Frequently Asked Questions
Our company prides itself on a longstanding history of providing quality services to the area since 2001, during which time the following Frequently Asked Questions commonly arise. In the event that the information you are seeking is not contained within our FAQ section or this site in general, please contact us via phone or email and an agent will respond to your questions promptly.
About The Vehicle
- I have a small child, do I need to bring my own seat?
- You can reserve a child seat during the booking process, for an additional fee.
In order to ensure the safety of the child and proper installation of the car seat, the driver may ask for assistance when installing the car seat. In Chicago and NYC, the law requires the passenger perform the installation. - Do I need to put my child in a car seat?
- Laws vary by state, so you should know and comply with the legal requirements.
- Can I smoke in a BAL vehicle?
- For health and safety reasons, we do not allow smoking in any BAL vehicle.
- Is luggage allowed inside the vehicle?
- All large luggage must fit in the truck of the vehicle. If handheld luggage fits inside the vehicle, then it is permitted only in the back seat. By law the front seat cannot hold passengers or luggage.
- What are the capacities of your vehicles?
- Please visit Our Fleet page to learn more about our vehicles and their passenger and luggage capacities.
After You Book
- How will I know my car has arrived and what if I need to contact the driver?
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If you’ve provided us with your mobile number, you will receive an SMS alert to let you know your driver is on the way and again when they arrive at your pickup location.
If you need to contact your driver, the best number to call will be listed in the SMS alert. You can also always call us at 1- 877- 862- 4285
Airport Pick-Ups
- What if my flight is early or delayed?
- We ask for your flight information when booking your ride. This information allows us to track your flight – so early or late – when your flight arrives we’ll be there. You have the option to disable flight tracking, but we advise against this because if your flight is early you may be kept waiting or if it’s late you may incur unnecessary wait time fees.
- How will I find my driver? Do you provide meet & greet service?
- We offer curb-side pick-up as standard service or meet & greet service for an additional fee.
- If you’ve requested an inside pick-up your driver will meet you at baggage claim.
- If you’re meeting your driver for curb-side pick-up, please call the driver when you’ve collected your luggage, using the number you received via SMS to arrange the pick-up location.
Apps Account Management
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1: Is there a cost to create an account?
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2: How do I create an account?
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3: Can I save frequent pickup and destination points?
4: How do I retrieve or reset my password?
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Open up the BAL App and click on “Forgot your Password”. The link will take you through the necessary steps to reset your password.
Creating An Personal and Corporate Account
- What’s the benefit of creating a BAL.limo account?
- Does BAL.limo offer services for corporations?
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BAL.limo account allows you to manage your current, cancelled and closed reservations; cancel reservations online; manage payments methods and contact information; and most importantly expedite the check out process.
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Yes. We can work with you to customize a travel program that best meets your needs and the needs of your travelers. To learn more about opening a corporate account, visit Our Corporate Page.
Making a Reservaton
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How do I make a reservation for a BAL (BookAlimos,Ltd) car?
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we offer three simple ways to book a ride.
Payments
- Does the driver accept credit cards or cash?
- Will I get a receipt of my ride?
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Our drivers do not accept payments in any form. Your payment information will be gathered during the booking process whether you book online, through our app or by phone.
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Yes, you will receive an e-receipt on the next business day after the ride.
Promotions
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Does BAL offer discounts on rides? From time to time BAL.Limo will offer customers promotional discounts on rides. Please note that only one code will be accepted per reservation and the code must be entered at checkout in order for the discount to be applied to the reservation.
Rates & Fees
- How much will my BAL.Limo ride cost?
- Are there additional or hidden fees?
- Is gratuity included or should I tip the driver when I exit?
- What other fees might I see on my final bill that were not on the ride confirmation?
- What if I’m running late or my flight is late – will my driver wait for me?
- What is surge pricing?
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BALs’ fares are based on distance calculations from the pick-up to drop-off location. In certain locales such as Chicago and NYC, the distance is calculated by zone. In others, the calculation is based on the exact start and end points. To get an estimate of your ride, please visit BAL.limo online reservation center and enter your ride details with the date and time you will need the service.
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BAL.Limo does not have hidden fees. We show you your estimated total upfront, which includes all charges with the exception of wait time, stops, parking or tolls, which cannot be calculated until the ride is complete.
