Global Alliance understands that even when proceeding from a pre-arranged pick-up time, our clients are not always ready to get on their way immediately. In an effort to be fair to passengers running only a few minutes behind as well as to ensure that our professional chauffeurs are compensated for their time on the clock, Global Alliance has formulated a balanced system of wait time charges to address these concerns.
Wait time can be applied in several different ways, depending on the vehicle type and the classified occasion of the transfer. For airport departures and other one-way point-to-point transfers, wait time begins after 15 minutes for sedans and after 30 minutes for all other specialty vehicles (including the Mercedes sedan). If the passenger(s) are on board before this allotted time, no wait charge will apply.
15 minutes after the pre-arranged pick-up time for sedan orders, however, wait charges will apply, calculated in 15 minute-increments based on the applicable hourly rate for the sedan vehicle. For specialty vehicles, the same incremental charges apply on the basis on the hourly rate but based on 30-minute blocks of time. This means that even if a passenger is not in our vehicle for up to 10 minutes after pick-up time (or after 20 minutes in, say, a Chevy Suburban or Vanterra), no wait time will be charged. Once the 15 or 30 minute waiting period passes, however, the first incremental hourly-based charge is applied for that block of time.
Our wait time policies differ for airport arrivals and greeters as well. A 45-minute grace period is given for airport arrivals, meaning wait time on the vehicle is only charged (again in vehicle-specific increments of either 15 or 30 minutes) 45 minutes after the confirmed gate time of the arriving flight. In our experience, this amount of time is usually sufficient for passengers to de-plane, clear customs, retrieve their baggage, and rendezvous with our greeter and/or limousine driver.
After this 45-minute period on arrivals passes, wait charges would apply after an additional 15 or 30 minutes, depending on the vehicle type ordered. This differs from point-to-point transfers, meaning that at least an hour must pass following flight gate time on arrival transfers before wait time applies. In cases in which a greeter has been ordered for an arrival, the wait time calculation is similar; the $50 plus tax greeter fee covers a full hour of service, so a further hourly fee would apply (in 30-minute increments based on the $50/hr rate) should the greeter be required to wait onsite beyond the initial hour following gate time.
Please note that wait time does not apply to liveries or hourly service. In these cases, billing begins on the basis of the vehicle’s hourly rate from the pre-arranged pick-up time until the conclusion of the service (with additional time to be added in consideration of travel time for out-of-town trips, should it apply). This is equally the case with split evening sedan transfers, where the 1.5 hour minimum charge on each leg of the transfer is treated as livery/hourly service.