Best Sedan Service Choices in the Bay Area

When reserving car service, the choice of sedan may seem like an arbitrary decision. Believe it or not, the vehicle you reserve on your business trip could affect many other aspects of your travel. Take a look at some of these incredible cars and consider any one of them the next time you travel to the Bay Area for business.

Lincoln Town Car MKT

The town car is a classic choice and is often the first car that comes to mind when anyone considers sedan service. If you want to step up the image you project upon arrival in an unfamiliar city, you may want to consider the larger SUV brother to the town car. The Lincoln Town Car MKT provides more room for luggage, additional travelers, and simply getting work done. In addition, the SUV says you’re aggressive and won’t take no for an answer. If that’s the image you’d like your clients to see, this is the perfect car choice for you.

Mercedes S500 Luxury Sedan

Sometimes luxury is overrated, but sometimes it’s just right. Your clients may need to know you like the finer things in life and that you work hard to achieve them. You may need to impress your clients with your company’s obvious success. Whatever the reason, the Mercedes S500 Luxury Sedan is a great way to put your best foot forward. You can simply use the sedan service for travel to and from the office each day, or you could plan a night on the town with your clients in a high-class, elegant vehicle.

Lexus RX Hybrid

Going green shouldn’t mean giving up luxury, and that’s why the Lexus RX Hybrid may be the exact car for you when you need sedan service in the Bay Area. This sleek, energy-conscious choice will allow you to travel to and from your appointments without putting undue strain on the environment. In addition to saving the planet, you can also seal the deal by negotiating with clients on the way to dinner in the back of this spacious SUV. There is no way to lose out when choosing this beautiful luxury vehicle for your commutes.

Lincoln Navigator L Flex Fuel

Sometimes you’ll need a bit more room for additional passengers, and the fifteen-passenger van is far from dignified. The Lincoln Navigator L Flex Fuel is an excellent choice for groups of travelers who still need to project a professional and polished image. This larger SUV will provide plenty of room for luggage without cramping your style. As an added bonus, the flex fuel option means your travels with a car service will have a smaller impact on the environment. That’s great news from such a big car.

Stretch Lincoln Limousine 

If you really have to pull out all the stops, there is nothing more impressive than a stretch limousine. The Bay Area is the perfect place to reserve this stellar vehicle, as there are plenty of incredible restaurants and luxury events where the limousine is right at home. You can wow your clients with unmatched elegance to and from the best dinners and entertainment in the San Francisco area. As an added bonus, the Lincoln limousines are fully stocked with outlets for business devices, so you never have to give up your productivity in the name of luxury.

Whatever car you choose, you can be sure sedan service will get you to and from your meetings safely with no worries about traffic, unfamiliar streets, or unsafe drivers. Whether or not to reserve car service is an easy problem to solve; you definitely need it. The type of vehicle you reserve for your trip is entirely up to you and the image you want to project. Isn’t it nice to know there are so many amazing choices?

Why a Sedan Service is the Way to Go in the City by the Bay

If you are scheduled to fly to San Francisco for a business trip for the first time or the twentieth time, you know how difficult navigating around the city can be. Not only  does the City by the Bay have some of the hilliest and most confusing street plans in the United States, but things are also selling for a premium price there, gas and rental cars included. Taxi rides are undependable and outrageously expensive and public transit might not get you where you’re going on time. We’ve compiled a list of reasons why booking a sedan service is the only way to travel on a business trip in San Francisco, from price to convenience to punctuality.

Price

Price might be the most pertinent element of San Francisco traffic that makes booking a sedan service the most price-conscious choice. Rental cars in San Francisco are among the most expensive in the country. According to Travel and Leisure magazine, renting a mid-size sedan for a week in San Francisco can cost upwards of $400. To put that in perspective, the same car would go for around $260 in a place like Kansas City. San Francisco, in fact, has been named the third most expensive city in the United States in several year-end polls, meaning that, in addition to astronomical prices on rental cars, your food and lodging will make your expense account bulge, as well. Booking a sedan service means your fees and charges will be consolidated into one clean figure. Once you pay the bill, you don’t have to worry about surcharges, gas fees, or other ghost charges popping up on your bill. 

