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Airport News and Updates

Private hire company to introduce smart cars to its fleet

A private hire transport company based in Edinburgh has revealed plans to introduce Smart cars to its fleet in the New Year with the aim of reducing emissions and providing speedy and economical transportation for single passenger journeys.

Edinburgh Private Hire believe the new Smart car taxi service will be especially popular as it estimates that currently 55% of the trips undertaken by its drivers from its base at Edinburgh Airport are for single passengers.

Smart cars will not only help the company to reduce its CO2 emissions, but also enhance fuel consumption and also ease congestion due to the size of the pint size vehicles which makes them ideal for city driving.

The private hire firm is committed to green travel and says that in the future, they hope to introduce electric powered vehicles, however at the moment, the lack of charging points in the city would be a cause for concern for them. Until electric powered cars prove viable for the firm, the Smart cars will assist Edinburgh Private Hire in its bid to provide eco friendly travel.

Edinburgh Private Hire hope to have the first of their Smart cars up and running in the first quarter of 2012 after the City Council granted permission and waived licence conditions.

The company say they hope to pass on the savings to the customer through reduced fares as the cost would be set for single passengers.

by Susan TaylorJanuary 4, 2012no comment

Mercedes “Taxi” owned by Ryanair boss up for sale

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has advertised his personal chauffeur car for sale, billing it as the “Ireland’s most famous taxi” and stating himself as the owner in attempt to grab the attention of second hand car buyers.

The 2007 Mercedes Benz S-Class S500L long wheelbase car has extended legroom for the comfort of its passengers and comes with full leather interior, heated seats and in-car phone kit, however it also comes with a sky high mileage with 170,000 miles on the clock.

The Irish budget airline owner caused controversy when in 2003 he bought a taxi licence when meant that his registered car could be driven in bus lanes, helping the Ryanair boss dodge gridlocked traffic. However Mr O’Leary was later forced to employ a chauffeur as part of the rules of the licence and the Mercedes has to meter all of its trips in accordance with the taxi licence regulations.

The Ryanair boss obviously travels a great deal as the car has accumulated a mileage of 170,000 in just four years. It also emerged that in 2009, O’Leary ran up a bill of €96,000 to the taxi company who supplied his chauffeur, coincidentally, O’Leary also owns the company.

If you fancy getting behind the wheel of the businessman’s Mercedes chauffeur car, then it can be yours for just €20,000, which works out as £16,700.

by Susan TaylorDecember 22, 2011no comment

Emirates open “limo lounge” where passengers wait for their chauffeur car at Heathrow

Emirates airline have opened a brand new “limo lounge” facility at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 where business class and first class incoming passengers travelling with the airline can make a pit stop before being collected in their chauffeur driven limo.

The new mini arrivals lounge is situated just 15 metres from the area where the Emirates chauffeured cars are parked which means passengers only need walk a very short distance to be whisked away by their personal chauffeur.

Emirates say the new lounge at Terminal 3 is not an arrivals lounge, but more a rest area where passengers can stop for a break between leaving the plane and being collected in their car. The mini lounge is still kitted out with comfortable seating for up to 30 people, plus there are tea and coffee and refreshment facilities, and also a business area with free Wi-Fi and also PCs. An on-call porter service is also supplied to assist with luggage.

The airline anticipates that 200 passengers flying business class or first class with Emirates will make use of the new facility daily. Emirates say they anticipate the new rest area will ensure passengers enjoy a “seamless journey” with a designated lounge a few steps from the plane where passengers can wait in comfort for their limo to chauffeur them to their final destination.

by Simon BerryDecember 15, 2011no comment

Car hire company launches sale in Spain

Sixt Rent-a-Car have launched a one-off car hire sale between Monday November 14^th and Wednesday November 16^th offering car rental customers a cut price vehicle hire rate for rentals taking place throughout Spain at selected times.

Great savings on car hire are being offered by Sixt, with daily rental rates starting from as little as £11 a day on selected models. Some of the most popular destinations in Spain are included in the 3-day car hire sale including rentals from busy airports such as Alicante, Majorca and Malaga Airport.

