Every booking form uses at least one term worth pausing on. What's a meet & greet actually include? What does “as-directed” mean on an invoice? Why does your driver's lanyard matter? Definitions from R5 — so you know what you're paying for before you pay for it.
Definitions
Chauffeur companies inherit terminology from three industries — livery service, private hire, and hospitality — and mix it with acronyms invented for specific airports, stadium contracts, or council licensing schemes. The result is that a first-time customer sees “meet & greet, 60 minutes free wait, PHV-licensed, flight-tracked” and isn't sure what's included, what's a regulation, and what costs extra. This page is the legend to the map.
Key routes
A one-way journey between two fixed points — home to airport, hotel to meeting, station to venue. Quoted as a fixed fare regardless of traffic.
Two transfers booked together. The driver may drop at your morning meeting and collect you for a later return flight, staying available in between.
You book the chauffeur & car by the hour, not by the journey. The driver goes wherever you ask all day. Minimum hours usually apply.
A named chauffeur paired to your household or company on a recurring basis. Same face every time, briefed on your preferences.
The driver stays with you or waits on call for a defined period — useful for multi-stop days, event hospitality, or late-finish evenings.
Driver parks and walks in to meet you inside the terminal at arrivals, name board in hand. Includes luggage handling to the car.
What we offer
A vehicle licensed by a local council to carry passengers for hire. Must be pre-booked — unlike a black cab, you can't hail one on the street.
The driver's personal private-hire licence, issued after DBS checks, medical, and a knowledge test. The badge is usually worn on a lanyard.
The company-level licence to take bookings and dispatch PHV drivers. Held by the operator, not the driver. Council-issued and renewable.
Motor insurance cover that allows a vehicle to carry paying passengers. Standard car insurance doesn't cover it. A must for any legitimate chauffeur company.
The UK's criminal-record check. “Enhanced DBS” includes additional safeguarding checks relevant to driving children and vulnerable adults.
The numbered plate attached to the rear of every licensed PHV. Confirms the specific vehicle is legally permitted to carry passengers for hire.
Local knowledge
The operator monitors your inbound flight in real time and adjusts the collection if it's delayed or early. Usually included free on airport transfers.
Included minutes from the moment a flight lands (or from the pre-agreed pickup time). R5 includes 60 minutes from touchdown on Manchester Airport runs.
Price agreed at booking, not on the meter. No surge, no traffic uplift, no motorway surcharge — the quote is the invoice.
The ride-hail model where fares rise with demand. Chauffeur services don't surge — the fare is set when you book. This is deliberate.
A confidentiality agreement between the driver and the booker. Standard for VIP, sports, and production bookings. Protects who you are, where you're going, and who's with you.
An extended version of an executive saloon or SUV with extra rear leg-room. The Mercedes S-Class LWB and Range Rover LWB are the standard chauffeur specifications.
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We track your flight to adjust for any delays. Without it, your driver may not wait if your flight is late.