Showing posts with label June 28. Show all posts
Showing posts with label June 28. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

3 Top Notch Luxury Transports For Rougher Rides

<p class="image-section__bullet-point" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 5px; color: #555555; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Ubuntu, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Pexels.com photo by unsplash.com Free for personal and commercial use / no attribution required</p>

These three SUVs cater to a luxury-leisure clientele ready for tours that could go anywhere.

  • Becker Automotive Design offers a stretched Cadillac Escalade ESV retrofitted with longer rear doors, a higher roof, and a lowered floor, and equipped with an electric lift.
    • Land Rover’s East Coast Defender transforms an original Land Rover 90, 110, or 130, it addresses the model’s shortcomings.
    • Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team took the lead on the SVAutobiogra­phy Dynamic, which sits 8 millimeters lower than a standard Range Rover to emphasize its aggressive performance.

Robb Report article here

Keywords

Cadillac Escalade   Jaguar   Land Rover   leisure travel   luxury market trends   luxury tours   Range Rover   SUVs   VIP service   

 

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Will Driverless Cars Solve Or Worsen Congestion?

<p>Is it still mostly a fantasy or becoming a reality? (Wikimedia Creative Commons photo)</p>

A utopian image of the future involves shared fleets of electric-powered, driverless vehicles rapidly picking up and dropping off passengers, reducing traffic congestion and pollution in the process.

Gov. Jay Inslee seemed to embrace that vision this month when he signed an executive order promoting tests of self-driving cars on Washington roads.

Tacoma, Wash. News Tribune/Govtech.com article here

Keywords

autonomous vehicles   driverless cars   self-driving vehicles   

 

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The Creative Ways Millennials Approach Business Travel

<p>(Pexels.com Creative Commons photo)</p>

Millennials are well known for their sense of adventure and exploration, so they have become crafty at creating “bleisure” trips, or combining business travel with leisure travel.

According to a Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card Survey, 78% of millennials intentionally carved out personal time on a business trip. Further, 60% of millennials said that vacation time benefits their business by helping them think big picture, as opposed to 49% of boomers.

Forbes Magazine article here

Related LCT article: Forget TNCs And Focus On The Millennial Mindset

Keywords

business travel   corporate business   corporate travel   industry trends   Millennials   

 

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Drivers File Preemptive Labor Suit Against Uber Chiefs

<p>Attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, seen here at the 2015 LCT Leadership Summit in Miami Beach, Fla., says she filed the suit on behalf of the drivers as&nbsp; a precaution to ensure Kalanick and Camp will be held personally liable for any debt to drivers in the event Uber is not around when the case concludes (LCT photo).</p>

Recent scandals have put Uber on such shaky ground that a lawyer representing aggrieved drivers has filed a lawsuit against Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp — the ride-hailing firm’s co-founders — in case the company doesn’t survive long enough to defend itself.

Describing the lawsuit filed Thursday in the Superior Court for the State of California in Los Angeles County as a precaution in the event Uber goes bust, attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan acknowledged that her new filing shares many similarities with a 2013 class-action suit she filed alleging Uber wrongly classified drivers as independent contractors.

Los Angeles Times article here

Related article: Drivers To Kalanick: Frankly Dear, We Don’t Give A Damn

Keywords

driver pay   labor laws   lawsuits   legal issues   Shannon Liss-Riordan   TNCs   Travis Kalanick   Uber   wage lawsuits   

 

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How To Stay Fresh, Different, And Fun

<p>Ebonee Brown, office manager of Alamo City Limousine Service</p>

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — With talk of disruption in the industry, Ebonee Brown, office manager of Alamo City Limousine Service, brings the right attitude toward change. It gives her a fresher take on chauffeured transportation.

“You can’t always stay old school, and being a female in a male-dominated industry allows me to bring a new perspective to how things are done,” she says.

After changing her major five times in college (psychology, sociology, and kinesiology, to name a few), she originally wanted to be a cheerleading coach. Instead, she got pulled into the limousine business and fell in love with it. “Something’s always different and you meet so many wonderful people,” she says.

Brown started five years ago as a part of another company in the industry, until the owner wanted to start a companion business. This gave her and the other people she works with a chance to incorporate all of their individual styles into Alamo City Limousine Service.

