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Melanie Methaven, secretariat of ACRISSGloucester, U.K. — In order to create a more equal and competitive landscape for travelers and chauffeur companies, ground transportation providers Amadeus and Blacklane have joined forces with the Association of Car Rental Industry System Standards (ACRISS) to ensure the creation and setting of professional driver service standards worldwide.
This partnership will introduce the Vehicle with Driver Service Industry (VDSI) standards, which define the following:
- Service categories: what is standard class, business class, and first class, and a representative vehicle for each category
- Vehicle standards, such as passenger and luggage capacity
- Specifying the details that involve services and options like “meet and greet,” “curbside pick-up,” “flight monitoring duration,” among others
Frank Steuer, Co-founder and CTO of Blacklane“The chauffeur industry was long overdue to create VDSI standards. Thanks to them we can simplify bookings for travelers and professional driver companies. Amadeus and Blacklane have worked closely with ACRISS on the development of these standards and we are excited to see them become a reality,” says Melanie Methven, secretariat of ACRISS.“Transfers are one of the biggest growth opportunities in travel. To reach their potential, the industry needs to speak the same language and have confidence in the service offered. We look forward to all professional driver services adopting VDSI standards as quickly as possible,” says Peter Altmann, head of Amadeus Cars & Transfers.
Blacklane, an ACRISS member since 2015, is the first chauffeured ground transporation company to adopt these new standards.
“Travelers expect transparent and comparable offers across all travel services,” says Co-founder and CTO Frank Steuer. “These new standards are essential to expand online availability and the ease of booking professional driver services. We are proud to be part of this initiative and we will continue working with travel industry players to make bookings fast and simple,”
MyCab, Taxi Tender, and Karhoo are also ACRISS members, and will support the new partnership by also adopting the new standards worldwide.
Visit acriss.org for more information.
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San Diego —As the Northeast digs itself out from a late-season snowstorm, you can bet that the Chauffeur Driven team is looking forward to returning to sunny California with 200 operators, when our 2018 Executive Retreat hits America’s Finest City on May 6-8. If you haven’t registered yet, now is the time; our early bird rate of $799 expires this Friday (after March 16, the price increases to $899).
This year’s host, the Pendry Hotel, is one of the newest offerings from the ultra-posh, internationally renowned Montage Hotel & Resorts chain. Not only is the hotel conveniently located right in the heart of San Diego’s historic and hip Gaslamp Quarter, but it’s also the only 5-star property located in this downtown area. What’s more, we’ve secured a block of rooms at an outstanding rate of $249/night for our guests, which is a bargain for any property of this level—and location. This room block will sell out, so act quickly!
As past attendees can attest to, the Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreats give a limited group of operators the chance to experience the best in business education, choice networking opportunities, and immersion into the local flavor and unique sights that our host city has to offer. This year will be no different, as we’ve planned our evening receptions to give our attendees a one-of-a-kind experience among San Diego’s scenic waterfront and stunning skyline.
On Sunday night, we’ll whisk you away to Coasterra, San Diego’s premiere bayfront dining destination, for three hours of cocktails, dinner, and fun. The uniquely designed establishment—complete with restaurant, lounge, and floating event center—is situated right on Harbor Island, a manmade peninsula that juts right into the East Basin of San Diego Bay, where you will be able to take in your stunning surroundings practically right on the water. While a live band puts you in a festive mood, you’ll enjoy the nearly 360-degree waterfront view while sipping from the open bar and noshing on Coasterra’s modern Mexican fare. The venue is renowned for its fresh seafood and new takes on traditional ethnic dishes, making this experience as delicious as it is visually tantalizing. If you’re not the type to Instagram your dining experiences, this could very well be what changes that.
Mentalist/Magician Ben Silver
After we finish helping you get an eagle-eye perspective of your business with Monday’s educational sessions, it’s off to The Skybox at the Diamondview for more incredible views and an evening in San Diego’s premiere event location overlooking the city.
This intimate downtown East Village venue is just a short stroll from The Pendry and will take you high above San Diego, providing a soaring vantage point that will let you watch that night’s game at nearby Petco Park. Diamondview Tower is actually the first office building in the country to be constructed in partnership with a major league ballpark and is one of two high-rises in the city, which means that we’ll be overlooking the hometown Padres as they take on the Washington Nationals with the best seats in—or above—the house. And if America’s Pastime isn’t your thing, prepare to have your mind blown by mentalist/magician Ben Silver, who’ll perform tricks for our group that are sure to amaze.
The open-concept space is perfect for our kinds of events, and the practically panoramic view of the nighttime cityscape will be sure to grab your attention for a while, so be sure to take in the sights of our bayside city transition from its daytime beauty to its nighttime illumination. Step onto the balcony for drinks and conversation with new and old friends alike in the evening air as the sun sets over the bay. Of course, we wouldn’t leave you hanging when it comes to dinnertime fare, and the open bar, appetizers, and food stations will keep you well-fed after a day chock-full of learning and networking.
Remember, there are only a few days left for our Early Bird rate, and space for the Executive Retreat is limited—don’t delay. Head on over to our revamped website to register today.
Visit sandiegoretreat.com for more information.
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London — Addison Lee Group’s (ALG) transformation from a London private hire business to a global premium ground transport provider has fueled a year of record revenue growth and robust underlying profitability.
The company’s revenue increased by 31 percent to $484 million in the year ended August 31, 2017, representing a step change in scale as recent acquisitions contributed to the business’ financial performance as well as increased sales in its core London market.
“For Addison Lee Group, 2017 was the year our London business returned decisively to growth and our focus became investing in and building the world’s leading managed ground transportation business,” said ALG CEO Andy Boland. “We’ve made a strong start to the new financial year, with Q1 revenues up 23 percent and set to top £400 million for the current financial year. At the current rate of growth, we expect to double the size of Addison Lee Group in the next three years.”
Addison Lee CEO Andy Boland During the financial year, ALG built a global business across three continents, with an emphasis of quality, reliability, comfort, and industry-leading premium service throughout its network. Investment in technology has been central to this expansion.
The start of this financial year saw the re-branding of the Addison Lee business in the United Kingdom and, following its recent acquisitions, the group now operates with two brands globally: Tristar, for chauffeur driven, specialist and executive car services, and Addison Lee, for premium car services in major cities, including London and New York.
In January, Addison Lee unveiled its new global product, allowing customers to book executive car services in over 100 cities around the world through its app and website, reflecting the international travel patterns of Addison Lee’s customers. This premium service, designed for global business travellers, booked via digital channels and fulfilled through a vetted partner network, is fully supported by the ALG global service delivery team.
Visit addisonlee.com for more information.
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