Driver for Your Own Car on an Airport Trip: What to Plan

Many people prefer to travel to the airport in their own car, with their own luggage and in familiar seats, but do not want to drive after a long day or park for a week. A hired driver for your own car solves the part you do not like. This guide covers how to plan an airport trip with a driver in cities such as Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi and Coimbatore, where the airport is a long drive from the centre and traffic can change the plan.

Decide what the car does after the drop

The first choice shapes everything else. You might want the driver to take you to the airport and then go home with the car, to wait at the airport, or to meet you there when you return. Not every plan suits every booking, so say plainly what you want in the notes, and confirm with Oray support when you book that it can be done.

Each plan uses a different number of hours, because driver hire is a block of hours and waiting uses them. Compare the 4, 8 and 10 hour lengths on the booking screen for the plan you choose.

Work backwards from the flight

Start with the time you must be at the terminal and subtract the drive. In Chennai and Bangalore, the airports are far from many parts of the city, and the road can be slow at the hours when people go to work and return home. Add a margin for traffic, and add more if the road to the airport has works going on.

For a night or early morning flight, tell the booking the exact pick-up time and be ready a few minutes early. If your flight is delayed on the way back, tell the driver the new time, and call Oray support if it will run past your booked hours.

• Terminal and flight time
• Pick-up address with a landmark
• Number of passengers and bags
• Whether the driver returns with the car or waits

Luggage and the car

Think about the boot. If you travel with a family and four large bags, a small car may be too tight, and the driver cannot fix that on the day. Say how many bags you have, and keep a space for a child seat if you use one. Take your documents and valuables with you in a bag you carry, and not in the boot.

Parking, entry fees and tolls

Airports have rules for where a car can stop, and they may charge for entry or parking. Ask Oray support how such costs are handled before the day, and keep the receipts. If you have booked for a short block, a long wait in a car park uses up your hours, so a drop at the departure area and a return home is often the better plan.

Tolls on the road to the airport are common. If you are unsure who pays what, ask Oray support at the time of booking, not at the airport.

The return trip

On the way back, the flight time is the part you cannot control. Planes land early or late, and it takes time to reach the exit with your bags. Give the driver the flight number and ask him to check the arrival time. Tell him where you will come out, and share your phone number, so you can find each other quickly. Chennai, Bangalore and Kochi all have busy arrival areas where waiting is limited, so keep the plan clear.

Staying safe on the way

Check the driver's name in the booking. In the Oray app you can share your trip with a family member, and you can use the number plate shown in the trip screen to match the car. If you travel at night, tell someone at home your flight and the time you expect to arrive. If you feel unsafe at any point, use the SOS button in the app and call 112 first if you are in danger.

Payment and changes

You can pay in full, pay part of the fare now, or pay later, depending on what the booking offers. Read the cancellation policy shown at booking. If your flight is cancelled, call support early so the booking can be changed or cancelled under the rules that apply.

Questions