During her time in the industry, she learned no matter how difficult clients may act, you should accommodate their needs to the best of your ability. “Sometimes you might feel like it’s not doable, but at the end of the day, that’s what we are in this business to accomplish,” she says.

Some advice she gives to other operators is you have to know your city and what’s going on in it. Learn about companies in your market and how to earn their business.

Her company runs Chrysler 300 sedans, Ford SUVs, 10 passenger Hummer and Escalade stretches, and party buses, mainly because of the type of business available in San Antonio. The area is historically Hispanic, so the bulk of the clientele they cater to are fiestas and Quinceañeras.

These kind of events are what helps the company stand out. “Since we like to be flamboyant and colorful down south, instead of having our chauffeurs dress in the traditional black-and-white uniform, we allow them to wear colors that match the theme of the Quinceañera. They all love it, and it gives them a chance to really be a part of the event,” Brown says.

Another piece of wisdom: “Always give the best service possible to every single client, because you never know who they know.”

As for future plans, Brown wants to ascend to various company roles and help establish a name for the company. She hopes to eventually get the chance to network with top companies in the industry, and strive to be among the best.

“It’s a tough business, but if you really want it and keep pushing, it can be lucrative.”

Keywords

business management   customer service   minority-owned businesses   quinceañeras   retail markets   Texas operators   WebXclusive   women in the industry   

 

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Addison Lee Buys Tristar To Create Global Car Service Powerhouse

LONDON, U.K. — Addison Lee, Europe’s largest car service, has acquired London and Boston-based Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services, creating a major international operator of premium vehicle services.

“This is a major landmark for our business,” Addison Lee CEO Andy Boland said in a press release. “Our customers will benefit from access to the best chauffeured car service in the world. Coming together with Tristar means our shared ethos and commitment to quality, service and reliability can be expanded globally.”

With Tristar’s operations in the U.S., Asia, UK and continental Europe, Addison Lee is a significant global operator of chauffeured transportation services. Addison Lee, owned by Carlisle Group, is a British company that operates a premium car service in London, with 23,000 business clients including many Fortune 500/FTSE 100 companies. It has a fleet of over 4,500 vehicles and drivers, and 800 staff dedicated to customer service. Addison Lee’s vehicles are an iconic sight and trusted brand in London.

Tristar, which operates the largest premium car fleet in the U.K., also provides chauffeured transportation in the U.S., focusing on the meetings, events and road show markets. Together with its affiliate network, it has access to over 10,000 vehicles throughout the Americas. Tristar and Addison Lee’s combined fleet will have almost 1,000 company owned, premium vehicles worldwide, becoming a market leader in the chauffeured transportation market.

The acquisition fulfils both companies’ strategy to focus on the premium end of the market and increase the availability of high quality car services to customers. There is strong demand for executive car services, particularly on a trans-Atlantic basis, which means the combined business is well-positioned for growth.

Tristar has global revenues of $75million, more than 200 staff, and over 450 chauffeurs. It has operated for more than 35 years and has a reputation for being one of the most trusted brands in the industry. The Tristar brand will continue to be bolstered by Addison Lee’s substantial fleet, 23,000 business customers, and market leading technology.

“There will be significant growth in the executive car market following the 15% jump in volumes we saw in 2015,” Boland said. “With Tristar, we will be able to take our service to the next level and into new markets around the world. For the customers of both companies, this means a better and more efficient experience and a global service.”

Mike Fogarty, CEO, Tristar Worldwide/Americans, said in a press release: “Both Addison Lee and Tristar are market leaders in their respective sectors with long standing reputations for service, quality and reliability. When we set out to look for a partner with whom we can grow and take our business to the next level, Addison Lee was the obvious choice.”

Jane Vinson of Octopus Ventures, who backed Tristar Worldwide in 2008, said in a statement: “Having worked with Dean and the wider Tristar team since 2008, we are delighted that today they have been acquired by Addison Lee, and combined they now make up the largest executive car service in Europe. The team have achieved impressive international growth and customer contracts in the time we’ve worked together, so today marks an exciting next step. We wish them every success.”

Source: Addison Lee press release

Related WSJ news article: Addison Lee Buys Rival Tristar

Keywords

Addison Lee   Boston operators   British limousine companies   business deals   business travel   Dean De Beer   Global operators   international   international business   mergers & acquisitions   Michael Fogarty   Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services   United Kingdom   

 

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