corporate·5 min read·May 21, 2026

Executive day-rate math: when hourly chauffeur beats point-to-point

If you're moving across LA for 4+ meetings in a day, hourly chauffeur is almost always cheaper AND faster than stacking point-to-point rides. The math, with real numbers.

Quick rule: if your day has 4+ stops or 5+ hours of LA driving, hourly chauffeur is cheaper AND faster than booking each leg point-to-point. The math is asymmetric because point-to-point bills the chauffeur's repositioning time between trips back to you in dispatch + drive overhead.

The math, with real numbers

Hypothetical: a visiting executive doing a Tuesday with stops at the Conrad LA (hotel), a Downtown office, lunch in Beverly Hills, an investor meeting in Santa Monica, dinner in West Hollywood, hotel return. Six legs across LA.

Point-to-point (six separate rides):

Hotel → Downtown office: $75 (short, same area)
Downtown → Beverly Hills lunch: $110
Beverly Hills → Santa Monica office: $99
Santa Monica → West Hollywood dinner: $115
West Hollywood → hotel: $115
Subtotal: $514 + gratuity = ~$615 all-in
Total dispatch friction: 6 separate ride bookings, 6 chauffeurs, 6 different vehicles, 6 different drivers who don't know your day

Hourly chauffeur (one chauffeur, full day):

8 hours = $920 (every hour at $115, 3-hour minimum)
Plus gratuity = $1,104 all-in
BUT: chauffeur waits between stops, stages at curb for immediate pickup, knows your day, holds your bags

When point-to-point is actually right

1-3 trips in a day: hourly is overkill
Stops with multi-hour gaps (e.g., morning airport pickup, then nothing until evening dinner): two point-to-point trips, not 8 hours hourly
Same-zone trips: hotel → restaurant → hotel within Beverly Hills doesn't need hourly
Solo airport transfers without other meeting context: point-to-point

What hourly actually buys you

Beyond the cost-vs-time tradeoff: hourly means the same chauffeur the entire day. They learn your preferences (preferred routes, music off/on, coffee order, AC temperature). They handle bags between stops without you having to think about it. They stage curbside 5 min before each scheduled departure. The day flows.

For multi-day executive visits, Continental offers a flat daily retainer (called in for a quote) so you have a single number instead of an hourly meter running. Same chauffeur every day. Predictable expense for accounting.

The corporate-account angle

Hourly + corporate account = monthly consolidated invoice. No per-trip receipts, no Concur expense-line chasing, no per-trip approval flow. For a frequent LA visitor, this is the cleaner expense report by far.

Questions about this

What's the minimum hourly booking?

Three hours. Continental's hourly is $115/hour with a 3-hour minimum. So the smallest hourly booking is $345 + gratuity. For days where you'd be doing 1-2 trips that total less than 3 hours of actual driving, point-to-point is cheaper.

Does hourly include the chauffeur's wait time?

Yes, that's the whole point. The chauffeur stays with the vehicle the entire booked window. Meetings run over, lunch goes long, the bar is fun, you don't pay extra. The clock runs from your scheduled pickup to your scheduled drop-off.

Can my admin book hourly on my behalf?

Yes, every Continental corporate account has a designated booker. We confirm with both the rider and the booker. For multi-day executive visits, hourly + retainer + corporate account = one consolidated invoice on your billing cycle.

What if my day runs longer than the booked hours?

We extend in 30-minute increments. The chauffeur stays unless dispatched to another booking. Most days, we set the booking with 1-hour buffer past your planned end so overflow isn't a billing event.

Is hourly available without a corporate account?

Yes, anyone can book hourly. The corporate account is just the billing cleanup (Net-30, consolidated invoice). Walk-up hourly bookings pay per booking like any other Continental ride.

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