Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Operator Strives To Represent Affiliate Brands Like His Own

<p>Rick Versace, president and CEO of A1A Airport &amp; Limousine Service in Boca Raton, Fla.</p>A1A Airport & Limousine Service in Boca Raton, Fla., an LCT Operator of the Year Award winning company, sees treating affiliates like family — as if they belong to their company.

Rick Versace, president and CEO, and his team have been serving the Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach areas since 1978, and provide a variety of transportation services, including wedding, funeral, airport, and sightseeing tours.

Versace says the key to getting repeat affiliate work is to pay attention to detail. “We do a lot to make sure our chauffeurs don’t hand out our business cards or talk about our company. We represent whatever brand that is sending out the affiliate work to us.” This kind of loyalty is hard to come by, and is certainly what sets A1A apart from other operations.

He also recommends the value of strong connections with other operators. “I think when people go to networking events, they try to hand out cards as fast and furious as possible, but it’s not about that. It’s about building relationships. I’d rather make a couple of solid relationships with companies I know are going to handle my customers properly.”

LCT CONNECT PROFILE HERE

When asked about how the practice of affiliating has evolved, Versace points to the vital role of apps. “As apps become more developed and networks build themselves out, I think a lot of affiliate work will be managed and directed by them — especially as they start to communicate with one another. I think you’ll see a lot of the work that used to come in through an affiliate manager and dispatch systems start to come directly through apps.”

LCT Connect has proved to be a great asset to A1A. “We think it’s a very valuable resource to build our affiliate business and to find affiliates in other markets,” he says. “It’s all about having as many tools at your disposal as possible. We’ve found it to be a very effective tool and believe it works.”

With chauffeurs who are background checked and drug tested, and vehicles turned over every three years, affiliates can rest assured they are in good hands with A1A.  “No company in the industry will be embarrassed when they send a job to us. We will always represent them properly and take it very seriously.”

Keywords

affiliate networks   Affiliate Report   farm-in   farm-out   Florida operators   how to   LCTconnect.com   Rick Versace   

 

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Monday, August 29, 2016

Sprinter Puts An Extra Swivel In Captain’s Chairs

<p>Ideal interior for smartphone talk show formats.</p>OAKLYN, N.J. — Black-on-black luxury vehicles are sure to stand out and above the rolling ground transportation rabble of taxis, shuttles, and any make or model of TNC stickered vehicles. But what if you want a black vehicle to assert itself from the inside out?

A 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van, built by Battisti Customs, pulls this off with a tan leather interior and two captain’s chairs that angle toward one another like on a talk show set. This all adds up to a brighter, friendlier interior for corporate chit-chat on the road. 

The eight-passenger Sprinter, being sold by Lakeview Custom Coach, is now available on Limoforsale.com for $93,550 at 878 miles.

SPECS, DETAILS & PHOTOS HERE

Back to those captain’s chairs. The van offers two sets, with a four-person bench seat separating them down one side. One set is positioned slightly toward each other, and the other set straight ahead with the seats separated by thick armrests and beverage holders. For companies that believe seating determines status, this floor plan can clarify any confusion or maneuvering on who sits where. 

Among other onboard benefits: A/C power outlets, mood lighting, window shades, leather seats, TV/DVD, wood floor with overlay mats, Maybach styled headliner, multi-zone lighting, good rear luggage, and complete beverage service and entertainment equipment.

But with amenities like that, passengers may not care who sits where.

Keywords

Battisti Customs   corporate travel   executive vans   Lakeview Custom Coach   Limoforsale.com   Mercedes-Benz   online vehicle sales   road shows   Sprinter   used vehicles   vehicle interiors   vehicle sales   

 

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Lincoln Posts Fuel Economy Stats For Continental

The EPA has just posted its official fuel economy ratings for the new, 2017 Lincoln Continental sedan.

