The terms explained, with examples
The terms above are the conditions every booking is made on. This section explains each part in plain language, with worked examples. It does not change or add to the terms; where there is any difference, the terms themselves apply.
Fares: what the fixed fare covers
The fixed fare shown on the reservation engine and on your confirmation covers three things: the chauffeur, the vehicle and fuel. Local taxes are shown separately where they apply, so you can see them.
Four kinds of cost are not in the fare and are charged at actual cost, then added to the booking:
- Gratuity for the chauffeur.
- Parking, for example an airport short-stay car park where the chauffeur waits, or a cruise-terminal car park.
- Airport drop-off or access charges, which some airports levy on vehicles using their forecourts.
- Congestion or low-emission zone charges, such as London's Congestion Charge and ULEZ, Milan's Area C or Stockholm's congestion tax.
"At actual cost" means the amount the charge actually came to, not an estimate or a flat surcharge. For example, if a pickup requires the chauffeur to use a terminal car park, the parking fee paid is what is added.
The terms also say that "fares on this site are planning figures until confirmed". The ranges on the rates page help you plan a budget; the fare that binds is the fixed fare on your confirmation for the specific address, date, time and vehicle.
Waiting: how the included time is counted
The included waiting depends on the type of pickup:
| Pickup | Included waiting | Counted from |
|---|
| International flight | 60 minutes | The actual landing time |
| Domestic flight | 30 minutes | The actual landing time |
| Any other pickup | 15 minutes | The booked pickup time |
Further waiting is charged in 15-minute blocks.
Example 1. Your international flight is scheduled to land at 14:00 but lands at 15:10. Because the flight is tracked, the 60 included minutes run from 15:10, to 16:10. A slow immigration queue within that hour costs nothing extra.
Example 2. A hotel pickup is booked for 08:00 and you come down at 08:25. The first 15 minutes are included; the next ten minutes fall into one 15-minute block of extra waiting.
Cancellations: the four tiers
Cancellation charges are measured from the scheduled pickup time:
- More than 72 hours before: no charge.
- 72 hours or less: 10 % of the reserved services.
- 48 hours or less: 50 %.
- 24 hours or less, or a no-show: 100 %.
Worked example. A pickup is booked for Friday at 18:00.
- Cancel on Tuesday at 17:00 (73 hours before): no charge.
- Cancel on Tuesday at 19:00 (71 hours before): 10 %.
- Cancel on Wednesday at 20:00 (46 hours before): 50 %.
- Cancel on Thursday at 19:00 (23 hours before), or do not show up: 100 %.
The percentages apply to "the reserved services", meaning what you booked. The terms add that major events, holidays and large conventions may carry a different deadline; when a booking falls under one, the deadline is stated on the confirmation, so check it before you rely on the standard tiers.
Add-ons: selected locations, confirmed in writing
Meet and greet, child seats and other add-ons "are only available in selected locations and are confirmed in writing". Two practical points follow. First, the standard airport pickup is curbside at the airport's designated commercial or pre-arranged pickup area; a chauffeur waiting in the arrivals hall with a name board only happens where meet and greet has been added and confirmed. Second, the written confirmation is the record: if an add-on matters to you, check that it appears there. See meet and greet.
Passengers: the rules in the car
The passenger terms are about safety and respect for the vehicle:
- Seat belts must be worn where fitted.
- Children require an appropriate child restraint, which is supplied on request. Give the child's age and weight when you book.
- No smoking and no vaping in the vehicle.
- Damage or excessive cleaning is charged at cost. A spilled coffee wiped up with a tissue is part of normal use; a seat that has to be professionally cleaned before the car can work again is the kind of case this covers.
- The chauffeur may refuse or end a trip where safety is at risk, for example if a passenger refuses to wear a belt, or behaves in a way that puts the chauffeur, other passengers or other road users in danger.
Affiliate fulfilment: who drives your trip
Some trips are fulfilled by vetted affiliate operators held to the BlaakLane.com written standard: trips outside the home dispatch area, and stretch limousines, Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley, armoured vehicles and coaches. The confirmation says so, and names the operator. Your booking, your fare and your support stay with the BlaakLane.com desk. How affiliates are vetted is explained on memberships and network.
Liability: events outside anyone's control
The terms say BlaakLane.com is not liable for missed flights, sailings or connections caused by events outside its control, such as weather, road closures, strikes and border delays, but will always re-plan the trip with you. In practice, if a snowstorm closes the motorway to the airport, the desk works with you on the next best plan: a different route, a later pickup or a new time for the next flight. The best protection is time: book airport and port departures with a margin that reflects the season, the hour and the border crossings on the route.
A checklist before you confirm
- Read the fare on the confirmation, and note which charges will be added at cost.
- Check the pickup time, and the flight or train number if there is one.
- Check that the vehicle has room for every passenger, bag and child seat.
- Confirm any add-on appears in writing.
- Note the cancellation deadline, especially around holidays and big events.
Questions about a booking go to the desk; see contact and book. For how personal information is handled, read the privacy policy. Official details of London's zone charges are published by Transport for London.
Frequently asked questions about the terms
Does the fare include everything? No. The fixed fare covers the chauffeur, the vehicle and fuel, with local taxes shown separately where they apply. Gratuity, parking, airport drop-off or access charges and congestion or low-emission zone charges are added at actual cost.
Does a flight delay count against my waiting time? No. Airport pickups are tracked, and the included waiting (60 minutes on international flights, 30 on domestic) runs from the actual landing time.
If I shorten an hourly booking on the day, what applies? Hourly bookings have a three-hour minimum. If your plan changes, tell the desk as early as you can; changes and cancellations follow the terms above.
What counts as a no-show? A passenger who does not appear for a booked pickup and has not cancelled. A no-show is charged at 100 % of the reserved services, the same as a cancellation 24 hours or less before pickup.
Do the same terms apply when an affiliate drives? Yes. The booking is made with BlaakLane.com on these terms, whichever vetted operator drives it, and the confirmation names that operator.
Can a chauffeur refuse extra passengers or luggage? The vehicle class sets the seats and bags; seat belts must be worn where fitted, and the chauffeur may refuse or end a trip where safety is at risk. Book a larger vehicle if the party or the luggage has grown.
Where are the event and holiday deadlines? On the confirmation for the booking concerned. Read it before you rely on the standard cancellation tiers.
Who do I contact about a charge? The desk, with the confirmation or invoice number. Each charge added at actual cost appears as its own line. Having the confirmation to hand when you call makes the conversation much shorter.
Corporate accounts and the terms
Trips booked on a corporate account are made on the same terms. The differences are administrative: payment by monthly invoice rather than card, cost centres and booker details on each trip, and a named coordinator for programmes. The fare rules, the included waiting, the cancellation tiers and the charges added at actual cost are the same as for any other booking, which makes them easy to write into a company travel policy.
