What to Include When Booking a Chauffeur: A Checklist
The chauffeur booking details that make a pickup go smoothly: flight number, local time, passengers, luggage, stops and notes, in one checklist.
Most pickup problems are not caused by bad drivers. They are caused by missing details. The wrong terminal. A pickup time in the wrong time zone. Five suitcases nobody mentioned. A stop at an office on the way that was never in the booking.
A complete booking takes two extra minutes and saves an hour of phone calls on the day. This chauffeur booking details checklist covers what to include, why each item matters, and how the same details work when an operator farms the trip out.
The core details
Every booking, however simple, needs these.
Pickup and drop-off
Give the full address, not just a building name. For hotels, offices and venues, name the entrance if there is more than one. For airports, give the terminal. For stations, give the exit or meeting point.
Date and time, in local time
Write the pickup time as the passenger will experience it on the ground, in the pickup city's time zone. This is the most common booking error on international trips. If you are booking from London for a pickup in New York, the time you give is New York time. On LimoFarmOut, the pickup time is set in the pickup city's time zone, so nobody turns up an hour early or late.
Passenger name
The name as it should appear on a sign, and the lead passenger if there are several.
Number of passengers
Count everyone, including children. The vehicle has to seat them all legally and comfortably.
Airport pickups
Airport trips need a few more details.
- Flight number. This lets the operator see the actual arrival time rather than the scheduled one. On LimoFarmOut, airport pickups follow the flight.
- Scheduled arrival time at the destination, in local time.
- Terminal, if the airport has more than one.
- International or domestic arrival. International passengers take longer to clear immigration and collect bags.
- Meeting preference. Inside the arrivals hall with a name sign, or at the kerb.
If you want to check a flight yourself on the day, public trackers such as FlightAware show live arrival times.
Luggage
Luggage decides the vehicle more often than passenger numbers do. List:
- Number of large suitcases and carry-on bags.
- Anything oversized: golf bags, skis, buggies, instrument cases, sample cases.
- Car seats you are bringing.
Airline rules on what travels in the cabin and the hold vary; IATA's baggage pages explain the industry standards. For the car, what matters is the total volume arriving at the kerb.
Stops and timing
If the trip is not a straight run from A to B, say so when you book.
- Extra stops: each address, in order, and roughly how long the passenger will be.
- Hourly bookings: start time, expected finish and the general plan. Hourly hire normally has a minimum; on LimoFarmOut it is 3 hours for sedans and SUVs and 5 hours for other vehicles.
- Return trips: book the return at the same time, with its own date, time and pickup point.
Unplanned stops and waiting are not a disaster, but they should be paid for fairly. On LimoFarmOut, waiting time, overtime, parking, tolls, extra stops and tips are all paid through the platform. Read more in Waiting Time, Tolls, Extra Stops: Get Paid for Everything You Do.
Special requests
Put these in the notes so the driver sees them before the trip:
- Name sign, and the exact wording.
- Water or other refreshments.
- Child seats, with the children's ages.
- Accessibility needs.
- Preferences such as a quiet ride or no soliciting.
On LimoFarmOut, operators can add conditions such as water, a name sign or no soliciting when posting a job, and drivers see them before they accept.
Contact on the day
Give a phone number that will work at the pickup location. On LimoFarmOut, the passenger and driver talk through a private trip line, so neither sees the other's real number, and the passenger receives a live tracking link.
When the trip is farmed out
If you are an operator handing the trip to a partner, every one of these details has to travel with it. Missing information is how farmed-out trips go wrong. On LimoFarmOut, you post the route, local pickup time, vehicle, passengers, bags, flight number and conditions in one form, pay by card up front, and a verified chauffeur accepts the complete job. The how it works page shows the form step by step, and Busy With Another Client? Hand Off a Limo Job Safely covers the hand-off.
A sample booking note
Here is what a complete booking note can look like:
Pickup: arrivals hall, Terminal 2, flight AB123 landing 07:15 local time. Passenger: J. Smith plus one. Bags: 3 large cases, 1 golf bag. Vehicle: SUV. Drop-off: main entrance of the hotel. Name sign: "Smith". Water please. Return trip booked separately.
Every line answers a question the driver would otherwise have to ask on the day.
Book with every detail in place
Ready to book? Use the booker here, add your flight number and notes, and see the price before you confirm.
Chauffeur booker
Book a chauffeur in any city
Airport transfers, hourly cars and point-to-point trips with LimousineWorldwide.Directory member operators. Choose the vehicle, see the price and book in a few steps.
Still arranging the flights or hotel? Search with BookingWorldwide.net on the travel desk.
For trips with children and lots of luggage, read booking a chauffeur for a family trip abroad. For bookings made on behalf of executives, see how travel managers book a corporate chauffeur service.
Frequently asked questions
What information do I need to book a chauffeur?
The pickup and drop-off addresses, the date and local pickup time, the passenger name, the number of passengers and bags, and any stops or special requests. For airport pickups, add the flight number and terminal.
Why should I give my flight number?
It lets the operator see when the flight actually lands rather than relying on the scheduled time, so the driver can adjust if the flight is early or late.
Which time zone should the pickup time be in?
The pickup city's local time, as the passenger will see it on the ground.
What if I need to make extra stops?
List each stop when you book, in order, with an idea of how long each will take. On LimoFarmOut, extra stops and waiting time are paid through the platform.
What is the minimum for an hourly chauffeur booking?
It depends on the operator. On LimoFarmOut the hourly minimum is 3 hours for sedans and SUVs and 5 hours for other vehicles.
Operators: hand off complete jobs
Every detail in one form, paid up front, taken by a verified driver. Farm out your next trip on LimoFarmOut.