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You are not responsible for paying the driver a tip when exiting. In the Chicago and NYC metro area, you are charged a 20% standard gratuity, which you’ll see as a line item at check out. Riding outside of Chicago and New York, the tip percentage is determined and distributed to the drivers by the company for which they work. An additional gratuity can be added at your discretion.
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Fees incurred during the ride cannot be estimated beforehand, so you’ll see them only on your final bill. Any wait time, additional stops you request and tolls will be reflected on your final bill.
See more on our policies for wait time, stops and tolls.
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Yes, but please be aware after the wait time grace period you will be charged wait time. With an airport pick-up, if you’ve provided us with your flight information we will track your flight, in an effort to help you avoid wait time fees.
Our industry leading grace periods are: 30 minutes for a domestic flight/cruise terminal pick-up, 60 minutes for an international flight pick-up and 10 minutes for anywhere else. After the grace period expires you will be charged wait time. Wait Time is $1.25/minute.
We will try to reach you several times before completely canceling your ride. Once your grace period has ended we will wait an additional 60 minutes, reach out to you once more and then we will cancel the ride. You will then be responsible for the base fare, wait time fees and processing fees.
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In an effort to increase the amount of supply available during inclement weather, certain peak travel times and local events, BookAlimos has instituted surge pricing in order to maximize the chance that there will be a car available for you when you need one. During surge pricing we increase prices slightly at these times to secure the best, most reliable transportation for you.
What information is collected during booking and how is this information used?
What is BAL.Limo ride cancellation policy?
What is the STF Surcharge?
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- The 10% STF Surcharge
(Surface Transportation Fee)
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- was added to our rates in 2014 to help offset increases in auto and workers comp insurance premiums, rising Municipal and State fees imposed on our industry, the purchase of new vehicles for our fleet and the implementation of new technology
(website, on-line reservation system and soon as App for Bal.Limo and Bookalimos,LTd)
- . We chose to add this as a separate line item rather than add it into the base rate so that it would not increase the customer’s percentage gratuity preference and the gas surcharge, if applicable. If the cost of gas rises, that surcharge will be reinstated accordingly.
What Vehicles Do You Offer For Hire and How many passengers and bags can each vehicle type accommodate?
- Our fleet includes Sedans, (Luxury Class , VIP Class) Mercedes-Benz, SUV’s, Stretch Limousines, Executive Vans, Mini Buses of all sizes, Party Buses.
Please refer to our fleet page for more information regarding our diverse fleet of vehicles. To learn about the differences please visit Our Fleet page. - Each vehicle can accommodate a different number of passengers and bags. Please visit Our Fleet page to view our passenger and bag limits for each car class.
If your passenger/bag count exceeds the limits, you will need to upgrade the vehicle type or reserve an additional vehicle. TLC safety regulations prohibit passengers and bags from riding in the front seat of the vehicle.
The driver has the right to refuse the ride if the passenger/bag count exceeds the limits of the vehicle. This will result in extra charges for you, so please book accordingly.
Where does BAL.Limo provide car service?
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You can ride with BAL.Limo (BookAlimos,Ltd) in every U.S. city and in 110 countries worldwide. Rides can be booked in advance using any of our reservation methods.
Most reservations need to be booked between 60 minutes to 48 hours before your requested pick-up time. Advance reservation times differ based on the pickup location.
Why do I have to wait for my car to arrive at O’hare and Midway Airports?
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Please understand that Chicago Airport security regulations for curbside pick-ups require all livery vehicles to remain in a staging area until their Passenger is ready to depart. Vehicles are strictly prohibited from waiting at the Terminals. If Airport Security* directs the Chauffeur to leave, the arrival of your vehicle will be delayed and additional charges will apply.
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This notice has been posted at the Airports: *Per Airport Security: Effective January 5, 2015, the “Zero Dwell Time” rule will be enforced at all terminals. Any prearranged vehicle not actively loading will be required to leave the terminal. Failure to do so will result in ticket.
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Due to heavy traffic on Thursday evenings, it may take longer than 15 minutes for the Chauffeur to arrive as the assigned door. Dispatchers will inform you if this occurs.
Effective 2015-07-26. Subject to change without notice.