Engine Drivetrain City/Highway Combined
3.7-Liter V6 FWD 17/26 mpg 20 mpg
3.7-Liter V6 AWD 16/24 mpg 19 mpg
2.7-Liter Turbo V6 FWD 18/27 mpg 21 mpg
2.7-Liter Turbo V6 AWD 17/25 mpg 20 mpg
3.0-Liter Turbo V6 AWD 16/24 mpg 19 mpg

Ford Authority article here

Keywords

fuel costs   fuel efficiency   lincoln   Lincoln-Continental   mpg   new sedans   new vehicles   premium luxury sedans   

 

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Cadillac CT6 Better Than Its Marketing Campaign

The CT6 isn’t selling as well as it should, partly because sedans generally aren’t selling well in a U.S. auto market dominated by trucks and sport-utility vehicles; and mostly, says the Washington Post’s Warren Brown, because Cadillac’s marketers don’t know who they are selling to. Witness the silly CT6 TV commercial in which the car drives forward but everyone and everything else in the scene moves backward.

“The commercial makes no sense. The CT6 does,” he says.

The Washington Post artice here

Keywords

Cadillac   Cadillac CT6   marketing/promotions   new sedans   new vehicles   OEMs   premium luxury sedans   Sales & Marketing   

 

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New Audis To Connect With Traffic Signals

German carmaker Audi is rolling out technology that will allow its vehicles in the U.S. to communicate with traffic signals, allowing for a more stress-free ride in what it says is the car industry’s first commercial use of the nascent technology.

Audi of America said select 2017 Q7 and A4 models built after June 1, 2016 will be equipped with its vehicle-to-infrastructure technology.

Carrier Management article here

Keywords

Audi   autonomous vehicles   new vehicles   vehicle safety   vehicle technology   

 

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Top Five MPV Vehicles For Chauffeurs

<p>Image source: <a href="http://ift.tt/Vd6lqt">http://ift.tt/2bzQQEE;Combining luxury travel with the transportation of up to eight passengers is a tricky task.

Admittedly, it’s a rare occasion a chauffeur company is asked to transport this number of clients at the same time, but it’s always good to know you have the facility for those surprise jobs and even when a group arrives with, shall we say, a few more cases then expected.

Plan Insurance Brokers article here

Keywords

Ford   group transportation   group travel   Hyundai   Mercedes-Benz   Toyota   Volkswagen   

 

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Saturday, August 27, 2016

10 Over The Top International Airports Worth A Layover

<p>Sky Plaza at Hong Kong International Airport (Creative Commons photo)</p>For the avid traveler, a long layover can seem like the seventh circle of hell. But not all airports were created equal. At these 10 over-the-top international airports, you can skip the uncomfortable chairs, boring lounges, and broken outlets, and instead go for massages, movies, spas, and serious luxury shopping. Read on for airport adventures that just might have you wishing for a flight delay.

Robb Report article here

Keywords

airports   business travel   corporate travel   international   international business   luxury market trends   

 

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Biz Airlines App Helps Travelers Book Best Flights, Fares

The Biz Airlines traveling app focuses on efficiency, saving users time and money while booking. It’s the first app to search through both commercial and private jet databases in order to come up with the most efficient flight options. It uses an algorithm that combines artificial intelligence with user experience to compute the real cost of an entire trip, while taking into consideration the top complaints of business travelers.

phoneArena.com article here

Keywords

airlines   airports   apps   business travel   corporate travel   rates   

 

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Most Business Travel Programs Lack A Mobile Strategy

<p>Companies are still working to come up with mobile strategies, according to a new study. Some encourage the use of apps for activities such as expense management, as shown in this promotional photo from <a href="https://www.concur.com/">Concur</a>.</p>Much of the business travel community will turn to mobile for various tasks such as itinerary management and perhaps some simple bookings and expense management.

A fresh study from the GBTA Foundation and Carlson Wagonlit Travel reveals 69% of ‘travel professionals’ say their program does not have a strategy for mobile.

