Business transfers from Herne Bay: executive travel to London, meetings and flights

Business transfers from Herne Bay: what they cover

Express Travel Kent carries business passengers to meetings, London offices, airports and events. From CT6 the most common pattern is simple: out early on the A299 and the M2, a working day elsewhere, and a car home in the evening.

Collections can be from home or from a workplace, for example Altira Business Park, as long as the exact address is on the booking. Free waiting at an address is 10 minutes after the agreed time, so a pickup set for the moment your last call ends works better than one set for when you hope to leave.

The executive car

The executive class seats up to four passengers with two or three large cases, enough for a team of three with laptop bags and a case of samples, or one person who wants space to spread out papers.

If a larger group is travelling to the same event, an MPV takes up to six people with four or more large cases. Fares are fixed for the car, so four colleagues sharing one executive car pay one fare between them.

Early flights for business from CT6

London City suits short business trips to Europe, and from Herne Bay it typically takes 1h 30m to 1h 50m, via the A2 and the Blackwall Tunnel. The tunnels are charged from 06:00 to 22:00 and free overnight, and tolls on the journey can be added to the fare where they apply.

For long-haul meetings, Heathrow typically takes 1h 35m to 2h 10m and Gatwick 1h 15m to 1h 35m. In every case, the fare for a 4am start is the same as for a midday one, and the pickup time is agreed with you when you book so it fits the airline's check-in.

A day of London meetings with the car on hand

Some days involve three addresses in London and a train home that never quite lines up with the last meeting. For those, the car and driver can be booked by the hour or by the day, instead of a single journey, so the car moves with your schedule and is there when you come out.

Tell us the first address, the rough plan for the day and when you expect to finish. A single run to one meeting and back is booked as two fixed-fare journeys; extra stops or a big change of route asked for on the way can be added.

Booking for a colleague or a visitor

Put the traveller's name and mobile number on the booking, not yours. For an airport collection, add their flight number: the flight is tracked, the collection is timed to the actual landing, and the driver waits in arrivals with a name board showing the name you gave. A visitor flying in to see your Herne Bay office gets 45 minutes of free waiting after an international flight and 30 after a domestic one.

Bookings can be made online, by phone on 01843 247247, by WhatsApp or by email. Online payment takes cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna and Revolut.

When the plans change

Meetings move. Cancelling more than 24 hours before the pickup costs nothing; between 6 and 24 hours up to half the fare may be charged; with less than 6 hours' notice, or once the car has set off, the full fare may be due. If a return flight is delayed, there is no extra charge for delays outside your control.

Every driver holds a current private hire driver's licence issued by a local authority, which requires an enhanced DBS check, and every car is a council-licensed private hire vehicle with hire and reward insurance. That matters when the passenger is a client.

What to put on a business booking

A complete booking is what lets the car arrive at the right door at the right minute, and lets the person travelling get on with the day. Before you confirm, check that it carries:

• The traveller's name and mobile number
• The pickup address in CT6, home or workplace, with the building or unit if it is on a business park
• The destination address, or the airport, terminal and flight number
• The time you need to arrive, not only the time you hope to leave
• The return journey, if you want it booked at the same time
• The number of passengers and bags, so the right class of car is sent