Blacklane

[les37b]

Ok, we will shortly be getting our Blacklane link to book our airport transfers, but I pre-empted this by using the usual public website to check a few details.

 

I know we are given 50 miles and need to pay "a special rate" for anything over that limit. Well, it seems google tells me my journey from home to T5 LHR is 50.4 miles, which other mapping has said the same, so assuming its accurate. I input into Blacklane and they claim its 55.8 miles - though to be fair, that is all terminals. I guess T5 is the nearest to the motorway and my stop the nearest.

 

Anyway, I managed to get a number to call them to ask and they said "you can dispute any charges". I was more concerned to be honest, that my 600 yards excess might cause problems getting booked. She then asked for my postcode and agreed with Google and said that would simply be waived.  Good news, but as stated, wasn't an the issue.

 

I also wanted to ask because it also says its 2 bags only in the car. Whilst we have an allowance of 2 suitcases each for the flight, we are only taking 1 suitcase each, but will also have a maximum sized cabin bag each plus an extra "small" bag for my laptop to go under the seat and wife will have her hand bag.

 

I was told not to book the business car (which shows up as £226 each direction) as we can only have 2 bags in the car. She said the driver might refuse to collect, so instead book the business van / SUV so we wont run into this luggage problem. I challenged this as I already saw. the SUV was £428, so almost double. She said it would be fine and SS allow you to choose which you want.

 

That doesn't sound right to me. Are you allowed to chose either? Whilst its another 2 weeks before I can expect the email, I thought it wise to pose the question for those who have already faced this situation and hopefully useful for anyone else asking similar questions.

[Fletcher]

We have opted out of Blacklane for our cruise next month.  We live just over 100 miles from Heathrow and would have pay an extra £100 for the round-trip.  Silversea will be reimbursing us with £150.  Car parking at Heathrow is costing us about £200 in the regular long-stay car park.  In the winter we'd go for the undercover short stay which is far more expensive.  Also, by doing this, I am relieved of the stress that Blacklane might not show up to pick us up or might not be there to take us home. 

 

The last time we did something similar, on a Saga trip, the driver reeked of fag smoke and insisted on taking a 30-minute break at a motorway service area.  

Edited March 2, 2023 by Fletcher

[ggo85]

We opt out because, even though we live in one of the 15 largest cities in the US, the company doesn't serve our region.  The "refund" is $100 per ride.

[les37b]

1 hour ago, Fletcher said:

We have opted out of Blacklane for our cruise next month.  We live just over 100 miles from Heathrow and would have pay an extra £100 for the round-trip.  Silversea will be reimbursing us with £150.  Car parking at Heathrow is costing us about £200 in the regular long-stay car park.  In the winter we'd go for the undercover short stay which is far more expensive.  Also, by doing this, I am relieved of the stress that Blacklane might not show up to pick us up or might not be there to take us home. 

 

The last time we did something similar, on a Saga trip, the driver reeked of fag smoke and insisted on taking a 30-minute break at a motorway service area.  

 

Yes, Heathrow parking (indeed all airport parking) has gone through the roof. My next trip, we fly in 10 days and have booked a hotel with parking for £152. Just a basic hotel which is all we need for the 9pm arrival and 6am pod departure. Booking parking only was £165. Go figure!

 

I know what you mean about stressing if the car will turn up as scheduled. Though that can apply to any aspect of getting to the ship. Watch out for those M25 glue morons! I'd not be impressed either if the driver reeked and I'd certainly not be happy at a 30 minute stop for his addiction! He clearly shouldn't be in that job if its going to impact you.

 

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, les37b said:

Ok, we will shortly be getting our Blacklane link to book our airport transfers, but I pre-empted this by using the usual public website to check a few details.

 

I know we are given 50 miles and need to pay "a special rate" for anything over that limit. Well, it seems google tells me my journey from home to T5 LHR is 50.4 miles, which other mapping has said the same, so assuming its accurate. I input into Blacklane and they claim its 55.8 miles - though to be fair, that is all terminals. I guess T5 is the nearest to the motorway and my stop the nearest.

 

Anyway, I managed to get a number to call them to ask and they said "you can dispute any charges". I was more concerned to be honest, that my 600 yards excess might cause problems getting booked. She then asked for my postcode and agreed with Google and said that would simply be waived.  Good news, but as stated, wasn't an the issue.

 

I also wanted to ask because it also says its 2 bags only in the car. Whilst we have an allowance of 2 suitcases each for the flight, we are only taking 1 suitcase each, but will also have a maximum sized cabin bag each plus an extra "small" bag for my laptop to go under the seat and wife will have her hand bag.

 

I was told not to book the business car (which shows up as £226 each direction) as we can only have 2 bags in the car. She said the driver might refuse to collect, so instead book the business van / SUV so we wont run into this luggage problem. I challenged this as I already saw. the SUV was £428, so almost double. She said it would be fine and SS allow you to choose which you want.

