Chauffeur and limousine booking terms explained

Why do booking terms matter?

Two chauffeur quotes can look alike and mean different things. One says “4 hours” and starts the clock when the driver leaves the garage. The other starts it at your door. This page defines the words in plain language, so you can ask for each one in writing.

Where a policy differs by company, such as the free waiting period or a no-show charge, we say so and do not invent a number. At Assure, the figures are in your WhatsApp quote before you confirm.

Booking types

Transfer, or point-to-point. One route, one price. DXB to Dubai Marina is a transfer. See airport transfers from DXB.

As-directed. You hire the car and driver for hours and decide the stops as you go. It is also called hourly, by-the-hour or disposal hire.

Minimum booking. The smallest block of hours sold for a car class. Use 2 hours of a 4-hour minimum, and you pay for 4.

Half day and full day. Larger blocks of the same kind. The company defines the hours, so ask for the number.

Return, or round trip. A transfer there and back. The driver may wait, or come back at an agreed time.

One-way. A single trip. For intercity routes the car often returns empty, which is why a one-way run to Ras Al Khaimah is not half the price of a return.

Roadshow or event programme. Several cars on one schedule for a group.

How to choose between transfer and hours is covered in hourly versus transfer.

Service terms

Meet and greet. The chauffeur waits in the arrivals hall holding your name on a board and takes you to the car. See DXB meet and greet explained.

Flight tracking. The company watches your flight number, so a late landing moves the pickup. Give the flight number, not only the time.

Waiting time. The period the driver stays at the pickup. At airports, the clock normally starts at landing. How waiting time works at DXB gives the detail.

Grace period, or free waiting. The minutes of waiting included in the price. It differs by company. Ask for the number.

Extra stop. A stop outside the route in the quote. Some quotes include one, others charge each.

Overtime. Time past the booked block, charged per hour. On a monthly plan it applies after the daily hours.

Chauffeur and driver. A chauffeur is a professional driver of a licensed hire car who also handles doors, luggage and timing. The words overlap in everyday use.

Cancellation terms

Cancellation. Ending a booking before the pickup. Companies set a cut-off time. Before it you may pay nothing, and after it a charge may apply. It must be in the quote.

No-show. The passenger is not at the pickup and the driver has waited the agreed time. A no-show charge is the company’s own rule.

Amendment. A change to the date, time or route. Send it early, with the booking reference.

Vehicle terms

Limousine. In the UAE, a luxury car with a chauffeur under an RTA permit. It is not necessarily a stretch car. A stretch limousine is a distinct type. See types of limousine cars in Dubai.

Sedan, SUV, MPV, van, minibus. Classes of vehicle by size. A sedan suits 2 to 3 passengers with bags, and vans and minibuses suit groups.

Partner network. Cars from other licensed operators. At Assure, these are available through our partner network, subject to availability.

Money terms

Salik. Dubai’s toll. AED 6 per pass at peak and AED 4 off-peak, plus 5% VAT, and free from 1 am to 6 am. See Salik tolls in Dubai.

Darb. Abu Dhabi’s toll, AED 4 per crossing in its peak periods, Monday to Saturday. The Ghantoot and Al Qurm gates charge AED 4 round the clock.

VAT. The 5% UAE value added tax. Ask if the quote is shown with VAT.

Tax invoice. The VAT document. It shows the supplier’s name, address and TRN, an invoice number, the date and the amount and VAT in AED.

Deposit. Money held to confirm a booking. Whether one applies is for the company to state.

For what these terms do to a price, read how much a chauffeur costs in Dubai. If something is left in the car, Dubai airport lost and found explains where to start. Our chauffeur service and limousine service pages show how Assure uses these terms, and the full set of hiring guides starts at hiring a chauffeur in Dubai.