Illustrative photograph. You book a vehicle class, not a specific make or model.
A free, provider-neutral checklist for executive assistants, chiefs of staff and travel coordinators. Use it for every trip you book — with any car service.
Download the printable PDF checklist (3 pages, no sign-up).
What to capture, what to check and what to ask, so the car is where it should be and the invoice matches what you approved.
Ground transport is the part of a trip that nobody notices until it goes wrong: a car at the wrong terminal, a driver who can’t be reached, a price that changed overnight, or a receipt that arrives with no cost centre on it. This checklist is provider-neutral. Use it with whichever car service you book, including us.
1. Capture these details at booking
Most problems on the day are missing information at the time of booking.
- ☐ Passenger’s full name and mobile number. The chauffeur should be able to reach the traveller directly, not only you.
- ☐ Pickup point, exactly. Airport, terminal and airline; FBO name for private flights; hotel entrance or office lobby. “The airport” is not a pickup point.
- ☐ Flight number (commercial) or tail number (private). Not just the scheduled landing time. The number is what makes flight tracking possible.
- ☐ Real passenger and bag count. It decides the vehicle. A typical executive sedan seats 3 with 3 bags; an SUV, 6 with 6. Four people with four suitcases do not fit a sedan.
- ☐ Drop-off address and any stops. Multi-stop days (meetings, hotel check-in, dinner) should be booked as one itinerary, not separate rides.
- ☐ Name sign or discreet greeting? Some principals prefer no company name or no name at all on the sign. Decide in advance.
- ☐ Billing reference. Cost centre, project code, PO or deal code, captured now rather than reconstructed at month end.
- ☐ Your escalation contact. Who the provider calls if something changes: you, the traveller, or both, and in which order.
2. Airport meet-and-greet
Agree the meeting routine before the day, not in the arrivals hall.
- ☐ Where exactly will the chauffeur wait? Baggage claim, a designated meeting point, or kerbside. Rules differ by airport and terminal.
- ☐ How much free waiting time is included after landing? Ask for it in writing, and ask when the clock starts: at landing, at gate arrival or at the scheduled time.
- ☐ What happens if the traveller can’t find the chauffeur? There should be a phone number that is answered 24/7, not a voicemail.
- ☐ Will the traveller get the chauffeur’s name and number before landing? A text on arrival saves a lot of phone calls.
- ☐ Private flights: does the car meet planeside? Only where the FBO and operator allow it. Confirm which FBO and whether ramp access is permitted.
3. Flight tracking and changes
Flights move; the car should move with them without you in the middle.
- ☐ Does the provider track the flight automatically? Early and late arrivals should adjust the pickup without a call from you.
- ☐ Diversions and cancellations. Who re-books the car if the flight diverts to another airport or is cancelled overnight?
- ☐ Cancellation window. How late can you cancel free of charge? Know the cut-off before the trip.
- ☐ Return legs. When the meeting runs long, can the return pickup move by text, and is extra waiting charged?
4. VIP, privacy and discretion
Worth a short conversation for any senior or high-profile traveller.
- ☐ Passenger information. Share only what the chauffeur needs. Ask how the provider stores itineraries and passenger names.
- ☐ Confidential conversations. Travellers often take calls in the car. Ask what the provider expects of chauffeurs on confidentiality.
- ☐ Vehicle preferences. Plain black vehicle, no signage, a particular temperature, water, phone chargers: state it on the booking.
- ☐ Security-sensitive trips. If a principal needs executive protection, that is a specialist service. Book it separately and tell the car provider.
5. Invoicing and cost centres
The best invoice is the boring one that matches what you approved.
- ☐ Is the quote all-inclusive? Ask what is included: gratuity, tolls, parking, airport fees, waiting time, fuel surcharges.
- ☐ Is the rate fixed in writing, or can it surge? Dynamic pricing makes budgets and expense reports unpredictable.
- ☐ One invoice or many receipts? A consolidated monthly invoice across cities is far easier to reconcile than individual card charges.
- ☐ Does each line carry your reference? Cost centre, PO or traveller name printed on the invoice line saves hours at month end.
- ☐ Payment terms. Card on file, invoice terms, or both. Check what suits your finance team.
6. Duty-of-care questions to ask any provider
Ask every provider these, including us. Good providers answer in writing.
- ☐ Who actually performs the ride? An employee, a subcontractor or an affiliate operator? Many services use local partners; what matters is that the provider says so and holds them to written standards.
- ☐ What commercial auto liability do they carry? Ask for the limit and whether your company, or the booking provider, is named as additional insured.
- ☐ Are operators licensed for the city and the airport? Airport pickups often require specific permits.
- ☐ What checks do chauffeurs have? Background and driving-record checks, and how often they are repeated.
- ☐ How old are the vehicles, and how are they inspected? Ask for the provider’s standard, not a brochure photo.
- ☐ Who answers at 3 a.m.? Ask for the 24/7 number and test it once.
- ☐ What happens if a car is late or doesn’t show? Ask about the escalation process, a replacement vehicle, and how incidents are reported back to you.
One-line booking brief (copy into every request)
| Passenger & mobile | Date / time | Flight or tail no. | Pickup (terminal / FBO / entrance) | Drop-off & stops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers / bags | Sign / greeting | Cost centre / PO | Escalation contact |
|---|---|---|---|
How Executive Black Car answers these questions
- Rates confirmed in writing before the ride. No surge pricing.
- All-inclusive online quotes: the 20% chauffeur gratuity and known airport fees are included.
- Flight tracking and meet-and-greet; 60 minutes free waiting at airports after landing, 15 minutes elsewhere.
- Free cancellation up to 2 hours before pickup.
- Rides performed by vetted independent local chauffeur operators who must hold city and airport licences and at least $1M CSL commercial auto liability naming Executive Black Car as additional insured, with chauffeur checks as local law requires.
- Corporate accounts: one consolidated monthly invoice, cost centre or PO on invoices, card on file optional, no minimum volume, no long-term contract.
- One 24/7 desk for 27 US cities: 1-866-EXEC230 · info@execblackcars.com
Full partner standards: https://www.execblackcars.com/our-standards/
Open a corporate account (no minimum, no contract): https://www.execblackcars.com/corporate-accounts/?utm_source=lead_magnet&utm_medium=pdf&utm_campaign=ea_checklist#apply
Executive Black Car is a trade name of Karfis Enterprises LLC. This checklist is general guidance, not legal or insurance advice. Free to copy and share internally.
Booking for several executives across cities?
Executive Black Car books and manages chauffeured rides in 27 US cities through vetted local operators, with one booking desk and one consolidated monthly invoice. Open a corporate account (no minimum, no contract) or get an instant all-inclusive quote.