 

That doesn't sound right to me. Are you allowed to chose either? Whilst its another 2 weeks before I can expect the email, I thought it wise to pose the question for those who have already faced this situation and hopefully useful for anyone else asking similar questions.

I used included Blacklanes on a trip last last year.  With any standard sedan you can fit two suitcases and two carry-on in the boot. Even three suitcases.  The laptop bag and hand bag go with you on the back seat.  One cabin bag could also go on the front passenger seat or foot well.

 

I was not at all concerned the car would not show up either at my house or the airport.  That is the whole point of using a car service.

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

1 hour ago, les37b said:

Are you allowed to chose either?

Yes.  When we received our email from Blacklane to reserve our transport to and from the airport, they gave us two options - the sedan and the SUV.  We chose the SUV because we had more than 2 suitcases and there were no issues booking and no excess charges for choosing the SUV.  

[cruiseej]

5 hours ago, les37b said:

I was told not to book the business car...  as we can only have 2 bags in the car. She said the driver might refuse to collect, so instead book the business van / SUV so we wont run into this luggage problem. That doesn't sound right to me. Are you allowed to chose either?

 

We're in the US, but I don't think the rules would be different in the UK… We faced this issue for our Antarctica cruise three months ago. The Backlane booking form allowed us to choose either option, so I selected the larger SUV to make sure our luggage wouldn't be a problem. Friends who we traveled with did the same. We both had flawless service, in both directions. So yes, if you have the option to book the larger vehicle, just do it! 🙂

[first time cruising]

I booked Blacklane yesterday (australia) and used the van option as we will have two large suitcases and two carry on cases. There was no extra charge and I found the entire process very easy.

[Silver Spectre]

When we used Blacklane in October we were given the option of a car or a van. There was no price difference. The transfers themselves were very professional. No need to worry Les.

[les37b]

Cheers everyone.

[commodoredave]

Has anyone else had this issue?

I live in Toronto and I booked the time for our Blacklane pickup as 10:30 am in Lisbon, it accepted that time and showed in on the booking. Later, when I got my email confirmation the pickup time had changed to 3:30 pm. I realized that Blacklane was taking my booking time and converting it to local time, which is 5 hours later. So, I cancelled the original booking, went back in, and booked my ride for 5:30 am. Sure enough, the Blacklane email confirmation arrived stating the pickup time was 10:30 am. I am the only one experiencing this?

[Mr Luxury]

45 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

Has anyone else had this issue?

I live in Toronto and I booked the time for our Blacklane pickup as 10:30 am in Lisbon, it accepted that time and showed in on the booking. Later, when I got my email confirmation the pickup time had changed to 3:30 pm. I realized that Blacklane was taking my booking time and converting it to local time, which is 5 hours later. So, I cancelled the original booking, went back in, and booked my ride for 5:30 am. Sure enough, the Blacklane email confirmation arrived stating the pickup time was 10:30 am. I am the only one experiencing this?

Keep it quiet as they'll all want it.😉

[commodoredave]

2 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Keep it quiet as they'll all want it.😉

Please allow me to clarify. I was hallucinating. There is no Blacklane booking outside of your home country and no time difference in booking. I was thinking of booking the Royal Albert Hall and my fingers mistyped. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

25 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

Please allow me to clarify. I was hallucinating. There is no Blacklane booking outside of your home country and no time difference in booking. I was thinking of booking the Royal Albert Hall and my fingers mistyped. 

I don't know what time you need to book the Royal Albert Hall to get to the Lisbon airport...  😅

[les37b]

Ok, further update if I may please?

 

When I originally enquired with SS, I was told I would get the voucher email 30 days before departure. It is now 28 days before we go and still not heard anything.

 

Is this normal? Is it an automatic process or am I meant to chase them?

 

 

Edited March 26, 2023 by les37b

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

6 hours ago, les37b said:

When I originally enquired with SS, I was told I would get the voucher email 30 days before departure. It is now 28 days before we go and still not heard anything.

We received the Blacklane link to book our ride in an email from "Silversea Luxury Cruises" on 24 March for our upcoming cruise on the Dawn that sails 23 April.  If you haven't received it by tomorrow, a call your Rep. is definitely in order.

[les37b]

30 minutes ago, CruzinFeraBruzin said:

We received the Blacklane link to book our ride in an email from "Silversea Luxury Cruises" on 24 March for our upcoming cruise on the Dawn that sails 23 April.  If you haven't received it by tomorrow, a call your Rep. is definitely in order.

 

OK thank you.

 

As many timeframe schedules seemed to have slipped, just seeking clarity if I'd be deemed pushy to chase on 27 days. That said, I am referring to the flight date, so if its done on sail date, then its 30, so maybe scheduled for Monday.

