Emirates - pick up car etiquette?
 

In a few weeks to time we are flying for the first time with Emirates, as part of the package we are being picked up at home and dropped back at home upon our return. The journey length is about 70 miles each leg. The cost of this is of course included in the ticket but I wondered if there was any sort of agreed etiquette with regard to giving the driver a tip? To give or not to give? How much etc? (Heathrow if that makes any difference).

Similarly when we arrive in India we will have an Emirates courtesy car from Mumbai airport to our downtown hotel which is about 25 miles away? Again, any local etiquette to follow?

Based in my one and only trip on Emirates: The guy in Cape Town happily accepted my tip. The one in Singapore declined it.

Cultural thing, I expect.

Well a 70 mile trip would probably be around £ 70 in a local taxi in the UK and you'd tip 10%

I guess that's one of the reasons it's easier deciding on a cab in the UK rather than Germany....

Single way from my house to the airport is around 70 Km (call it 50 miles)..... Costs me 250 Euros......about 210 gbp! .

Or The Netherlands for that matter! But little of what you pay goes into their pockets!

I’m happy to give a 10% tip, the problem will be in Mumbai as I understand we can’t buy Indian currency outside of India. I imagine we will get off the plane, go through the usual entry formalities and be taken straight to the transfer car without being able to get any local currency. Could I give a tip in another major currency (I’m thinking US dollars) or would that cause the recipient more trouble than its worth? I’d like to do the right thing if I can.

You will find that there are very few parts of the world where the greenback is not happily accepted...

Seventy quid for a 70 mile Journey??? When did you last take a taxi that length in the UK?

I get a taxi to GLA regularly & I'm mid-£60's each way for a 40 mile journey, less if I'm able to book the return. As with all things the further ahead you can book, the less it will cost.

Having said that, a few years ago, I did get to use the Emirates chauffeur service a few times when I was headed for south east Asian jobs & each time the drivers said to me at pick up "Please do not tip me Sir, It is Company policy that we are well paid for our services and no tip is needed".

One of the guys I knew quite well from having picked me up through another chauffeur service told me that Emirates took the view that unless you intended to tip everyone from the chauffeur through desk agent, cabin crew, flight crew, arrivals agent and arrival chauffeur, it wasn't fair to the people serving your flight that you couldn't tip e.g. ground crew, baggage handlers etc.- so to avoid any feeling of injustice among staff and core contractors they would operate a Tip All or Tip None policy and as some couldn't be tipped it would be tip none. This may have changed, but it certainly seemed to be in operation everywhere I was fortunate enough to use the service, but as I said, it's been a few years.

I use the service on a regular basis to Man airport from Yorkshire, and normally give the guy £10-20 depending on what I have on me, and how good service and indeed conversation is. I do the same in Germany when I use EK to Munich Airport, though distance is shorter from my apartment or office, so tip pro rated. As others have said Dollars work fine world wide in my experience , but do not go mad, there is a big difference in cost if living between UK and India. Indeed in any of the countries outside Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australasia, (as you may know), and if you did not, you will see during any trip to India ! You won the lottery of life the day you were born (if born) in the areas I mentioned, as you will see, as soon as you leave Mumbai airport and view "Incredible India".
Have a good trip.
Kind regards
Mr Mac

I would first check online if Emirates is not going to charge you over the regular milage they give for a city pick. 70 miles is definitely way over the limit they give in most countries. I have run into this problem before, that while the booking accepts it I get a call the day before (was 84 miles in the US) & they asked me for Cc to charge me differential. The difference for the balance miles was about $150. I am sure in Mumbai there is no charge. As far as the tips go in the US a tip is accepted in India while he will happily accept it in any currency they usually do not expect it. As far as changing your money, I suggest you do so as soon as you come out of the customs area before you step out from one of the Thomas cook money exchange or who ever is giving the best rate. Changing at the hotel will set you back a pretty penny & money changers are not available all over the place in Mumbai. Always good to have some local currency in hand. Credit cards work everywhere so that should not be an issue.

Wannabe Flyer
I think EK limit is around 50 or 60 miles in UK as the Crow flies .
Yellowtrumph
Give Tristar a call, hey are EK chauffeur provider ( they will contact you 24hrs before you fly to confirm) or EK and check. I have never been charged but I always get picked up or dropped inside that mileage.

Kind regards
Mr Mac

"Seventy quid for a 70 mile Journey??? When did you last take a taxi that length in the UK?"

Sorry I should have been more specific - the outfit I use has a constant stream of cars running to & from LHR and Gatwick - so you only pay for for a one-way trip as they'll have an organised fare coming back

Plus it's not a Black Cab, metered run - price is fixed in advance with the driver - who probably delivers pizzas on his way home..

Used to be the same from Bologna to Ferrara Euro 100 one way - but they've become greedy and doubled the fare.......... :uhoh:

But the methodology is the same - tip 10% of whatever the local cost is of your airport run to the Emirates driver

I've used the Emirates car service many times. I think £20 tip in the UK is about right and $10 in India. However only tip if the driver is courteous and doesn't drive like a maniac.

I always take US Dollars for tipping when east of Suez.

The Emirates Chauffeur Drive varies according to the airport, check on the website.

Glasgow uses a radius from the airport, whereas Edinburgh it is actual driven miles !

Ten USD or equivalent is not an appropriate tip in Mumbai for a driver taking you to the old town... a prepaid taxi charges the equivalent of about 8-9USD for that whole journey. You should really tailor your tipping to the culture and the economy... an equivalent of a couple of dollars is generally deemed quite generous for that trip.

To get local currency, there are forex desks plus ATMs in the arrivals hall after customs and before the exit to the outdoor meeting area. Your driver will be outside at the railings with all the others, so you have time to change or withdraw some INR, there are also a couple of shops and cafes in that arrival hall so you'll be able to break larger notes before you even meet the driver.

I checked on their Website. In the US it is 50 Miles from EWR & in the UK it is 70 miles from LHR. In India it is 50 Km, I am assuming as the car drives. The OP is therefore within the limit & will not be charged. As someone has said there is a website that has these details

US dollars for sure.

"Yes' - the Emirates website gives that information which is why I made the car booking. Google maps says our travel distance by car is about 65 miles so whilst its a close run thing I presumed we would be ok. The hotel/airport distance in India is 22 miles by road so we should be well within that limit.