Too Good to Be True??

[kristenrice]

In October 2021, my daughter, my friend and myself used Mears to book a Luxury SUV for private transportation from MCO to and from our resort. Our total cost (gratuity included) was $225. The driver called me about 5 minutes after my daughter and I de-planed and I let him know that my friend's plane had just landed. The return trip was super-smooth as well. Our driver was almost 20 minutes early, but patiently waited without rushing us and just told us to come on out when we were ready.

In October 2022, I am taking my other daughter this time and my friend will be taking her husband and her sons. We will be a party of 6 (all adults, the "kids" are 19!) My friend's family will be starting the trip out at the Boardwalk for the first two nights while my daughter and I will be at the AKV. I looked at the Mears site and I see that we can CHARTER a luxury van for 2 hours for $146, gratuity included. This seems like a fantastic deal. I know that is only the one-way price, but we would be able to make a grocery stop and we would be able to get their family to Boardwalk and my daughter and I to the AKV plus we could do it at OUR pace. Obviously, we have not booked our flights yet so we don't even know if this will be an option if we aren't flying together or arriving within a reasonable time of each other. If we don't opt for this option, my daughter and I will take the luxury sedan option which is $109. Uber is always an option, but I really like the "pre-scheduled" option of a town car.

It just seems too good of a deal to get a chartered vehicle (SUV or van) for 2 hours for only an extra $35. What am I missing???

 

[sam_gordon]

Double check how many people the van can accommodate and if they limit the number of stops.

 

[Lewisc]

It just seems too good of a deal to get a chartered vehicle (SUV or van) for 2 hours for only an extra $35. What am I missing??

When does the clock start? I'd assume at the scheduled pick-up time. Scheduled arrival time plus 10 minutes or so to get your bags. I'd expect to pay for the time the driver is waiting for a delayed flight.

 

[kristenrice]

It looks like it is about $74/hr for the charter with a 2-hour minimum and it is the same price for a van or an SUV. When I put in 6 people, I am offered a van or SUV. If I put in 8 people, I am only offered the van. If I change the default time from 2 hours ($148 flat rate, tip included) to 3 hours, it goes to $222/hr. I cannot find any information regarding amount of stops that they will make when you request the "charter" option.

 

[motherof5]

Also check how much room for luggage. Sometimes you have to adjust the people if you have too much luggage/groceries

 

[Lewisc]

I cannot find any information regarding amount of stops that they will make when you request the "charter" option.

You're paying an hourly rate. There shouldn't be a.limit on the number of local stops. PP is right. Your luggage may take up most of the available storage space.
If you go over the 2 or 3 hours you reserved by 15 minutes how much are charged? For an extra hour or for 1/4 hour?

You need to contact Mears with your questions. I don't remember any poster booking a charter rate. I think paying for waiting time in the airport will kill this deal.

 

[decheez]

As a former transportation coordinator who scheduled literally hundreds of car service vehicles, check when the time starts as somebody else mentioned. In some cities they start the clock and include 'garage time' which is when they leave their location and that can be a significant chunk of time that is lost. Not every area/company does this so it's good to double check. Orlando tends to have some of the lowest car service rates and is generally pretty competitive though.

 

[Cheburashka]

In some cities they start the clock and include 'garage time' which is when they leave their location and that can be a significant chunk of time that is lost. Not every area/company does this so it's good to double check.

I've used car service via Mears & Happy Limo in Orlando and neither one has this policy fyi.

 

[Lewisc]

I've used car service via Mears & Happy Limo in Orlando and neither one has this policy fyi.

Have you used them for airport transfers, which are billed point to point? OP wants to charter the vehicle, pay an hourly rate.

 

[kristenrice]

We may all be flying on the same flight (maybe not) so wait time in the airport may not be an issue. If we all fly together, the van will be PLENTY of room since we all only travel with carry-ons. The luggage space won't be an issue if the van is designed for 8 passengers AND luggage and we are a party of 6. I think that the "charter" option for 2 hours would be a good idea since we could probably make a grocery stop, drop off my friend's family at Boardwalk and then my daughter and I at AKV.

 

[seashoreCM]

With a chartered van there will definitely not be stops for some other party. Two parties cannot charter the same van independently. Otherwise there will be an instant dispute over how the two hours or three hours or whatever get spent.

An unrelated comment. I noticed that the request form for a shuttle ride (as opposed to a chartered van) does not have a selection for how many infants (0-2 yrs.). If Mears selects a small vehicle (presumably based on expected persons waiting) and the customer(s) do not have car seats "then what"? The FAQ (anticipated question list) does not say anything about car seats other than they are loaded "under the bus".

 

[Lewisc]

We may all be flying on the same flight (maybe not) so wait time in the airport may not be an issue.

The wait time is if your flight is delayed. The clock might start when the vehicle leaves Mears garage on the way to MCO. It might start at your scheduled pick up time. They might even give you a short grace period. If your flight is delayed an hour its on the clock.

 

[kristenrice]

The wait time is if your flight is delayed. The clock might start when the vehicle leaves Mears garage on the way to MCO. It might start at your scheduled pick up time. They might even give you a short grace period. If your flight is delayed an hour its on the clock.

Do they not track your flight? I thought that is why you provide your flight information so that they know if it is delayed...so that they can plan accordingly. When I booked with them last year, I had to provide both my arrival flight and my friend's arrival flight. They told me that they would send their driver based on the later-arriving flight unless I contacted them and requested them earlier, in which case, they would not wait for the late party. Last year, our flights happened to land within 5 minutes of each other so our driver was calling me (the contact on the reservation) the moment that my friend's plane touched down, because he knew that my flight was already on the ground. I received the call as we stepped off of the tram into the main terminal

 

[Lewisc]

Do they not track your flight? I thought that is why you provide your flight information so that they know if it is delayed...so that they can plan accordingly.

Last year you booked an airport trsnsfer. Thats billed point to point.

You want to book an hourly rate. Generally you're billed from the time you list when you reserve, not the time your flight actually arrives. A PP told you some.start the clock when the vehicle leaves the companies garage.

You want to book an airport transfer with a grocery stop. You want an add on price for a second dropoff.

Edited to add You asked if it was too good to be true. Yes it is. An hourly rate, almost always, has an actual time reserved. A fixed rate typically doesn't have a charge if your flight is delayed.

 

[kristenrice]

Last year you booked an airport trsnsfer. Thats billed point to point.

You want to book an hourly rate. Generally you're billed from the time you list when you reserve, not the time your flight actually arrives. A PP told you some.start the clock when the vehicle leaves the companies garage.

You want to book an airport transfer with a grocery stop. You want an add on price for a second dropoff.

Edited to add You asked if it was too good to be true. Yes it is. An hourly rate, almost always, has an actual time reserved. A fixed rate typically doesn't have a charge if your flight is delayed.

Thank you! THIS is exactly the information I was looking for. I appreciate the explanation between the difference between the two services since I am clearly quite clueless. This makes it easier for me to decide how we are going to go about getting to our resort. We still have plenty of time to work out the details so I appreciate all of the information that I can gather in the meantime.