Booking Guide · New Orleans
How to choose a chauffeur service in New Orleans: 8 questions to ask
What to check before you book any car service or "limo company", the red flags to watch for, and how to compare quotes fairly.
Search "limo companies in New Orleans" and you'll find dozens of websites that look almost identical.
Same stock photos, same promises of "premium" and "reliable", prices only by request. The differences that matter, such as who actually drives, what's in the price and what happens when your flight is late, are rarely on the homepage. These eight questions bring them out, whichever company you choose.
01 The 8 questions
Are you permitted and commercially insured? For-hire vehicles in New Orleans need city permits and commercial insurance. A reputable company will confirm both without hesitation.
Who will drive, and are chauffeurs background-checked? Ask whether you'll get the chauffeur's name and vehicle before pickup.
Is the car in the photos the car I'll get? Ask which vehicles the company actually operates, and whether the photos are of its own fleet.
What's the total, all in? Ask what's included and what can be added: gratuity, fuel, tolls, parking, wait time, extra stops.
What happens if my flight is late? Is the flight tracked, how much free wait time is included, and what does extra waiting cost?
What's the cancellation policy? How much notice, what's refunded, and whether deposits are refundable.
Who answers at 2 a.m.? A real person, on a number that answers around the clock, matters most when something changes.
What do recent reviews say? Read the recent Google reviews, especially the less-than-perfect ones, and how the company replied.
02 Red flags
No prices anywhere"Call for a quote" on everything can mean prices that change with whoever asks.
Stock photos only If you can't see the company's own vehicles, ask why.
Vague on who drives No straight answer on background checks or who the chauffeur will be.
Surprise fees Fuel surcharges, "service fees" or automatic gratuity that only appear on the final bill.
No real address A company should be able to tell you where it's based.
Promises that sound too good"Guaranteed" everything, "best in the city", vehicles it can't show you.
The best car service is the one that answers these questions before you have to ask them.
03 Comparing quotes fairly
Two quotes for the same trip can differ for good reasons. To compare like with like:
- Check the vehicle class: a sedan, a full-size SUV and a van are priced very differently.
- Check the minimum hours on hourly bookings, often 3 or 4.
- Check whether gratuity is included or added automatically.
- Check what free wait time is included, at the airport and elsewhere.
- For trips outside the city, check whether the return drive is charged.
- Ask whether the price can change after you book, for example at busy times.
04 Own fleet or a network?
Some companies run their own cars and chauffeurs; others pass bookings to partner operators. Both can work well, but you should know which you're getting.
It matters most when you book outside the company's home city. A good network company is open about using local partners, vets them, and stays your single point of contact. A poor one won't tell you who's actually coming.
05 How we answer them
It's only fair to put ourselves through the same test:
- Our vehicles In New Orleans, our own fleet: Mercedes-Maybach, BMW 760i, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade IQ and Sprinter vans. No stretch limousines. When a large event needs more vehicles than we have, and in other cities, we use vetted local partners and tell you so. See the fleet and where we operate.
- Our prices Published on the rates page: MSY transfers from $145, hourly from $125. The booking page shows the total before you pay. Gratuity isn't included and isn't added automatically.
- Our policies Flight tracking, 30 minutes free wait at the airport and 15 elsewhere, free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup. All in our booking policy.
- Your chauffeur Background-checked, with their name and vehicle sent before pickup.
- Reaching us Reservations answer 24 hours a day at (877) 527-2888, and we're based at 201 St. Charles Avenue.
06 Questions we're asked
What should I ask a limo company before booking?
Whether it's permitted and commercially insured, who will drive, whether the vehicles in its photos are its own, the all-in price, the flight delay and wait time policy, the cancellation policy, and who answers the phone at any hour.
How do I know if a car service is legitimate?
It can confirm its permits and commercial insurance, tells you where it's based, shows its own vehicles, publishes or clearly quotes its prices, and has recent reviews you can read.
Is gratuity usually included?
It varies. Some companies add an automatic gratuity; others, including us, leave it to you. Always ask, so you can compare quotes fairly.
Do you operate stretch limousines?
No. Our fleet is the Mercedes-Maybach, BMW 760i, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade IQ and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans.
Do you use other companies' cars?
In New Orleans, we use our own fleet, adding vetted local partners only when a large event needs more vehicles, and we tell you when we do. In other cities, rides are run by vetted local partners, with us as your single point of contact.
Lagniappe Chauffeured Services
Ask us anything
Our rates and policies are published, and the booking page shows your total before you pay. Questions first? Call or email, any hour.
(877) 527-2888 · reservations@lcsdriven.com · Available 24 hours a day
PRE-ARRANGED. PROFESSIONAL. RELIABLE.