It’s on the way however, with 64% saying their organization plans to implement one within two years and a further 26% say within three years.

tnooz article here

Keywords

business travel   corporate travel   mobile technology   research and trends   

 

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Fake Uber, Lyft Drivers Create Scary Scenarios

Police Seek Man Who Posed as Uber Driver, Attacked Woman: The Atlanta woman told police that instead of taking her home after she left a pub, the driver took her to a park and assaulted her. Police Sgt. Warren Pickard told reporters some Uber drivers wait outside bars anticipating people will need rides, and the suspect “picked up on that methodology.” ABC News article here

Uber Driver ‘Terrorized’ Women, Tried To Exchange Rides For Sex: Police said Xolani Mtsitsha of Boca Raton, Fla., “terrorized three women in the city this year,” and is being held on $150,000 bond in the Palm Beach County Jail. According to a police report, Mtsitsha told police two of the women offered him sex in exchange for giving them a lift. The Washington Post article here

Fake Lyft Driver Arrested For Fatal Stabbing In Texas: Donaldo Velasquez, 44, is charged with murder for the death of Arnold Pinilla, 34, who was stabbed on July 31 after he and his girlfriend ordered a ride on Lyft and got into a car with a man claiming to be their driver. FOX 4 article here

Uber Bans Driver After Drug-Related Arrest In California:  An Uber driver arrested in Costa Mesa on suspicion of possessing a concealed knife, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and unprescribed Xanax has been banned from driving for the transportation network company, according to an Uber spokeswoman. Los Angeles Times article here

Keywords

Atlanta operators   California operators   death   drugs   Florida operators   Georgia operators   Lyft   Sexual Assault   Texas operators   TNCs   Uber   

 

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All Eyes On In-Vehicle Satellite TV

When it comes to lengthy chauffeured trips, passengers often pass the time in various ways. Some might read a book, work on a laptop, or even take a nap. But Tim O’Brien, owner of Preferred Car and Limousine in Pennsauken, N.J., knows nothing beats watching your favorite TV show in a luxurious vehicle.

Creating Customer Comfort

It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention. To O’Brien, meeting customer wants and desires is paramount, and sometimes that means trying something new. So when his number one client requested a four-hour ride to Long Island for his handicapped daughter eleven years ago, O’Brien started brainstorming ways to keep her occupied during the lengthy trip.

He knew the young lady liked to watch specific TV programs, so just installing a regular video player and screen wasn’t going to cut it. That’s when he decided to have satellite TV put into one of his vehicles. As time went on, he realized other clients might like to be able to have that option as well, and now has it set up in two of his Chrysler 300 Ls and three Chevrolet Suburbans.

Satisfaction At Any Cost

Although a wonderful idea, satellite TV isn’t necessarily cheap. The dish costs $4,500, the installation process will run you about $1,200 (because you have to have holes drilled into the roof of the vehicle), and each flip down screen is $500, O’Brien says. In addition, DirecTV, his particular provider, considers each vehicle a “room in the house,” which adds $19.99 a month to his normal TV bill.

So why doesn’t O’Brien charge extra for passengers to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show? Because it’s fantastic advertising for his business. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pulled into a 7-Eleven or Walmart and people come up to see what’s on the roof. If they are businessmen who go up to New York City quite a bit, I’ll hand them my card so they keep us in mind for their next trip.”

Multiple Benefits

The most popular channels among his clients vary by demographic. During football season (especially on Sundays), sports fans enjoy the NFL network and ESPN, while businessmen watch the Golf Channel or finance programming so they can keep up with how their stocks are doing. If O’Brien is transporting families, younger children are occupied with the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. If they happen to have teenagers on board, MTV and E! provide hours of Kardashian drama and intrigue.<p>Tim O&rsquo;Brien, owner of Preferred Car and Limousine in Pennsauken, N.J.</p>

“They think it’s excellent. Even if they don’t use it, they think it’s cool I pay the extra expense and it’s a good business move because it sets us apart,” O’Brien says. “It’s something you don’t really see much.”

