Blacklane Airport Transport Service Review
A few months ago Blacklane airport chauffeur company contacted me about trying out their services. They informed me that they have chauffeured cars located in over 50 countries and 180 cities around the globe.
I was eager to take advantage of their offer and suggested I try out their services sometime in the near future when I happened to be flying in or out of one of their 180 active cities. I checked out their website to discover which locations I might reasonably be passing through in the near future and made note of them.
My opportunity arrived this month when I flew into Tampa, Florida from Puerto Rico. It wasn’t just a good opportunity, it was a super-duper opportunity. You see, I just happened to be paying a surprise visit to my mom who’s big 80th birthday was coming up on May 19th.
She had no idea I was returning to the States anytime soon. So arriving at her home would already be a big deal. But arriving at her doorway by luxury chauffeured car could really put the icing on the cake to a wonderful surprise visit.
In addition, my flight arrived in Tampa at 5 pm. That meant serious rush hour traffic for anyone driving to the airport and then also for getting out of the airport, across Tampa city, over Tampa Bay Bridge and through St. Petersburg to my mom’s neighborhood.
My brother was loathe to pick me up at that hour. My step dad was attending a maritime weather course that evening.
Being able to call upon Blacklane in such circumstances made life much easier for everyone in my family.
After confirming with Blacklane that their services were available in Tampa that evening, I booked my pick-up and delivery via their website booking process. It was very simple and straight forward. I simply had to enter my flight information, pick-up & drop-off locations and contact information.
After that, I could choose how long after my flight arrival time that I preferred to be picked up – anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours after arrival. I consider that a great built-in flexibility option.
For instance, some people might prefer to eat, grab some drinks or shop at the airport before catching their ride. Others might need to dash out of the airport asap in order to reach a meeting, event or other appointment.
In my case, for instance, I know I don’t like to feel rushed at an airport when I arrive. I like to feel relaxed and un-pressured. I know I’ll have to use the ladies room, will probably need to eat a meal and to pick up my check-in luggage. So I ordered my Blacklane pick up for 45 minutes after flight arrival time and was very happy I had the choice.
Immediately after booking my trip online, I received an email confirmation from Blacklane, listing all the details of my service.
The morning of my flight I was surprised by a phone call from my driver. He had called to introduce himself, make sure I had his phone number in case I needed to contact him for anything, and to detail exactly where he’d be waiting for me at Tampa Airport that evening. Impressive.
That call proved extremely useful. Soon after talking with him I found out that my flight had been postponed by one hour. I was able to call him, inform him of the flight delay and agree on a new meeting time in Tampa.
Fast forward to my arrival. Soon after arriving inside the airport terminal, I gave the driver a quick call to the let him know I had arrived, as per his instructions. He confirmed that he was waiting for me near the check-in luggage pick-up area.
Sure enough, there he was. I found him easily – he was holding up his cell phone with my name written in large font on his phone screen… Come to think of it, how did he do that on a mobile phone?
He was very well groomed, well-mannered and professional. After a friendly greeting, he directed me to my flight’s check-in luggage carousel.
He then gave me the option of him staying with me to help with my luggage or returning to the parked car so he could more quickly drive to the outdoor transportation pick-up area. Cars are strictly disallowed from parking or stopping overly long in the pick-up area, so he had to time his arrival quite accurately based on when I was prepared to get in the car.
I opted to let him go get the car. He asked me to call him again when I had my luggage so that he’d know exactly when to proceed to the passenger pick-up area just outside.
This was the only minor point in my whole Blacklane experience that I thought could be improved upon. When I called, luggage in hand, he said he’d be there in two minutes. That seemed awfully fast to me, but I quickly grabbed up all my luggage and dashed outside the doors to await him.
As it turned out, he arrived about 10 minutes later. So I was left out standing in the hot & steamy Florida weather holding all my heavy luggage much longer than I would have liked.
Had I known it would be 10 minutes, I would have waited inside the a/c building longer. And I wouldn’t have been holding my luggage for so long.
I did eventually set down all my luggage and sit on a bench to wait for his arrival.
As soon as he arrived, he jumped out to help me with luggage, open & close the car door for me. He also obliged with taking my photos while I was stepping into the sleek black Cadillac as a VIP guest.
The car was immaculately clean, both inside and out – spotless enough to be visually noteworthy. Awaiting me inside were a cold bottle of water and a snack, just in case I was thirsty or hungry, of which I was both, so that personal touch was much appreciated.
Actually, I was so hungry that I ate my take-out airport meal in the car as we proceeded through Tampa, across one of the glorious Tampa Bay bridges and through St Pete to my mom’s home. He had no trouble finding it, using his gps of course.
During the ride from the airport I talked to the driver about the chauffeur service. In particular, I wondered who generally uses their services and why people would order a private chauffeured car rather than a taxi or Uber pick-up.
First and most obviously, of course, is the 5-star VIP service. The sparkling black Cadillac, Mercedes, Lincoln or BMW. The well-groomed and extra well-mannered driver. The extra little touches such as the snack, magazines and newspapers placed in the back seat.
He also pointed out that Blacklane routinely offers guests one additional stop en route to their final destination. Perhaps at a store to pick up food, drink or toiletries.
He also pointed out the value – ease of mind – of having already booked a ride before one’s airport arrival, knowing without doubt that the car & driver will be there when you arrive. That leaves no wondering about a taxi actually showing up or having to search for a ride. Prompt and reliable service could be especially important for anyone with an important meeting or event coming up soon after their arrival, with little time to spare.
After asking about Blacklane’s services, I told the driver about my surprise visit. He was delighted. I asked him to help out by calling my mom from his phone after we arrived in her driveway.
He was happy to participate and made a perfect call, something along the lines of: “Hello. May I speak to Miss Ellie. This is Blacklane Airport Service. I have a special delivery for you. Would you mind stepping outside your house, please?”
A few minutes later, my mom stepped outside. My driver got out of the car while I stayed inside, hidden behind the darkened Caddy windows. He got out of the car, greeted her, stepped around the back of the car and opened the door for me.
I popped out, arms flung in the air, shouting, “Surprise! I’m here!”
My mom looked duly surprised and delighted. It was perfect.
So a special thanks to Blacklane, not only for the fantastic VIP service, but for handling my airport pick-up during rush hour traffic and for going above and beyond duty by participating in my special family event. Very much appreciated!
Based on my great experience, I highly recommend Blacklane to anyone requiring a ride to/from any of the 180 airports they service. Check out their locations, costs and booking procedures on their website here.
* note – I’d like to thank Blacklane for sponsoring my chauffeur service. I’d also like to note that this is a candid review of my experience. All opinions and points are my own. *
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Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