Also, taking a cab is not advisable in San Francisco due to the sky-high prices and San Francisco’s notoriously sketchy cab conditions.  A 20-minute cab ride from San Francisco International Airport into the city can cost you as much as $25 or more. If you have a particularly active business schedule, those cab rides can really pile up, which is a terrible value considering the unpleasant conditions of cabs and the impossibility of getting any work done in a cab.

Navigation

San Francisco is definitely a crowded urban space. There are roughly 15,837 people per square mile, which translates to a lot of cars, a lot of bikes, and a generally confusing labyrinth of people all around. San Francisco has actually been ranked as the third most difficult to navigate city in America, third only to Boston and Washington, D.C. Especially in highly populated areas of San Francisco, like the financial district, the flow of tourists and locals crowding street corners and crosswalks is heavy, as well as the number of cars striving to beat lights. Some parts of San Francisco, especially near Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge, don’t allow left hand turns at lights until 6:00, which is additionally confusing to people who are new to the city and attempting to drive themselves around. Adding the element of a stressful business schedule to the rather difficult-to-navigate nature of San Francisco’s street grid can equal a productivity-hindering transportation experience every time you leave your hotel.

Efficiency

A sedan service offers a level of efficiency that just cannot be rivaled by renting a car. Not only do you have to drive yourself, meaning you shoulder the stress of navigation, but you also remove the possibility of using your commute to get crucial tasks done for your job. A sedan service Chauffeur is typically a local expert, which means he will know the navigation and traffic patterns of the area where your business meetings are taking place.

Using car service in San Francisco just once will convince you. After experiencing the affordability, efficiency, and lack of stress, you’ll never again attempt to navigate the streets on your own.

Image credt: freedigitalphotos.net/porbital

Lower Costs and Keep Your Travel Budget on Track

As a travel manager, you must wear many hats and possess several and varied skills. Perhaps one of the most important abilities, though rarely considered during the hiring process for a travel coordinator, is negotiation. The word may bring to mind haggling, and in some cases you could end up doing exactly that, but the real spirit of negotiation is coming to a decision both your company and the vendor can be happy with. That means you don’t have to take the listed price as final, but you also shouldn’t offer drastically reduced bids to the hotels, airlines, and transportation services. With some simple tips and tricks, you could find yourself saving money on every aspect of travel for your executives, and over time, that money will add up—making you the hero of the day for lowering travel costs.

Simply Ask 

Too many people take the listed price as final, and it does indeed save time to book hotels and flights at the stated cost. However, just asking could open up a world of discounts you’ve never experienced before. When booking hotels, call the specific hotel to reserve the rooms instead of using the corporate website. By speaking with the desk attendant directly, you could learn of on-site promotions or last-minute deals you couldn’t otherwise find. The same is true when buying plane tickets. If you contact the desk directly rather than using a discount travel site, you could use your membership clout to negotiate better prices.

Use More Effective Words 

Sometimes just asking for better prices won’t get you anywhere. If, however, you know which words to use, you could get exactly what you want and need. Instead of saying “Is there anything you could do?”, ask “How could I save more money?” By asking how, you will engage the customer service professional in a conversation about money-saving techniques. You could learn about upcoming special offers, loyalty programs, last-minute deals, and many other opportunities to take advantage of savings. In many cases, you could end up speaking with management professionals who have the authority to give better prices.

Turn Last-Minute Price Inflation into Last-Minute Deals

In many cases, booking flights or hotels at the last minute could be a nightmare of inflated prices, but you don’t have to settle for the quoted costs. No airline or hotel wants empty seats or rooms, and this is where you can really put your negotiation skills to the test. Simply asking won’t get the job done here, either. You’ll need to get a bit more aggressive to get the prices you want. Be prepared to flaunt your loyalty status to lower your costs, including how many flights or nights you’ve personally booked for your traveling executives. By showing your history with the airline or hotel, as well as your intention to continue using their services, you may be able to finagle rock-bottom prices for a last-minute trip. If you get what you want, write down the name of the service agent who helped you, and don’t be afraid to contact that particular professional in the future. By remembering names and circumstances, you could parlay one good deal into a whole future of better prices.