 

Whilst on the Dawn I was surprised to receive my flight details for Jan 2024 asking for my approval. That's a first, normally I dont know them until I came across them in my.silversea!

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

19 minutes ago, les37b said:

I was surprised to receive my flight details for Jan 2024 asking for my approval

Our SS Rep told us the Air Team will be moving towards presenting only one flight option to guests with a "take it or leave it" with no back and forth allowed.  If you don't like their option, you can request an air credit and book the flight on your own.  Not sure when or if this will go into effect, or if they will allow you to book your preferred flights thru them with a deviation/upcharge.  Hopefully you were satisfied with the option they presented to you.

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, CruzinFeraBruzin said:

Our SS Rep told us the Air Team will be moving towards presenting only one flight option to guests with a "take it or leave it" with no back and forth allowed.

Sounds like quite the change coming to all-inclusive luxury.

[canderson]

I'm trying to figure out how Blacklane works with airline flights.  I suspect a mistake has been made.

For this (below) to work out, I'd need to be at about Warp 2.5 to make it to Lisbon the same day that the car will be picking us up at the house.  It's an overnight flight from Denver, and we do plan to check into our Lisbon hotel on the 22nd.  I suppose I should call SS to be sure the car doesn't arrive a day late.  Or are they describing the transfer from the airport to the hotel here (the abbreviation 'pre' may be an indicator)?  The description is just to cryptic to know for sure.

 

 

[cruiseej]

@canderson You make your own booking with Blacklane; Silversesa is not involved. And it doesn't matter if it's a different date than shown on My Silversea. (Silversea doesn't even know what date many people are traveling on.) So, no need to call SS; just wait until you ge the email about making your Blacklane reservation, and you'll be fine. 

[les37b]

3 hours ago, CruzinFeraBruzin said:

Our SS Rep told us the Air Team will be moving towards presenting only one flight option to guests with a "take it or leave it" with no back and forth allowed.  If you don't like their option, you can request an air credit and book the flight on your own.  Not sure when or if this will go into effect, or if they will allow you to book your preferred flights thru them with a deviation/upcharge.  Hopefully you were satisfied with the option they presented to you.

Yes, fortunately the options given were direct and would have been my first choice. My next sailing though was a nightmare, with many rather dubious replies. I did eventually get a decent round the world set of flights. I don’t have the benefit of air miles. I’d be fine booking my own flights for Europe, but the dangers of cruise changes etc and inflated air costs, if my flights for the cruise in Jan 2024 were poor, I’d just cancel the cruise and look elsewhere. It’s a slippery slope and such a shame.

[canderson]

8 hours ago, CruzinFeraBruzin said:

Our SS Rep told us the Air Team will be moving towards presenting only one flight option to guests with a "take it or leave it" with no back and forth allowed.  If you don't like their option, you can request an air credit and book the flight on your own.  Not sure when or if this will go into effect, or if they will allow you to book your preferred flights thru them with a deviation/upcharge.  Hopefully you were satisfied with the option they presented to you.

Hmm.. that's not a good direction.  From what I've heard here, you often don't know what they have in store for you in the way of a flight itinerary until it may be too late to make better arrangements.  It's not as though there are a lot of seats going empty these days.  The cheapest flights possible for business class, Denver to Lisbon, are 33-1/2 hours in duration whereas all of the 'normal' routings would be more expensive, but in the 12 to 15 hour range.  Credit, shmedit.  If they wait too long to inform the customer of their take-it-or-leave-it itinerary, the credit isn't worth offering.

[canderson]

5 hours ago, cruiseej said:

@canderson You make your own booking with Blacklane; Silversesa is not involved. And it doesn't matter if it's a different date than shown on My Silversea. (Silversea doesn't even know what date many people are traveling on.) So, no need to call SS; just wait until you ge the email about making your Blacklane reservation, and you'll be fine. 

Ah, I see.  So that doesn't show up in the 'activity' section.  What I'm seeing must be the airport to hotel transfer on the 22nd.  This will be our first SS cruise, so we're getting adjusted to a few new procedures.  I assume Blacklane won't know to be expecting our call until after SS Air has finally delivered the air itineraries so we know when we'd likely need to be at the airport and picked up to be brought home?

[gcornell]

12 hours ago, CruzinFeraBruzin said:

Our SS Rep told us the Air Team will be moving towards presenting only one flight option to guests with a "take it or leave it" with no back and forth allowed.  If you don't like their option, you can request an air credit and book the flight on your own.  Not sure when or if this will go into effect, or if they will allow you to book your preferred flights thru them with a deviation/upcharge.  Hopefully you were satisfied with the option they presented to you.

What’s worked for me is I email them at the 270 mark with a list of flights I prefer.  Got a response within a few days giving me my first or second choice (can’t remember which).