A global chauffeur company based in Germany is expanding in Charlotte to give business travelers an alternative to short-haul flights.
Berlin-based Blacklane on Sept. 9 launched direct routes from Charlotte to 15 cities in the Southeast. Those routes are to Asheville, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Augusta, Georgia; Bristol, Tennessee; Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia; and Beckley, West Virginia.
The service, geared to corporate travelers, replicates mass-transit paths in major metropolitan cities, Blacklane says. It works with independent, local chauffeur service providers on booking rides.
"Charlotte was chosen as a target location as it was identified as a key commuter destination," the company says.
Blacklane's research shows that commutes from Charlotte to destinations like Greensboro and Columbia typically require four hours of door-to-door travel time for flying, when accounting for departure and arrival transfers, flight check-ins and other airport wait times. That compares to about 1.5 hours of drive time, without traffic delays, it says.
Overall, Blacklane says its City-to-City direct service will save commuters an average of more than 2.5 hours of total travel time.
“While mass-transit travel comes with delays, security lines and unpredictable schedules, Blacklane’s City-to-City service offers seamless, direct transit all within a premier service, transforming commuting from a headache into a refined experience," Kyle Fackler, Blacklane's head of market management, Americas, says in a news release.
Prior to the expansion, Blacklane already operated in Charlotte on a limited basis. It has offered airport transfers for local travelers.
How Blacklane works
Blacklane has several vehicle options, including business and first class as well as vans or SUVs. Vehicle makes include Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Toyota.
Pricing varies based on distance of a route, vehicle class and drive time. Customers pay for the entire car, rather than by seat. Prices include taxes, tolls and fees. Trips are booked on Blacklane's website or app.
A one-way trip from uptown Charlotte to downtown Raleigh costs $465 to $485, depending on the chosen vehicle class. A trip to downtown Wilmington costs $645 to $670, while a ride to Bristol is between $650 and $865.
Blacklane doesn't charge extra luggage fees or engage in price surging, which it says helps set it apart from traditional ride-booking services.
Trips can be canceled at no cost until one hour before the scheduled pickup and include 15 minutes of free wait time. Vehicles are equipped with a complimentary bottle of water and Wi-Fi service, tissues and sanitizer as well as Android and iPhone chargers.
Charlotte part of larger expansion for Blacklane
Blacklane is adding 68 new business routes under its City-to-City service. That includes new routes in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, New York City and Seattle. Its top City-to-City markets are currently New York City, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Dubai.
Blacklane was founded in 2011 by Jens Wohltorf and Frank Steuer. The chauffeur and airport concierge service now has 300 employees with hubs in Singapore, Spain, the U.A.E., U.K. and U.S.
