Those plump Lincoln Town Cars that provide a ride as soft as a pillow are clogging city streets and airport access roads these days — a sign that the $2.4 billion chauffeured transportation business in the United States is doing well, particularly with corporate customers.

“Chauffeured cars are no longer considered such a luxury,” said Scott A. Solombrino, chief executive and owner of Dav El, the second-biggest limousine company. “They’re an efficiency tool mostly for highly paid executives who often don’t have time to rent a car.”

Perhaps the biggest indication of the bright long-term prospects for chauffeuring services is the Avis Budget Group’s recent $60 million investment in Carey International, the industry leader with 2006 revenue of about $250 million.

Part of the lure was Carey’s stake in the corporate market, which, according to Gary L. Kessler, Carey’s chief executive, represents more than 80 percent of its business. The Avis purchase was definitely noticed on both sides of the street: the rental-car companies searching for new ways to grow and chauffeured entrepreneurs who envy the marketing prowess and deep pockets of the big rental car brands.

“We’re entering a huge period of consolidation,” Mr. Solombrino said.

The strong market in the United States comes at a time when the major growth is overseas, according to Camella Lobo, a senior editor at Limousine & Chauffeured Transportation magazine, which tracks the industry. As American companies go global, their managements look for the same services abroad as they get at home, she said.

Typical of this trend is the expansion overseas of BostonCoach. The private company grew out of Fidelity Investment’s own fleet of sedans and limousines in 1985. Today, BostonCoach, like Carey and Dav El, caters to business clients in more than 450 cities worldwide — with affiliates from Bangalore, India, to Zurich.

“New York City is still the epicenter of the chauffeured vehicle industry,” said Mr. Kessler of Carey, whose 200 or so cars and vans are busy largely delivering Wall Street and Midtown Manhattan executives to airports, meetings and — frequently — suburban homes. New York alone has an estimated 12,000 chauffeur cars owned by drivers, many of them franchisees of Carey and other transportation companies.

In a survey by Limousine & Chauffeured Transportation of 100 travel managers who are members of the National Business Travel Association, New York was first in use of chauffeured vehicles. Chicago came in second and then Washington, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Miami and Orlando, Fla.

One reason New York is first is that it has three major airports (a car costs about $33 to La Guardia and $48 to Kennedy or Newark, not including tolls, tips and a $5 rush-hour surcharge). With air travel relentlessly expanding and airport routes jammed, business travelers more and more are opting for limousines. New Yorkers, confronted with a taxi meter clicking away when stuck in traffic, think the flat fees are a reasonable trade-off, the limousine owners say.

The easy-entry aspect of the business, coupled with ambition, has turned chauffeured operations into a United Nations of drivers. By pooling family funds, they buy a sedan, file for a license and usually work far longer than an eight-hour day.

Under the watchful eyes of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, which licenses most limousine operators, drivers for upstanding companies take their role seriously. Depending on how many hours worked, a solo operator can take in anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 or more a year.

The chauffeured-car population is impressive. Coast to coast, there are 131,600 vehicles, according to the limousine magazine, with services ranging from black cars to stretch limousines like the 20-passenger, 30-foot-long Hummer 2.

“Showy stretch limousines aren’t what executives now want,” Mr. Kessler said. “They want a mobile office.” But long limos, some even have hot tubs, do command a high price — $50 to $200 an hour — and work on weekends for weddings, proms and celebrities when business travel downshifts.

With cars generally smaller overseas, personal privacy highly prized, and company cars a popular way to greet guests at airports, foreign countries are just beginning to respond to the demand for quality chauffeured cars with a brand name.

Carey now operates in some 550 cities around the world. “It’s a robust market overseas,” Mr. Kessler said, adding, “especially in London, France, India, Hong Kong and Shanghai.” In China and some other business hot spots, Mr. Kessler said, the chauffeured car of choice is a Mercedes.

With global operations accelerating, limousine operators joust with one another for corporate contracts, usually offering discounts of 5 to 15 percent. Carey, for instance, has corporate customers who use its web of partners to provide chauffeur service for “roadshows” of new products or financial packages.