Not only are his clients happy with the service, it also benefits his chauffeurs. If they are on a run that requires lots of down time waiting for clients, such as concerts or sporting events, they are able to hop in the back and watch TV to kill time.

If you’re thinking about including this amenity in your vehicles, O’Brien does have some advice: “When you find an installer, make sure they have experience with these units. Once they drill holes in the roof, there’s no going back. Also, you have to be aware it’s a great cost, and not everyone is going to use it. It may be a waste if all your company does is small airport runs. We do a great deal of trips to New York City, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Newark airport, and it works for us because those are anywhere from two to four hour drives from our home base.”

Keywords

customer service   New Jersey operators   onboard amenities   Satellite TV   small-fleet operators   vehicle technology   WebXclusive   

 

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Thursday, August 25, 2016

Self-Driving Taxi Hits Streets Of Singapore

<p>(Nutonomy photo via BBC News)</p>Now, here in Singapore, you can in fact hop into a driverless taxi and go for a ride. And it’s even free.

But hold your horses, it’s still only a trial. It does, though, take things a  bit further than what we’ve seen from the big carmakers, Google or transportation network company giant Uber.

BBC article here

Keywords

Asian operators   autonomous vehicles   driverless cars   self-driving vehicles   taxis   

 

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Uber Loses $1.2 Billion In First Half Of 2016

The transportation network company giant Uber Technologies Inc. is not a public company, but every three months, dozens of shareholders get on a conference call to hear the latest details on its business performance from its head of finance, Gautam Gupta.

On Friday, Gupta told investors Uber’s losses mounted in the second quarter. Even in the U.S., where Uber had turned a profit during its first quarter, the company was once again losing money.

“You won’t find too many technology companies that could lose this much money, this quickly,” said Aswath Damodaran, a business professor at New York University who has written skeptically of Uber’s astronomical valuation on his blog. “For a private business to raise as much capital as Uber has been able to is unprecedented.”

Bloomberg News article here

Keywords

capital   finance   investment   revenues   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

What Happens To Drivers When TNCs Go Driverless?

The focus on autonomous vehicles begs the question, “What about the drivers?” as reported by Silicon Beat.

Lyft and its investor partner General Motors are testing self-driving technology with specially equipped 2017 Chevy Bolts in San Francisco and Scottsdale, Arizona.

Uber was in the news in connection with vehicle autonomy twice last week when it bought Otto, the self-driving truck technology company. Uber wanted its technology, not the trucks. Otto’s founders came from Google’s Self-Driving Car Project and other big-name tech firms.

Uber also sent a wake-up call to both the ridesharing and autonomous vehicle industries with its announcement last week that it will soon start offering free trips to Uber riders in autonomous technology-laden Volvos — with two engineers in the front to supervise the car’s self-driving and to monitor the data.

Digital Trends article here

Keywords

autonomous vehicles   driverless cars   independent contractor issues   Lyft   self-driving vehicles   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Escala Concept Shows Cadillac’s New Design Theme

Cadillac is ushering in a new era of design with the Escala Concept Car, unveiled during this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance weekend.

The Escala moves the OEM beyond its “Art and Science” design language, which has endured for more than a decade. Those signature design cues, including bold vertical lines, sharp angles—and later, the revision of the Cadillac emblem itself—prompted both praise and controversy throughout its lifespan.

With the Escala, Spanish for scale, the vertical lines still remain, but in the form of much slimmer daytime running lights and tail lamps. Narrow slit headlamps flank a wide grille that looks aggressive but not overdone, with an integrated emblem that is tastefully inconspicuous. Rear-wheel-drive proportions are accented with athletic hood lines and deeply sculpted rocker panels.

Robb Report article here

Keywords

Cadillac   concept car   new sedans   new vehicles   premium luxury sedans   vehicle design   

 

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GCLA Packs In Operators, Agenda At Summer Meeting

Keywords

California operators   California Public Utilities Commission   GCLA   Greater California Livery Association   industry education   industry events   networking   

 

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