On August 12, the Illinois Limousine & Bus Association (ILLBA) welcomed operators and guests to their semi-monthly Coffee With ILLBA educational webinar. This month, the association eschewed a guest speaker for a roundtable moderated by Executive Director Paula DeBiasi of Chicago CoachWorks and Director James Jordan of Lux Tux Transportation, which dealt with procedures for handling diverted flights and late international arrivals.
Operators were encouraged to weigh in and offer solutions to these heartburn-inducing issues.
ILLBA Director James Jordan of Lux Tux Transportation
Because diverted flights are out of the client’s control, the operators present on the webinar largely agreed that the problem should be handled with sensitivity. Tim Wiegman of Boulevard Limousine stated that with a recent delayed flight, he didn’t charge the passenger a late fee, but his chauffeur received a tremendous tip. He also relayed that he works with a New York affiliate that charges an hourly rate when clients are delayed to cover the chauffeur’s salary, etc. This was deemed a fair solution to many participants.
Ultimately, the roundtable concluded that having a plan detailed in your service agreement—to both clients and affiliates—which details how a diverted/delayed flight is charged is the best plan of action.
ILLBA Executive Director Paula DeBiasi
Delays following an international flight are a common bugbear for operators, especially with long lines at customs. DeBiasi said that she handles this by sending the car one hour after scheduled arrival (as opposed to 15 minutes before landing). She said that this has been particularly effective with retail clients who do not have Global Entry.
Following the roundtable, CD Editor Rob Smentek was invited to talk about the upcoming CD/NLA Show at the Gaylord Texan on October 25-28. He provided an overview of the educational programming, emphasizing the always-popular Operator Mentoring Program. DeBiasi, who is a featured mentor this year, detailed the event, and encouraged operators to register in advance.
A recording of the webinar is available on ILLBA’s YouTube channel. The next ILLBA meeting is scheduled to be an in-person breakfast event on September 16.
Visit illba.org for more information.
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