skywardhunter

I see this has now become the Chauffeur Drive notification discussion thread

BadoRas

90% of the time I get a call 24 hours out, and yes, always a text in Dubai

Grace B

I'm flying into ATH in J later this year and note that there doesn't seem to be any CD service there. A bit of a disappointment (but I'm quite au fait with the train).

Can anyone advise why ATH is not included?

skywardhunter

Could be for a number of reasons. Cost of providing the service, availability of suitable service providers, market demand for it, etc

xobile

Apologies if this has been asked before, I tried searching this thread but couldn't find an answer. I'm flying into Chicago next week, I'm in business and booked a chauffeur. I have three family members (including one infant) with a different last name, who are traveling on the same flight as me, though in Economy and on a different PNR. We live about 5 minutes apart. Is it possible for them to ride with me in the same vehicle to both our homes? I suspect a car would be too small, but an SUV might work. I'm curious if this (passengers not on the original invoice/booking traveling in the vehicle) would be permissible to Emirates, for ticketing, pricing, legal, safety, etc reasons. Or since the drivers are contracted, if it would just be a matter between me and them. Of course I'll tip well, $50 or so, for the trouble. If so, is there a number I can contact regarding this, i.e. directly to the company? Since I'm currently overseas, I fear if they call me, I may not receive the call. I'm afraid of calling Emirates directly in fear of them saying no and putting a note on my file. I looked through the terms and conditions of the chauffeur drive and didn't see anything for or against such actions.

ft101

Other passenger(s) are certainly OK, but I think you're pushing it a bit with 3 extra, and even more so if you try to specify a larger vehicle. I would also recommend one drop off point and let one party do the last 5 minutes under their own steam.

There are numbers in the OP, but I'm not sure if these are for the Chauffeur Co. or for Emirates. Contacting the Chauffeur Co. would be the way to go IMO, if you do try, I've never had a call you for an airport pick up - they know where you'll be and when already.

xobile

OK good to know. The infant can be in her seat in the middle so that's part is ok. We definitely will have more bags than can fit in a car for sure though. I guess I can just hope that send an suv, as they did for the pickup. If I do call, should I mention that I have extra passengers? I don't mind going to one location vs two, I guess that depends on the driver and if they are OK with it, or if they are being watched by GPS to make sure they go only one place. I don't want to get them in trouble of course.

dcmike

Hi all - I saw something a few pages back about Emirates frowning on early pickups. I see online 4 hours is the earliest before the flight. I was hoping to go earlier to DXB with a companion on a different flight (on a different airline in business) so I could hang out with them at the airport before they left. Do you think if I wrote Emirates and asked, they'd do an earlier pick up? If not, no big deal, we can take a taxi.

skywardhunter

Hang out where? Other airlines fly from other terminals and not a lot of landside hangout opportunities

dcmike

I thought Terminal 1 and 3 are connected airside and the lounge his airline uses is also a Priority Pass lounge, so we'd both check in and then meet at the lounge.

DYKWIA

No - there is no airside connection anymore. T1 is now just Concourse D and that is used by non-EK airlines. T3 in Concourse A, B & C and used only by EK (maybe FlyDubai now also).

dcmike

DOH! Well, that solves that problem! Thank you both!

ain't got time to take a fast train

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere, but given the number of EK daily flights, all with F cabins, why no CD at CAI?

skywardhunter

They are technically connected airside via bus. I don't think one needs to show a BP for the bus, but it takes forever and you need to clear security in each direction. You'd have to go airside at T3 also so go both ways by bus

DYKWIA

Where would you get the bus from? I assume it's meant for connecting passengers, so it would be before you got through transit security?

So, if you wanted to get from departures / airside in T3 to departures / airside in T1, you'd first need to go the "wrong way" through transit security in T3, then get the bus, then go through T1 transit security. And then the reverse to get back to T3. Not something I'd like to try