The EA's Guide to Booking Executive Ground Travel
Every executive assistant knows the math: a flawless car booking earns zero credit, and a failed one ruins the whole trip report. This guide is for making ground travel the part of the itinerary nobody thinks about.
The non-negotiables
- Flight-tracked pickups. Never book a fixed pickup time for an airport arrival. The service should track the tail number and adjust automatically — delays, early landings, gate changes.
- Driver details in advance. Name, photo, phone number, and vehicle, sent before the trip — forwarded to the principal so there's zero curbside confusion.
- Live visibility. You should know the pickup happened without texting anyone. GPS tracking and automated status updates are the difference between monitoring and worrying.
- A real human to call. When plans change at 6 AM, an app chatbot doesn't cut it. Text or call a dispatcher who knows the booking.
The pre-trip checklist
- Confirm terminal and meet style (name sign at arrivals vs. curbside)
- Add the principal's mobile for direct driver contact — and yours as backup
- Note luggage count and any preferences (temperature, quiet ride, water)
- For multi-stop days, book hourly rather than chaining point-to-points
- Share a one-line itinerary with the dispatcher for context
The hourly trick: any day with 3+ stops or shifting times should be an hourly charter. One chauffeur stays with the schedule all day — no re-booking when the 2 PM runs long.
Billing that doesn't create work
Account-based billing turns twenty ride receipts into one monthly invoice — itemized by rider, trip, and cost center. If you're reconciling individual rideshare receipts for a leadership team, you're doing work the vendor should be doing.
Build the relationship once
The real upgrade is a service that knows your principals — preferred vehicles, regular routes, standing preferences. First booking takes five minutes; every one after takes one.