Quote Lower Prices

In most cases, you get exactly what you pay for, so jumping on board with the lowest-priced ground transportation could end in disaster. You can, however, use the lower quotes to get good deals from the companies you do trust. For instance, if you have seen savings of 25 percent with an untested limousine or town car company, don’t be afraid to call up the company you often use and ask why they can’t offer similar prices. You may not get the full discount for your executives’ trips, but you might receive a significant cut in costs.

Follow Through on Threats 

The beauty of loyalty programs is the reward you receive for continued use of one particular company. However, even the best companies can relax over time and begin offering sloppy service and inflated prices. Your first instinct may be to threaten a switch to other companies, but losing those reward points could be a serious blow to your savings record. By registering for several different loyalty programs and spreading your company’s travel plans between them, you could build a nice nest of credits with several, giving you the ability to jump ship without panicking over points. 

As you continue to build great relationships with travel vendors, you'll learn even more ways to save money.

Image credit: freedigitalphotos.net/David Castillo Dominici

Getting to SFO Airport

Executives worldwide are united by the experience of working to continually improve efficiency and work processes. You're constantly adapting new habits and policies which can make your team and organization more productive. If you're about to embark on executive travel to visit a client internationally or domestically, considering chauffeured transportation to San Francisco International airport instead of a rental car or shuttle service could be among the wisest decisions you make. From being able to work more efficiently to saving on costs, we've outlined the benefits of choosing to be chauffeured:

1. You Can Work Uninterrupted

How much is an hour of your time worth? We can't take a look at your to-do list, but we understand the hour it takes to navigate traffic and park at San Francisco International will cut into your ability to complete necessary tasks. As a passenger in chauffeured sedan service, the time is yours to work through emails on your smart phone or take advantage of in-car wireless Internet. Whether you choose home-to-terminal or office-to-airport service, your workday can continue with minimal interruption until you reach the check-in gates. 

2. You'll Arrive on Time

San Francisco-based professionals know that area traffic is horrible, and it turns out it's one of the most traffic-congested cities in the country. Traffic specialists at INRIX have found that the Bay Area beats out even New York and Boston. It ranks No. 3 overall nationwide, coming in behind Los Angeles and Honolulu. Executive transportation companies are experts at navigating gridlock to get you to your terminal on time. The best providers have invested in specialized software to discover road closures and accidents before they depart, ensuring you're not stuck while your plane takes off.

3. It's All About You

Business travelers have come to understand and expect that air travel is highly unpredictable. You can't always anticipate when your itinerary will suffer due to airline strikes, weather patterns, mechanical issues, or other delays. Your ground transportation doesn't have to be unpredictable, too. Unlike cab service or airport shuttles, sedan service for executives represents a team of logistics professionals, from account managers to dispatchers to Chauffeurs, whose sole responsibility is ensuring your trip is as seamless as possible.

4. It's Often Cheaper

Unless you're taking a short weekend business trip, the cost of sedan service to San Francisco International quickly becomes a cheaper option. Long term parking costs at the airport average around $18 a day, which means parking can quickly exceed the total cost of chauffeured car service. When you calculate the additional cost associated with loss of work time incurred by taking a shuttle that picks up passengers or driving yourself, the math reveals that sedan service is much more cost-effective.

5. Save Time

For decision-makers, CEOs, and managers, time is the single most valuable resource. Even more importantly, lost time simply cannot be made up. You've worked hard to streamline your personal processes, from investing in better technology to developing efficient work habits. Why not streamline your transportation, too? Chauffeured sedan service is always faster, and when you compare the door-to-door service with having to park your vehicle and take a shuttle, you'll find there's really no competition at all. 

It's hard to be productive on the road, and changes in technology over the past decades have turned the business trip from a leisure experience to a week of working remotely in between meetings and presentations. If your time is valuable, choosing to be chauffeured could be the best decision you make. While the image of luxury car service is definitely a benefit, you'll find that protecting your time matters more than anything else.