Chauffeurs anxious to maintain service quality

“Our average transaction time from enquiry to flight is currently four days, compared with nine days when we launched in 2007. That is essentially how private jet travel is at the moment. It’s not a last resort, but clients are not committing until they absolutely have to – when they’re sure the business meeting is definitely taking place or the family holiday is going ahead.

“It doesn’t necessarily cost them more, unless there are almost no aircraft available. And most operators keep aircraft back for last-minute bookings, whether for the World Economic Forum at Davos, Champions League matches or Olympic events,” Twidell says.

“There is an element of luxury and privacy, but for the majority of customers it’s all about time saving. Two-thirds of bookings with us are to airports not served daily by scheduled airlines. And there has to be a limousine waiting. The connection between air and ground is vital.”

Privatefly has partnered with Addison Lee, the UK’s largest minicab firm, to provide a service that integrates hire of premium minicabs or chauffeur vehicles with PrivateFly’s booking software. All charter flights booked via the service come with free executive transfers via Mercedes to and from private London airfields.

However, large UK chauffeur organisations are lobbying the Olympic authorities and Transport for London (TfL) to ensure they are treated fairly during a period of peak demand.

First Class Cars, which operates from Luton, Stansted and Heathrow airports, is concerned that temporary drivers brought in by an events management team will be transporting the majority of visiting dignitaries in a fleet of 4,000 sponsored BMWs and will have exclusive use of dedicated Olympic lanes.

Traffic delays for other vehicles could be significant, fears MD Graham Coate. When First Class Cars undertook trial drives from five airports into London’s West End – admittedly during the Monday morning commute – journeys took between 1 hour 15 minutes and 2 hours 5 minutes. The speed of the cross-town trip from there to the Olympic Park is an unknown.

“VIPs won’t be allowed to jump on a helicopter and I can’t see them flying into the UK and getting on a train,” Coate says. “Many of the people we drive into central London stay in the main hotels in Park Lane and this is where the Olympic lanes start – but we’ve got no privileges at all out of it. Our chauffeurs pay their fees, go through criminal record checks and will have to sweat through, while the ‘Olympic family’ get to use their own road network.”

Coate further complains that there is limited provision for companies like his to set down, pick up or park close enough to the main Olympic venues.

“At the moment, as a chauffeur company that has invested in high-end cars and chauffeurs for people who expect – and are prepared to pay for – a high standard of customer service, we are worried that the Olympics will prevent us from achieving our usual high standards when it comes to ground transportation,” he says.

Many members of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA) are registered with individual London boroughs but are trying to put together a single listing for the benefit of first-time visitors to the UK.

LPHCA chairman Steve Wright says his association represents all levels of companies from minicab drivers to operators of executive limousines with airside access. “There has not been a lot of engagement by Transport for London, LOCOG and other Olympic planning groups with the high end of our industry,” Wright says. “It’s clear something has been lacking.”

Wright acknowledges the need for an official car fleet to carry competitors, trainers, drug testers and officials where they need to be as fast as possible. The volunteer drivers will be fully security screened and “will not be part-time chauffeurs,” he says.

He is now attending regular Olympic transport planning meetings along with LPHCA member companies, and it is clear that third-party chauffeur firms will face restrictions on set down and pick up close to the Olympic venues. But Wright says: “We’ve put a number of points to LOCOG and they accept that drivers can’t be held two miles away at midnight.”

The association will hold an Olympic Road Show and a meeting to discuss taxi and private hire regulations at the London Heathrow Marriott Hotel on 14 June.