Car service glossary
Car service glossary: every term, in plain English.
This car service glossary explains the words you will see when you book a chauffeur in Chicago. It has 38 terms, from flat rate and meet-and-greet to Terminal 5 and the Kennedy.
- Flat-rate airport pricingQuoted before you ride
- Flight trackingOn every airport pickup
- 2025 and 2026 vehiclesDetailed before each trip
- Background-checked chauffeursLicensed and professional
- Live dispatch 24/7Holidays included
21 terms
Car service glossary: booking and pricing.
- Black car service
- A ride you book ahead with a chauffeur in a dark luxury sedan or SUV, with the price set up front. The name comes from the black town cars business travelers used for decades.
- Chauffeur
- A professional driver for a car service. A good one also plans the route and timing, helps with bags, and respects your privacy.
- Flat rate
- A set price agreed before you ride. Our airport rides are flat rate, so traffic, weather, and normal wait time do not change the price.
- Hourly rate
- A price per hour to keep a car and chauffeur with you. It works well for days with many stops, nights out, tours, and events.
- Hourly minimum
- The fewest hours you can book for hourly service. It depends on the vehicle and the date, and we confirm it before you book.
- Point-to-point
- A ride from one address straight to another, with no waiting or extra stops. Most airport rides work this way.
- Multi-stop trip
- A booking with several stops, like dinner, a show, and a late drink. Hourly service is usually the easiest way to book it.
- Round trip
- Two rides booked together: there and back. For airport trips, we track both flights.
- Meet-and-greet
- An airport pickup where your chauffeur waits inside, usually near baggage claim, holding a sign with your name. Then they walk you to the car.
- Curbside pickup
- An airport pickup where you walk out to the arrivals curb and your chauffeur pulls up for you.
- Commercial pickup zone
- The airport area set aside for licensed car services and limos. It is not the same as the rideshare pickup area.
- Flight tracking
- We watch your flight live, so your pickup time moves if you land early or late. It comes with every airport ride.
- Staging
- When your chauffeur parks nearby and waits until you are ready. At airports, they wait in the commercial zone.
- Wait time
- Time a chauffeur spends waiting for you. Normal wait time is included in our flat-rate airport rides, and other wait terms are confirmed when you book.
- Live dispatch
- The team that assigns chauffeurs, confirms bookings, and keeps an eye on trips. Ours works 24 hours a day, every day.
- Surge pricing
- When rideshare apps raise prices at busy times, like rush hour, storms, or after an event. Car service flat rates do not surge.
- Gratuity
- A tip for your chauffeur. Your quote tells you if it is included, so there are no surprises.
- Corporate account
- A business account for companies that ride often. It has simple billing and the same service for every traveler.
- Roadshow
- A day or more of back-to-back meetings with investors or clients. Roadshow transportation means one car and chauffeur for the whole day.
- Guest shuttle
- A vehicle that drives a group back and forth on a set route, like hotel to wedding venue and back.
7 terms
Vehicle terms.
- Executive sedan
- A four-door luxury car for up to three passengers, like our Cadillac CT5 and Mercedes-Benz S 580.
- Luxury SUV
- A big SUV with three rows of seats for up to six passengers, like our Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.
- Sprinter van
- A tall executive van, like our Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. It seats 11 to 14 people with room for group luggage.
- Stretch limousine
- A longer luxury car with lounge seats that face each other. Ours seats 8 to 10 and is made for celebrations.
- Limo bus
- A bus-size party vehicle with lounge seats, lights, and sound, also called a party bus. Ours seats 20 to 30.
- Motorcoach
- A full-size bus for big groups, with forward-facing seats and luggage space underneath. Ours seats 45 to 56.
- Underfloor luggage bays
- Storage space built under the floor of a coach bus, so the whole group can bring bags.
10 terms
Chicago airport and road terms.
- ORD
- The airport code for Chicago O'Hare International Airport, about 18 miles northwest of downtown.
- MDW
- The airport code for Chicago Midway International Airport, about 11 miles southwest of downtown.
- Terminal 5
- The O'Hare terminal for almost all international arrivals, with its own customs area. There is no Terminal 4.
- Airport Transit System
- The free train at O'Hare that connects Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5 with parking and rental cars.
- Customs
- The U.S. Customs and Border Protection check that international travelers go through before leaving the airport. Allow extra time for it.
- Kennedy Expressway
- I-90 and I-94 between O'Hare and downtown Chicago. It is the main route for O'Hare rides, and often the busiest.
- Stevenson Expressway
- I-55, the main route between Midway and downtown Chicago.
- Tri-State Tollway
- I-294, the toll road that runs north and south through the western and northern suburbs and past O'Hare.
- Edens Expressway
- I-94 heading north of the city toward Evanston and the North Shore.
- Eisenhower Expressway
- I-290, the route west from downtown toward Oak Brook and the western suburbs.
The fleet
Your ride, in black.
Our cars on the job around Chicago. See all vehicles.
Related
Pages where these terms come up.
In one line
The Black Car Service Chicago glossary defines 38 car service terms in plain English, from flat rates and meet-and-greet pickups to O'Hare Terminal 5 and the Chicago expressways.
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