, some chauffeur companies offer day hire rates which can start from £600.00 for a large saloon vehicle. Often this may work out more cost effective than a taxi or public transport, especially when considering days out in London. So how much does a chauffeur service cost is not as straight forward to answer due to the bespoke nature of the services that chauffeurs provide customers.

It is important to note that for a chauffeur you are paying for the drivers time, the service and the vehicle which is why a mixture of all price calculations are taking into consideration. Whilst some may feel these prices seem costly, we would encourage you to ask yourself how much would it cost for a taxi to drop you in Birmingham and then return to pick you up?

Then ask yourself, what if your plans changed and you wanted to leave earlier – would you have the flexibility to change your plans easily without spending time phoning around or paying out in cancellation fees? 

We hope this blog ‘How much does a chauffeur service cost?’ has helped you understand the various elements that a Chauffeur has to consider and why pricing may vary from one company to another. What ever your travel plan we would urge you to consider the following before booking any transport:

What is more important; transport from A to B, the quality of service with flexibility or both?
Also be sure to ask the company you choose whether there are any hidden costs like parking…and think, should price be your only consideration?

Here at Valkyrie Chauffeurs Ltd we are fully transparent on costs, we ensure there are no hidden extras. If you would like to know more , or want to book our chauffeur services, please do not hesitate to call us on 01684 355012

*prices were correct at time of writing this blog ‘How much does a chauffeur service cost?’ -Contact us for any further information