Booking Guide
How to hire a chauffeur in New Orleans: hourly vs. point-to-point
Which kind of booking fits your day, what to ask before you hire anyone, and how to build an MSY pickup into the plan.
Three meetings in the CBD, a lunch in Uptown and a 6:15 p.m. flight out of MSY.
Booked as separate rides, that day means four pickups, four waits and four chances for something to slip. Booked as one hourly chauffeur, it is one car that is already outside when you walk out of each building. Choosing the right type of chauffeur service in New Orleans is the difference between managing your transportation and forgetting about it.
Lagniappe Chauffeured Services has provided chauffeured transportation in New Orleans since 2011. Here is how to choose the right booking and what to ask before you hire anyone.
01 Point-to-point transfer or hourly chauffeur?
Point-to-point transfer One ride from A to B: the airport to your hotel, your hotel to the cruise terminal, dinner back to your hotel. It works well when you have one fixed trip.
Hourly (as-directed) A chauffeur and vehicle reserved for a block of time. The car waits while you are in a meeting, at dinner or at an event, and goes wherever your schedule requires.
Hourly service works best when you have:
- Multiple stops in one day
- Meetings with uncertain end times
- A dinner or event where you want the car waiting outside
- A VIP or client you want to keep with one chauffeur all day
More than two stops within a few hours? Compare an hourly quote against separate transfers.
Hourly service has a 3-hour minimum for sedans and SUVs and a 4-hour minimum for Sprinters. See hourly car service for rates.
02 Benefits of hiring a professional chauffeur
Time back. You work, take calls or rest while someone else handles routing and parking.
No waiting on the curb. With hourly service, the vehicle stays with you.
Consistency. One chauffeur who knows your schedule, your preferences and your passengers.
Discretion for executive travel. Conversations and itineraries stay private.
Local fluency. Chauffeurs who know Convention Center traffic, French Quarter loading rules and event-week road closures.
Professionalism, city knowledge, and attention to detail.
Paul Gage, client
That local knowledge is what you are paying for.
03 Questions to ask before you hire a chauffeur
- The rate Is the rate set in advance, and what does it include? Ask about tolls, parking, wait time and gratuity before you book.
- The vehicle What vehicle will I get? Confirm the class and the seating for your party.
- Flight tracking Will my chauffeur track my flight? For airport pickups, this should be standard.
- The meeting point Where will we meet? Get the exact pickup point in writing.
- Plan changes What happens if my plans change? Ask how additional time and extra stops are billed.
- Cancellation What is the cancellation policy? With us, cancellations more than 24 hours before pickup are free; see our cancellation and wait time policy.
- Who to call Who do I call if something changes during the trip? You want a dispatcher, not a voicemail.
For red flags and how to compare quotes, see how to choose a chauffeur service in New Orleans.
04 Chauffeured fleet options
| Vehicle | Passengers | Good for | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Maybach / BMW 760i | Up to 2 | Executive travel, dinners | $125 |
| Cadillac Escalade IQ | Up to 3 | Small parties, quiet electric ride | $175 |
| Cadillac Escalade | Up to 6 | Airport with luggage, small teams | $169 |
| Mercedes Jet Sprinter | Up to 10 | Executive groups, roadshows | $220 |
| Mercedes Sprinter | Up to 14 | Wedding parties, event shuttles | $195 |
Need help choosing? See sedan, SUV or Sprinter: which vehicle should you book?
05 Hiring a chauffeur for MSY airport pickups
If your day starts or ends at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, build the airport into the booking:
- Arrivals Share your flight number so your chauffeur adjusts for early or late arrivals. Arrivals and baggage claim are on Level 1 of the single terminal.
- Departures Ticketing and departures are on Level 3. Leave time for event-week traffic on I-10 and follow your airline's recommended arrival time.
- Hourly days that end at the airport Ask your dispatcher to plan the final leg around your flight so the last meeting does not run into your departure window.
- Ignore curbside offers MSY states that solicitation of ground transportation is illegal; use only your confirmed chauffeur or badged airport staff.
For airport rates and booking, see MSY airport transportation.
06 Questions people ask
Can I hire a private driver for a full day in New Orleans?
Yes. Hourly service reserves a chauffeur and vehicle for as long as you need, including full days and multi-day itineraries for executives, film crews and visiting VIPs. For a multi-day itinerary, request a reservation and we quote the whole schedule.
Will the chauffeur wait while I have dinner?
With hourly service, yes. The vehicle stays with you and is ready when you walk out. With a point-to-point transfer, you would book a separate return pickup.
Can I keep the same chauffeur for my whole trip?
We assign chauffeurs based on availability and try to keep the same chauffeur for multi-day bookings. Ask at the time of booking.
Do you provide receipts for business travel?
Yes. Every trip comes with a receipt, and corporate accounts can be billed on one monthly invoice.
Lagniappe Chauffeured Services
Book a chauffeur in New Orleans
Send us your itinerary and we will recommend transfer or hourly service and the right vehicle.
reservations@lcsdriven.com · Available 24 hours a day
PRE-ARRANGED. PROFESSIONAL. RELIABLE.
