Chauffer drive...bad experiences
Feb 21, 2016, 12:20 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,363
Chauffer drive...bad experiences
So, my chauffeur drive was late today, hev showed up 30 min late despite reconfirming my pick up time the night before. I called the dispatcher and he said he'd would show up in a silver Mercedes with a license plate that started with CPT. Lo and behold the car showed up 30 min late it was black and started with DR....needless to say I was a bit worried.
Anyway this got me thinking.... If you missed your flight because of chaffuer drive mishap, would Emirates hold you liable ?
Anyway this got me thinking.... If you missed your flight because of chaffuer drive mishap, would Emirates hold you liable ?
Feb 23, 2016, 10:06 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Durban, South Africa | LHR
Programs: Emirates Skywards Gold | South African Airways Voyager Gold
Posts: 863
So, my chauffeur drive was late today, hev showed up 30 min late despite reconfirming my pick up time the night before. I called the dispatcher and he said he'd would show up in a silver Mercedes with a license plate that started with CPT. Lo and behold the car showed up 30 min late it was black and started with DR....needless to say I was a bit worried.
Anyway this got me thinking.... If you missed your flight because of chaffuer drive mishap, would Emirates hold you liable ?
Anyway this got me thinking.... If you missed your flight because of chaffuer drive mishap, would Emirates hold you liable ?
From my limited experience, in DUR they are mostly on time for chauffeur drive. Worst I have had was 5 minutes late which really isn't something to complain about.
Feb 23, 2016, 12:59 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
I also find it a little weird that EK chauffeur drive in SA sends cars from weird places. Like you receiving a car from CPT in JNB. In DUR I have never received a car that was from DUR - always JNB/CPT (once had an S-class from the Eastern Cape!). I just find that odd...
From my limited experience, in DUR they are mostly on time for chauffeur drive. Worst I have had was 5 minutes late which really isn't something to complain about.
From my limited experience, in DUR they are mostly on time for chauffeur drive. Worst I have had was 5 minutes late which really isn't something to complain about.
Feb 23, 2016, 1:13 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Durban, South Africa | LHR
Programs: Emirates Skywards Gold | South African Airways Voyager Gold
Posts: 863
It's very common for rental cars to be registered elsewhere, vast majority of rentals are registered in Gauteng and have GP plates, even in Cape Town (one way to tell if someone's a tourist is if they have a newish, clean, entry-level hatch with GP plates, dead giveaway). May be similar for the chauffeur drive cars. I think it has to do with where the companies' head offices are.
Just interesting to me for some weird reason. It's a slow day.
Feb 23, 2016, 3:23 pm
#9
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,600
Just asked my uncle who frequently uses chauffeur drive in DUR because I'm quite curious now. He's twice (in over 50 flights ex-DUR) received a KZN plate. Both were NJ (Verulam) which is quite a remote area (but near the airport).
Just interesting to me for some weird reason. It's a slow day.
Just interesting to me for some weird reason. It's a slow day.
Feb 23, 2016, 7:16 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 5,454
Feb 23, 2016, 10:45 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,363
It was a shady experience,the dispatcher on the phone saying "We don't have and black mercedes cars, your car will be silver and the license plate will start with CPT"
and the driver shows up in a BLACK mercedes with license plate beginning with DR. I tell dispatch and he says..."Apologies"
I almost didn't get into the car!
Feb 23, 2016, 11:52 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: UK
Programs: Emirates Skywards Silver
Posts: 384
The bottom line is that the chauffeur service is not operated by Emirates it is sub-contracted out.
A year ago a friend of mine was picked up in good time for a flight from LGW. Unfortunately, due to a major incident on the M25 (London Orbital Motorway) she was delayed by 4 hours and missed her flight and was classed as a no show. She had to pay the full price for a replacement ticket. When she tried to claim this back off from the chauffeur company she was shown the relevant T's & C's which absolved the company from liability in such a situation.
Fortunately she had good travel insurance
A year ago a friend of mine was picked up in good time for a flight from LGW. Unfortunately, due to a major incident on the M25 (London Orbital Motorway) she was delayed by 4 hours and missed her flight and was classed as a no show. She had to pay the full price for a replacement ticket. When she tried to claim this back off from the chauffeur company she was shown the relevant T's & C's which absolved the company from liability in such a situation.
Fortunately she had good travel insurance
Feb 23, 2016, 11:55 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: UK
Programs: Emirates Skywards Silver
Posts: 384
Feb 24, 2016, 12:38 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801