Companies, it turns out, spend wildly different amounts for chauffeured services each year — with 21 percent of the limousine magazine survey participants saying they spend $101,000 to $250,000 annually and 19 percent saying they pay as much as $1 million to $5 million a year.

How do customers rate chauffeured services?

Participants in the magazine survey said their greatest concern was on-time pickup, clean interiors and professional driving (keep off the cellphone and stop chatting with your passengers). With their own BlackBerrys, laptops and other business tools, they told the magazine, there is no need to crowd the car with digital accessories.

They said that Internet access and satellite radio were two desirables, though secondary. And it might be nice to have bottled water, a newspaper and interior temperature controls. Carey says it provides Wi-Fi service on some cars.

In short, the survey found, corporate customers care mostly about basics, including efficient luggage handling and knowing the best routes. In other travel businesses, it’s called good concierge service.
source:http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/business/04limo.html

Those long lines of sleek black cars that idle outside corporate headquarters, belching exhaust as they wait to shuttle executives from meeting to meeting, will become more environmentally friendly under a plan announced on Wednesday by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

Under the plan, the entire fleet of roughly 10,000 limousines, mostly black, that are used by businesses ranging from Lehman Brothers to Condé Nast, would be required to meet fuel-efficiency standards, attainable only with hybrid vehicles, of 25 miles a gallon in 2009 and 30 miles a gallon in 2010. Currently the cars average 12 to 15 miles a gallon and add 272,000 tons of heat-trapping gases to the air each year, or about 2 percent of the city’s transportation-related emissions, according to the city.

Officials expect the new standards to cut emissions in half, in part because the more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles switch to battery power when they idle.

“While yellow cabs are constantly on the move, black cabs actually spend a decent amount of time just sitting and waiting for their client to come out,” Mayor Bloomberg said.

The plan, part of Mr. Bloomberg’s overall program to make the city more environmentally sound in the coming decades, is to go before the Taxi and Limousine Commission for approval in April and includes a requirement that the so-called black cars be replaced every six years, a way of ensuring that almost all of them would meet the new standards by 2013.

“It is to the great credit of black-car industry leaders that they have collectively embraced Mayor Bloomberg’s efforts to reduce harmful emissions,” said Matthew W. Daus, the taxi and limousine commissioner.

The city has already begun phasing hybrids into its fleet of 13,000 yellow cabs, and Mayor Bloomberg said officials were working to devise a plan for the roughly 40,000 livery cabs that serve neighborhoods, especially outside Manhattan, where other taxis are scarce.

Mayor Bloomberg said he expected drivers to support the proposal because it would bring them more business and save them thousands of dollars in fuel costs each year. Increasingly, he said, the companies that use the cars, which are summoned to specific locations rather than being hailed in the street, are demanding the greener vehicles.

The mayor’s plan would also include incentives like tax breaks and low-cost-financing options to make it easier for the drivers, many of whom must buy their cars, to afford the higher down payments needed for hybrid vehicles.

Deutsche Bank and Lehman Brothers are working with a black-car company, Executive Transportation Group, to help provide low-interest loans for hybrid-vehicle purchases. Best Ford Taxi and Hudson Toyota/Penske Automotive Group have said they would offer favorable financing packages to the drivers. And the city is asking the state to approve the waiver of sales taxes on purchases.
source:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/nyregion/28limos.html?_r=1

Limousine, once a dream car reserved for the wealthy, is now woven into the tapestry of Miami night life. A large number of car rental companies are offering an assortment of Limousines at very competitive rates due to the higher demand for limo services that have given rise to an increasing number of limo services in Miami. Choices and varieties have changes over time, but they are more abundant now than ever before. There are several reasons to choose a particular type of limousine to rent. Everybody has their own idea of what is appropriate for their occasion, but practical considerations should factor in to the decision making process. Capacity is an example. Typically, sedans can have room for 3 to 4, SUVs can have room for 7, and standard stretch limos can have room for 6 to 10. So, choose one that can go with your needs. If you need a vehicle that can have room for about 20 people, you can go with the increasingly popular limo bus. Here are a few guidelines that will be helpful for you to review prior to booking a limo in Miami:

1. You should know the seating requirements. While the standard Lincoln Stretch limo seats 8, Hummer limos in Miami contain the latest style as well as seating capacity for up to 18 passengers.

