Read on for ride preparation tips, wait time policy, how to add extras and more!
What is an hourly ride?
A ride which is booked for a specific number of hours, with 20 km included per hour. When you see hourly rides in the auction;
The offer will show only the pickup point.
The offer will include the total time duration.
How will I know where to go?
There is no specified drop-off location. Instead, the guest will let you know where to go during the ride. An itinerary of stops may be provided by guests in the ‘Additional information’ section beforehand, but this is not a requirement, and added at their own discretion.
How should I prepare for an hourly ride?
Here are some key things to remember before pressing ‘On the Way’ for your hourly ride:
Fuel: Make sure you have a full tank of fuel before beginning the ride. If you are driving an electric vehicle, it should be fully charged, or at a level recommended by the manufacturer.
Vehicle maintenance: Ensure the vehicle is clean inside and out, and in top condition. Check tire pressure, fluid levels, brakes, lights, and other essential systems.
Blacklane attire: As with other ride types, it is important to present yourself professionally and ensure your attire is clean and appropriate.
Plan and review: Make sure you have checked any additional ride information. The guest may have added some special requests or an itinerary of stops for the ride. If they have, you should plan your route in advance, considering possible parking restrictions and alternative parking spots.
Weather check: Monitor weather forecasts and be prepared for any adverse conditions.
Communication: Make sure your phone is fully charged and your charger is available, but not visible to guests.
Check your mileage: Note down the miles/kilometres on your odometer when you arrive at the pickup location. That way, you can easily calculate the distance travelled during the ride.
What is the wait time policy for hourly rides?
There is no waiting time for by-the-hour bookings. If a guest is late for an hourly booking, please contact the Partner Care team to ask if they have any updates from the guest.
In this example, the scheduled pickup time is 9:00 a.m. and the ride is booked for 3 hours.
Arrive at the location at 8:50 a.m. and stand outside of the vehicle in an alert position before pressing the “Arrived at pickup location” button.
At 9:00 a.m. press the “Start hourly service” button.
At 9:20 a.m. if the guest has not arrived, contact Partner Care to let them know and ask for updates regarding the guest. They will try to reach the guest for you.
The guest arrives at 11:00 a.m. Open the door for them, put their luggage in the trunk of the car, and complete the remaining 1 hour duration of the ride.
What is the cancellation policy for hourly rides?
For all ride types, including hourly or long distance, guests can cancel their ride free of charge up to 1 hour before the scheduled pick-up time.
If the guest cancels the ride less than an hour before the pick up time, 40% of the full fare will be paid out in your monthly invoice.
If the guest does not cancel the ride, you should wait at the pick up location until the booked time has elapsed. Make sure to call Blacklane if the guest has not appeared after 20 minutes. In this case you would be paid the full fare.
How do I add extras to an hourly ride?
If you have performed an hourly ride with additional kilometers, or have exceeded the pre-booked time, you will see the pop-up screen once you have pressed the “Finish ride” button. Fill in all the information about the extras to review the ride.
Remember: There are 20 km included for every hour booked, so a 3 hour journey has 60 km included for the guest free of charge. If you go over this, make sure to add the extras once the ride is finished to make sure you are properly compensated.
Extras option | Description |
Extended hourly booking
| Fill in the total duration of the ride in the "Total ride duration" field. The extra time is measured in 30-minute intervals. For example, if you drove 3 hours and 20 minutes for a ride that was supposed to only last 3 hours, then please select 3.5 hours in the “Total ride duration” field. |
Extra kilometers
| Fill in the total distance of your finished ride, including the original distance of the ride. For example, if you drove 25 km for a 1 hour ride that has 20 km included, you would write 25 km in the “Distance” field. If you are in a country where miles are used, please convert your mileage to kilometers when submitting your review. To make sure your figures are accurate, use a converter. |
Reason for the addition | This field is mandatory, so please thoroughly explain the reason for the extras you are recording. If you have reported extra kilometers, please make sure that you include the addresses you visited. |
What should I do if the guest asks to extend the ride?
We should always try to accommodate guest requests where possible, so if you are able to continue with the journey, make sure to inform the guest that extending the ride will result in a higher final ride price for them. If they are happy with this, then you should continue the ride. Remember to add the extras after the ride is finished!
If you are unable to extend the ride due to an upcoming booking or scheduling conflict, please tell the guest that you need to call Blacklane to try and find a solution. If your next ride is also a Blacklane ride, we can try to find another chauffeur to perform the upcoming booking so you can continue with the guest or arrange an alternative solution. If possible, stop the car and exit the vehicle to make the call so the guest cannot hear the conversation. If you are unable to make the call without the guest overhearing, you might say something like this:
“Hello, my name is [name] and I am calling about booking [booking number]. I have the guest, Ms. Smith, with me in the vehicle now. Ms. Smith wishes to extend the booking by two hours but I have another ride soon. Could you please help me to find a solution?”
For more best-practice advice on rides by the hour, check out our Communication tips for hourly rides!