The reduced car hire rates will be automatically applied to any car rental bookings taken by Sixt in Spain taking place between December 14^th– 22^nd, and also January 6^th-26^th 2012. Sixt has a wide range of vehicles to choose from, including the most affordable hire cars within their fleet such as the Smart Fourtwo and the Renault Twingo which will be available for hire for the heavily reduced price of £11 a day during this period.

Sixt Rent-a-Car works in conjunction with a wide range of car makers so as to offer vehicles to suit all styles and budgets. The leading car rental provider offers vehicle from Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen, as well as Ford and Renault amongst their fleet of hire cars.

The car hire company is going from strength to strength in Spain, having expanded the brand across a number of Spanish destinations, with the latest branch having recently opened in Valencia.

For a full rundown of details on the Sixt car hire sale in Spain, please see the company’s main website.

by Anita KumarNovember 15, 2011no comment

Virgin Australia revamps chauffeur driven limo service for business passengers

Virgin Australia are offering a revamped and improved chauffeur driven limo hire service to transport those flying business class with the airline carrier, providing these passengers with a cost effective and hassle free transfer to the airport.

The availability of the private hire service is being extended through to December 25^th, offering Virgin business class passengers travelling on any of the coast to coast flights between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth a complimentary chauffeured airport transfer. The service is free of charge as long as the passenger’s pick up or drop off point is within 60km of the airport they’re flying from, anything over the 60km will be charged extra.

Virgin Australia stipulates that all business class passengers will be transported in a “luxury sedan” driven by a professional chauffeur and that the service is available on both outbound and inbound journeys.

The air carrier recommends that passengers wishing to make use of the complimentary chauffeur service book their car as soon as they book their flight to ensure they reserve a time which suits their needs, however the chauffeur service can be booked up to 24 hours prior to the flight.

Virgin Australia have been capitalising on the recent airline strikes being experienced by rival airline, Qantas, with Virgin reporting a boom in business as Qantas passengers turn to them for the flights during the strike periods. Virgin are hoping to tempt Qantas passengers into staying with them for the future through their improved complimentary chauffeur service for airport transfers in Australia.

by Andrew LloydNovember 11, 2011no comment

Etihad Airways introduces chauffeur service to reward customer loyalty

The national airline carrier for the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, has introduced a complimentary chauffeur service to reward their loyal customers.

Etihad have extended their complimentary chauffeur service to include parties flying on Coral Economy from the UAE until the end of November. The offer is available to group bookings who spend a minimum of AED 8,000 on airline tickets with the transport provider in one transaction.

Groups of up to 4 passengers can be transported in each chauffeur driven car, taking travellers from one location in the UAE, dropping off at Abu Dhabi airport which is serviced by Etihad Airways. The offer is valid on tickets for passengers travelling from UAE to any of the following international destinations including London, Manchester, Melbourne, Toronto, Sydney, Milan, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Tokyo, Seoul, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Geneva, and Brussels.

The airline says they are always looking to improve their rewards for loyal customers who travel with them regularly. The current chauffeur offer allows passengers to enjoy 5 star Etihad hospitality from the moment they set off on their journey. The airline says they’ve experienced a surge in demand for their services in the Dubai, Shavjah and Al Ain areas of the UAE and are therefore expecting a large number of passengers to take Etihad up on their special chauffeur offer.

by Andrew LloydSeptember 22, 2011no comment

Cars for Stars set to launch limo rental in Toronto and Canada

Specialist luxury transport and limo rental provider, Cars for Stars, have unveiled plans to launch their premium brand in Canada, starting in the cosmopolitan city of Toronto.

Over the course of the last 6 years, Cars for Stars have succeeded in cornering the market for corporate chauffeur car hire and limo rental in the UK. Now the luxury transport company is looking to expand their successful brand, taking the Cars for Stars name over to Canada.

Cars for Stars is unlike the majority of limo rental companies in the UK as they operate under a sophisticated broker system. When Cars for Stars receives an enquiry for limo rental, they are able to access hundreds of limo rental and chauffeur car hire agents across the country to compare quotes, until they find the very best deal for the customer. Having established a strong network of luxury transport providers across the country, Cars for Stars are able to offer affordable rates on limo rental in all areas of the UK.

With a successful model already in place, Cars for Stars plans to launch their service in Toronto and Montreal, Canada this year in order to capitalise on the burgeoning limo hire & rental market in the city and outlying areas.

