Car service is transportation in a chauffeured vehicle that has been booked in advance. Booking is typically made online or by phone. In an airport context, car service is commonly a meet and greet service. The chauffeur will meet you at the airport arrivals area with a sign. Your driver will then help you get your luggage to the car and drive you to your destination. Third parties frequently book car services rather than the person riding in the car, posing a tipping etiquette dilemma. So, do you tip car service?
Answered: Do You Tip Car Service?
Tipping a car service driver is a common practice and is usually 10-15% of the fare cost. Feel free to tip your driver more for exceptional service, baggage help that goes above and beyond, last-minute changes to reservations, or if your driver had to wait for you to arrive. You can tip less, or not at all, for poor service or unsafe driving.
If a third party booked the car service, feel free to ask your chauffeur or the person who made the booking whether a tip is included. When a business reserves car service, the business will often have already paid the tip. It’s a good idea to ask because it’ll save you money and keep you from accidentally tipping twice.
How Much To Tip Car Service
Typically, it’s standard to leave your driver a tip of 10-15% of the car service fare. For example, for a $50 ride, you should tip your chauffeur $5 to $7.50.
That said, tipping is at your discretion and should be based on how well you were served. If you think that the service you received was good, the tip amount should also be good. If the service was poor, don’t feel bad about leaving no tip at all.
Do You Tip Prepaid Car Service?
Whether you need to tip your prepaid car service driver depends on whether the tip was prepaid. If the tip wasn’t prepaid, you’d need to leave your driver a decent tip amount that is 10 to 15% of the ride’s cost. On the other hand, if the tip was prepaid as part of the total bill, you don’t need to leave anything else.
If you don’t know whether the tip was prepaid or not, ask the driver or the person who booked your car service. Asking the driver this question can be awkward, but it’s a common issue, and they’ll understand.
Why Use a Car Service At The Airport?
The advantage of a car service is convenience and avoiding a long taxi line. Many airports have long taxi lines where there is either a physical line or a virtual one in the form of an Uber or Lyft line. Rather than waiting in line for taxis or airport shuttles, your car service driver will meet you at the airport arrivals area, holding a sign with your name on it. Your driver will help you with your luggage and drive you to your destination.
Car service, also called limo service, can save you time at the airport and stress if you’re unfamiliar with the airport. Less stress can make for more enjoyable trips, which is why car services are popular with travelers.
Another advantage of car service is the convenience of pre-booking a ride for someone coming from out of town. This can be especially welcome if the person is from out of state or overseas.