2. Read online reviews about the limousine operator or check the Better Business Bureau to make sure the limo operator you are contacting has a solid reputation. After confirming that the limo company has a good track record, its not necessary to shop more than two or three rental companies. Normally most of limousine rental companies have similar pricing structure. Just look for quality of service the company is offering and more importantly, the fleet of limos.

3. Hire from a company that offers a good number of choices so you can be sure to acquire the best limo choice for your occasion. Most of the established operators display their fleet of limos online - make sure it contains a good range of stretch and SUV limos. Ask your prospective operator pertinent questions about your itinerary in Miami. For example, it may be important to know the typical traffic conditions during your scheduled limousine ride.

4. It's customary to tip your driver. Normally limo drivers depend on tips to a degree and tipping should be built in to your budget.

Established Miami limousine companies can be found online where quotes can be acquired in real time as well as reservations. Whether you are booking your Miami limo service for a wedding, prom night, or a night on the town, Miami limo operators can help you choose the right limousine for your occasion.

Limousines are an essential need for different occasions. The primary difference created by limousines on several high profile occasions are the sense of style and luxury. Really, it's true that nothing can make your presence more extravagant than that of limousines. Therefore, people use limousines services frequently on all-important occasions to make their presence extraordinary.

If you're looking to make a date night exceptional, why should not try limo service. Go out to the, dinner, or just the movies in the cozy elegance of a chauffeured car. Whether you've been married or are just starting out in the relationship, a limousine will score major points with your partner as well as turn your evening into something special. Celebrate an anniversary or just date in style: for important occasions or to spice up an ordinary night out, limo service is just what you've been looking for to make the night special.
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If you are a bachelor and have a bachelor party or just a night out with the guys, limo is a great idea. You'll get an automatic designated driver because everyone can take part in driving and a hot ride. Hummer or Escalade stretch limo is also best for the style. Head to the bars or a sporting great event like wrestling, boxing, and basketball, there's sure to be something you and the guys will love. Instead of having a plain old night on the town, turn it into the ultimate boy's night with a limo.

If you want to purpose your girlfriend and Dreaming of proposing on the beach, then why not make the night even more romantic with limousine service. Just imagine riding together in the luxury of a limo, arriving at the beach, walking out into the sand and dropping to one knee and purposing her. It will be an evening neither of you will forget, you can make it even better by treating your girlfriend to the romance of a limo.

When looking for a Los Angeles corporate limousine find one that works with you to stay ahead of your competitors and that will provide you with the attention to detail that you and your business deserves.

Travel stress-free to all your appointments - whether it’s just yourself or an entire business group - in a corporate limousines. With a corporate limo you can focus on your business while enjoying the little details, like chilled bottled water and a local newspaper, that a Los Angeles corporate limo should provide.

Time is of the essence with the corporate limousine service. Your chauffeur should always arrive 15 minutes early for your executive transportation and work directly with your administrative staff to accommodate any of your last-minute schedule changes so it doesn’t cause disruptions to your day.

Los Angeles corporate limousine services should deliver around the clock and always on time.

Pick a corporate limo service that has drivers available 24/7 for business pick-ups and drop-offs in downtown Los Angeles, Orange County, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and everywhere else in the greater LA area.

Your corporate limousine service should have experience and knowledge of the LA area with drivers who know alternate routes for when traffic is heavy.

That means you won’t have to worry about gridlock and missing your flight with our corporate limos. Additionally, flight-monitoring software allows corporate limousines to track your travel, so you’re never left waiting. All vehicles should be radio-dispatched and equipped with cellular phones.

With a large range of corporate limousines you can choose the exact fully-equipped executive car for your business while staying connected.
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