As Cars for Stars prepares to launch its affordable limo rental service in Toronto, the company is looking to recruit leading luxury transport and chauffeur rental companies in Canada and Toronto. If you are a self-employed chauffeur with one Rolls Royce or Mercedes Benz S-Class at your disposal, or if you own a fleet of gleaming Rolls Royce Phantoms and hummer limousines, Cars for Stars wants to hear from you.

With their expertise in online marketing with a host of dedicated limo rental websites coverings specific areas and occasions, Cars for Stars generates thousands of leads weekly for limo rental work. From limo services for airport transfers, limo rental for weddings and proms, birthday party bus rental and Toronto limousines, Cars for Stars is able to offer low cost deals on limo rental for a range of special occasions.

Get in touch now to be part of Cars for Stars latest business venture in Toronto, Canada.

by Andrew LloydMarch 11, 2011no comment

Manchester limo hire chauffeur warns of robbery threat

A Manchester limo hire boss took to a popular industry chat forum this week to warn other chauffeurs in the area to be vigilant after he believes one of his chauffeurs was targeted by a gang of would-be robbers.

The incident was reported by online industry magazine, The Chauffeur. Explaining what happened, the limo hire operator described how a gang of four Eastern European men had pulled alongside one of his hummer limos to tell the driver that one his back wheels looked damaged after the chauffeur had just dropped off a client at an inner city address.

However the chauffeur suspected the gang may have been attempting to distract him in order to steal the luxury hummer limousine, and so ignored their warning.

Upon returning to the limo hire depot, the chauffeur examined the hummer only to find there was no problem whatsoever with the vehicle. Given this, the Manchester based limousine hire operator believes the gang of men were attempting to distract the driver with their story in order to get away with the vehicle.

Following the incident, the boss of Earls Wedding Cars took it upon himself to warn other limo hire providers in the area to take extra caution while driving in the area in case the gang plan to target other luxury car or limo hire drivers in the future.

by Andrew LloydFebruary 2, 2011no comment

Hertz and Beverly Hills Rent a Car join forces to offer luxury car hire

Top name car rental company and leading California based luxury car hire operator Beverly Hills Rent a Car have joined forces in order to fulfil the growing demands for luxurious car hire in the state.

Beverly Hills Rent a Car has a vast array of top quality cars available for hire from world renowned brands such as Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Porsche and Mercedes which will allow Hertz to offer a different calibre of vehicle to their car rental customers.

Hertz is a world leader in the provision of car rentals for general use and airport car hire services, however the partnership with Beverly Hills Rent a Car will allow Hertz the opportunity to branch into a whole new market of luxurious travel.

Launching the new luxury car hire service in California is a shrewd move as there is a definite demand for the service in this area from film studios and celebrities either visiting or living in the state.

The joint venture will offer a range of services including complementary pick-up and drop-off to and from several Hertz car rental bases in California, plus VIP collection from airports, and the choice of a wide range of luxury and classic cars.

Hertz say the decision to partner Beverly Hills Rent a Car in this new venture was based on the growing interest in luxury travel in California.

by Anita KumarJanuary 7, 2011no comment

Avis car hire launch female only chauffeur service in India

Avis rent-a-car has become the first premier car hire provider to launch a female only chauffeur hire service in India.

The female only chauffeur hire service will be available in India only initially at a top Mumbai hotel, The Oberoi. A fleet of luxury cars, including the BMW 5 Series, will be used for the service based at the Oberoi Hotel. Avis are planning to roll the scheme out to other parts of the country if there is enough demand.

It is anticipated that the service will be especially popular with females travelling alone in India. Avis believe their female chauffeur policy will help alleviate any feelings of insecurity a female traveller may have when visiting an unfamiliar city alone.

All of lady chauffeurs are aged between 25-53 years of age and are all fluent in English which will benefit those visiting India on business from the UK. Each chauffeur has undergone 2 months of training before getting behind the wheel as an Avis chauffeur. The training includes enhancing customer relation skills, instruction on handling a luxury car, and improving their navigation ability around the city of Mumbai and other local areas.

Avis car hire currently operates in 16 cities across India, but has outlined expansion plans to launch a number of new branches in various locations across the country.

by Andrew LloydDecember 2, 2010no comment

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