On a recent trip to Valencia, Spain, I booked Blacklane transfers for rides between my home and Philadelphia International Airport and for transfers between my hotels in Valencia and Valencia Airport.
Founded in 2011 and based in Berlin, the company was created when Jens Wohltorf and Frank Steuer recognized the demand for a single global professional chauffeur service. Today, thousands of passengers daily rely on a network of licensed, insured professional chauffeurs connected through Blacklane.
In addition to chauffeur transfers, I purchased Blacklane PASS, which stands for Premium Airport Services & Solutions. For a fee, travelers can skip airport lines and book lounge access. Personal escorts guide travelers through gates, lounges and ground transportation. PASS also includes arrival services—such as planeside or post‑Customs greetings and luggage assistance—departure services that may include a vehicle meet, help with security lines and an escort to the gate, connection services to speed transfers between flights, and lounges offering food, beverages, showers and WiFi.
Booking the full suite of services—four chauffeur rides plus arrival and departure PASS at PHL—was straightforward, and communication via email and text was consistent and professional throughout the process.
As a frequent traveler, some PASS benefits overlap with Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, but my companion did not have those programs, so PASS made airport procedures notably easier for him. We found the service valuable in two specific ways: on departure, the PreCheck lane was unavailable and security had formed a line. With PASS, we bypassed the line and moved through security quickly. Our concierge also recommended a well‑liked wine bar where we relaxed before the flight. On return, our bags were delayed; having our PASS concierge coordinate with the driver while we handled lost luggage issues removed stress and simplified logistics.
I will certainly use Blacklane chauffeur services again. Beyond easy booking and reliable communication, the vehicles are high quality, airports include a complimentary 60 minutes of wait time, rates are all‑inclusive, and cancellation is free up to one hour before one‑way transfers. Chauffeurs are fully licensed and insured, and you can choose Business Class, Business Van or First Class vehicles.
On every occasion the drivers arrived early. That punctuality added peace of mind beyond knowing the ride was confirmed. In Valencia, our driver met us outside Customs holding a sign with our name. At Philadelphia on the return, our PASS concierge escorted us directly to the waiting vehicle.