Why Are Legacy Chauffeur Companies So Expensive?

A Price Comparison Across 20 Major Cities Shows that Outdated Business Models More than Double Costs and Impose Inflexible Policies

BERLIN – 6 February 2018 – Legacy chauffeur companies charge travelers more than double what is necessary, according to global professional driver service Blacklane. Across a 20-city average, legacy limousine services cost 215 percent of Blacklane’s rates. In other words, Blacklane lowers these chauffeured black car fares by 54 percent.

Across the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions, legacy providers nearly double Blacklane’s rates: 180 percent and 196 percent, respectively. In Europe and the Middle East (EMEA), legacy players cost nearly triple – 290 percent – of Blacklane’s fares.

Detailed fares and methodology of the price comparisons, along with a business model analysis, appear in Blacklane’s new white paper, “Taken For a Ride: How Legacy Chauffeur Companies Overcharge Travelers.”

The findings come from a price comparison of Blacklane, BostonCoach, Carey International, Drivania, EmpireCLS, Sixt Limousine and Tristar Worldwide (owned by Addison Lee). Blacklane researched fares in:

• Americas: Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, São Paulo and Toronto.

• Asia-Pacific: Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

• EMEA: Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Dubai, Dublin, London, Madrid, Paris and Rome.

Jens Wohltorf, Blacklane’s CEO and co-founder, said, “Legacy limousine companies have failed travelers. They cling to decades-old business models that mean high fares, added fees and complex policies. Today’s travelers expect affordability, transparency and flexibility.”

Blacklane invented a new way to book professional drivers. The company partners with the fragmented landscape of local commercially licensed and insured drivers. Blacklane defines the service experience to provide a high and consistent quality standard in more than 250 cities and 50 countries around the world. This model reduces travelers’ fares and standardizes quality worldwide.

__About Blacklane (blacklane.com) __ Blacklane is the global professional driver service, covering the first and last miles of your journey. We provide peace of mind for passengers and drivers in more than 50 countries, 250 cities and 500 airports around the world. Blacklane guarantees high-quality rides at fair, fixed and all-inclusive rates. All drivers are commercially licensed and insured. Our state-of-the-art systems and a multi-lingual 24/7 Customer Service team coordinate tens of thousands of quality cars in real time. You can schedule rides on our website or mobile apps or via various distribution and channel partners.