If you want to have a safe and cozy ride throughout New York City or further, you may want to consider hiring a company to fulfill your needs. CarmelLimo has had the best riding prices since 1978 and they are still going strong. Officially, they are even cheaper than Uber and their motto is “We will be there for you”.
I travel a lot for work and instead of calling a taxi or an Uber, I chose to start using CarmelLimo services. Sometimes I need a quick ride to the airport, and sometimes I need my kids to be picked up from their school or from parties and concerts.
Sometimes, I receive visits from my business partners or friends from another state, and I want them to feel safe and welcome. When they’re quickly transported from one place to another for a reasonable price, I almost always get a few positive comments.
CarmelLimo has a user-friendly website and very simplified methods of communication - their dispatch system is connected with their website, smartphone app, driver smartphone app, and call center. The reservation process is fully computerized and the company is in constant touch with the driver via cells, beepers, and radios.
CarmelLimo Features
CarmelLimo Car Types
There are several car types available for your ride. The price goes higher depending on the vehicle’s size and the number of passengers. Here is a full list of vehicles available at CarmelLimo:
You can choose between any of these vehicles depending on the type of ride you need, the number of passengers and the amount of luggage. The cars are very clean and cozy and from our experience, all in great condition. Even the drivers aren’t too talkative which is very nice if you are traveling tired or if you’re not in a mood to talk.
Routes
CarmelLimo’s most common services are their regular rides to and from the airports. If you are traveling to some of the airports near New York City, there is a detailed table with prices for every car type and three closest airports: La Guardia, JFK and Newark Airport.
Also, the company offers hourly-rated rides throughout the city. Since they provide services not only in the USA but in several other countries worldwide, you can arrange to use their cars in Berlin, Beijing, Mumbai, Buenos Aires or New York. Downtown-airport rides prices and vice versa are also provided in detailed tables for several other countries and cities.
Carmel Points/Airline Miles
This is a new loyalty program by CarmelLimo and if you are a regular customer, this might pay off very nicely for you. Every time you use CarmelLimo, you will receive points for free rides. These points can be used for receiving a discount on any trip with CarmelLimo, not just the ones to and from the airports.
You start to earn points by becoming a member and membership is gained through having an account on their website, or by being a Carmel App user. If you are already using an airline reward program, then you have to choose whether you want to keep that one or earn Carmel points.
CarmelLimo is United Airlines’ partner on United’s MileagePlus Program which allows CarmelLimo’s users who are also MileagePlus members to earn flying miles for every dollar spent with their company.
You just need to link your MileagePlus account to your Carmel VIP account or app. These programs might save you some money if you use Carmellimo’s services often.
Carmel Perks
This is another convenience from CarmelLimo - the company’s benefits program. Every CarmelLimo customer who has the Carmel app can enjoy several kinds of discounts and special offers in New York City.
These are applicable for restaurants, Broadway shows, museums, barbershops, and many other sites and businesses. Carmel Perks is very easy to use because you don’t need to print out a voucher or a coupon - or even to enter and remember codes! You just need to install the app and register.
Reservations
Reservations can be made through a very easy-to-use form on their website. The same method works if you are using a mobile app. You just type your location and destination as an exact address or choose an airport, if that is your location of interest.
After you input this information, you have a couple of steps to go through, such as choosing your car or picking out some extras if you need them - wheelchair access for example.
After that, you just pay for your product and you’re done! If you don’t want to do it online, you can also make a phone call to CarmelLimo, as they offer the possibility of cash payment.
Pricing and deals
CarmelLimo’s services are very affordable and you don’t have to be a billionaire to treat yourself to some of the nice rides they offer. Their prices are formed per hour of driving or per distance driven, but they also offer fixed prices for airport rides. The price can also depend on vehicle size and the number of passengers.
The cheapest ride is their Full-Size Sedan from Manhattan to La Guardia airport and it costs $34, fitting 1-4 passengers. The priciest ones are bus rentals for up to forty passengers. As mentioned above, possibilities of money-saving are via CarmelLimo’s loyalty and benefits programs, or through web discounts, you receive in return for a family member’s or friend’s email address.
CarmelLimo accepts payment by all types of credit cards in the form of prepayment, but customers can also pay when the ride is done, with both cards and cash. You can use a corporate account in case your company is paying for the ride.
Customer Service
The CarmelLimo customer service can be contacted through email or phone. There are several contacts to reach depending on the type of service you need. You can find email and phone contacts for administration services, operations management, drivers' customer services or general comments section on CarmelLimo’s website.
Their general customer service contact phone is (212) 663-3333, and their email is [email protected]. They have website forms for reporting lost stuff, reporting an issue, or delivering any other message you wish.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Final Verdict
For more than two years now, I have been a satisfied CarmelLimo customer. My family, coworkers, and friends all use their services and we are registered for their benefits program. As we ride with them at least once a week, I feel that my ride budget takes longer to spend and on top of that, we are enjoying different kinds of discounts in restaurants, museums, and theatre plays.
If you are still having doubts about CarmelLimo, I strongly recommend going through their website and trying out some of their services, because they are definitely worth a shot.
