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

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.