How to Book a Car Service: First-Timer Checklist

Never booked a car service before? It takes about three minutes if you have the right details in front of you, and most of the stress people feel comes from not knowing what happens after they pay. This is the whole process as a checklist, from what to gather to how the tracking link works to how to change the booking if plans move.

Checklist 1: have these ready before you start

• Pickup date and time. For airport departures, decide your curb time first and work backwards; our LAX arrival timing guide explains how.
• Exact pickup address and destination. Include a gate code, hotel name or terminal if it applies.
• Passenger count and luggage count. Checked bags, not carry-ons, decide the vehicle.
• Flight number for any airport pickup. This is the single most useful field on the form: we track the flight and time the pickup to the actual arrival.
• A mobile number that works on the day, ideally one that receives texts.
• Anything special: child seats, a wheelchair, a very early start, a stop on the way.

Checklist 2: one-way or hourly?

This is the first real decision, and it is simpler than it looks.

• One-way (transfer): A to B, priced by distance, shown before you pay. Right for airport runs and single trips. Examples on 2026-10-10: LAX to Beverly Hills $110, to Santa Monica $111, to Downtown $122, to the Disneyland Hotel $165, all for a sedan.
• Hourly: the chauffeur and vehicle are reserved for the hours you book, stage where waiting is permitted and coordinate your return pickup. Right for a dinner with a return, a day of meetings, or an event. Online hourly bookings start at 4 hours, in 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 15-hour blocks, with about 25 miles of local driving per hour and unlimited stops; the clock starts at the pickup time, and extra time is billed at the same hourly rate. Hourly rates: Comfort Sedan $80, Luxury SUV $120, Escalade Elite $130, Executive Sedan $135 (plus $25 once), Mercedes Sprinter $175 per hour. Details on hourly service.

Rule of thumb: if you would otherwise book two one-ways less than four hours apart and want the car to stay nearby, book hourly. If the car would just sit for six hours, two one-ways are cheaper. Booking the return trip together with the outbound saves 5%.

Checklist 3: pick the vehicle by seats and bags

When a family of four has four large suitcases plus a stroller, the SUV is the honest choice even though a sedan technically seats them. See our fleet for photos and the Sprinter page for group detail.

Checklist 4: add-ons that matter

• Child seat or booster: $25 each per ride, up to three. Specify the child's age or weight so the right seat is installed before pickup. More on the car seat page.
• Inside-terminal meet & greet: $60 per booking. The chauffeur waits at baggage claim with a name sign instead of at the curb. Worth it for first-time visitors, older relatives, or anyone landing at Tom Bradley with a lot of bags.
• Gratuity: optional, 20% preselected, adjustable to any amount at checkout.

Checklist 5: at checkout

• The full price is shown before you enter payment. No surprise pricing, no re-quote on the day.
• Read the pickup time back to yourself in the right time zone. For an arrival, enter the landing time; we adjust for delays.
• Put the passenger's phone on the booking, not just the person paying, if they differ.

Checklist 6: after you book

• Confirmation email with the booking details and the price you paid. Check the address and the date once.
• Live tracking link. Before the ride you receive a link that shows the status step by step: Scheduled, On the way to you, Arrived at your pickup, On board, Trip complete. Share it with whoever is waiting at the other end.
• Chauffeur details arrive by text ahead of the pickup.

Checklist 7: on the day

• Keep your phone on and charged; the chauffeur texts on arrival.
• Airport arrival: collect your bags, then walk to the outer curb on the lower level outside your baggage claim (or to the name sign if you booked meet & greet). Our LAX meeting points page lists the door numbers.
• Airport departure: be at the door at the booked time; the drive time already includes a buffer for your terminal.
• Hourly booking: tell the chauffeur the plan for the day at pickup so staging can be arranged where waiting is permitted.

Checklist 8: changing or cancelling

CALL (424) 209-8001 or TEXT (424) 209-2006 with the booking reference. Time changes, a different vehicle, an added stop or a flight change are all handled by text; we confirm the change back to you in writing. If a flight is delayed, you do not need to do anything; the chauffeur is tracking it.

Mistakes first-timers make

• Entering the scheduled departure time of an inbound flight instead of the arrival time.
• Leaving out the flight number and then trying to reach the chauffeur from the plane.
• Booking a sedan for four people with ski bags.
• Booking two separate transfers an hour apart when an hourly block would have kept the same car and chauffeur.
• Assuming gratuity optional (20% preselected, adjustable). It is a separate, adjustable line.

Do I pay now or after the ride?

At booking, with the full price shown first. Extra hourly time, if any, is billed at the same rate afterwards.

Will the same chauffeur do my return trip?

Not necessarily. Two separate transfers are two assignments; if you need the same chauffeur to stay with you, book hourly.

Can I book for someone else?

Yes. Put the passenger's name and phone on the booking so the texts and tracking link reach them.