As the year draws to a close, London’s calendar fills with client dinners, award ceremonies, and end-of-year networking events. For PAs and EAs managing the schedules of busy executives, seamless travel can make the difference between a productive season and a stressful one.
We spoke to the experts at Blacklane, the global chauffeur service, to get a handle on how to keep things efficient, sustainable, and manageable during an exceptionally busy period. UK and Ireland general manager, James Dow, talks us through how a chauffeur service is the gift of time, space and productivity when calendars step into over-drive.
What makes the festive events season so challenging for travel planners?
“The events season always piles on pressure,” says James Dow, Blacklane’s UK and Ireland General Manager. “PAs and EAs are coordinating multiple schedules across different venues in one day, from strategy meetings to charity galas. Add winter weather and London traffic, and it’s easy for plans to unravel. That’s where a reliable, chauffeur service makes a real difference.”
Ensuring every journey runs smoothly helps executives stay composed and on time, turning what used to be a stressful and logistical headache into a seamless and enjoyable part of the day, even when the diary’s bursting.
How can PAs help their executives stay calm and productive on the move?
With Blacklane, journeys become an extension of the working day, providing a quiet space for calls, emails, or simply even regrouping between events. Every Blacklane chauffeur partner exercises discretion, so guests can handle confidential calls or use the time to prepare for the next engagement.
For those who need a breather, the comfort of a Blacklane vehicle – climate-controlled, spacious, and private – is a welcome weather-proof sanctuary amid a hectic schedule.
What’s the best way to manage multiple journeys in one day?
Book by the hour rather than trip-by-trip. Not only is it ideal for days filled with back-to-back commitments across the city, but also means for PAs that only one booking has to be made, requiring no edits or updates. A dedicated chauffeur stays close by, ready to move as the schedule evolves whether that’s a last-minute client invitation or an early wrap-up.
Blacklane’s chauffeur partners know London inside out, from Mayfair’s private members’ clubs to Canary Wharf’s glass towers, so routes are efficient, and timing is precise. No waiting in the cold, no scrambling for last-minute taxis, and no uncertainty about how long the next car will take to arrive or how to manage an unforeseen delay.
How can travel planning support wellbeing during such a demanding season?
Blacklane’s research from the ‘Premium meets Productivity’ report shows that stressful, fragmented journeys can cost executives valuable productive time – even up to a full working day lost for senior leaders.
“PAs tell us that when they book Blacklane, they know their executives are in safe, professional hands,” adds Dow. “That peace of mind lets them focus on everything else – the hundreds of details that make the pivotal end-of-year period run smoothly.”
Sustainability is on every corporate agenda. How can Blacklane help?
Offsetting travel is another thing that Blacklane can take off the hands of busy support professionals with ease. Blacklane saves PAs and EAs the extra work and time of reporting as every journey is automatically offset at no additional cost. Valuable emissions reporting data can also be supplied. Plus, in cities such as London, over 60 per cent of trips are already completed in electric vehicles like the Mercedes EQS and sustainability goals are supported without compromising on comfort or style.
What’s your top tip for keeping London moving this events season?
Plan ahead. Just as no PA would leave accommodation to chance, travel between meetings and events deserves the same attention. Executive support professionals tell us the option to ‘book for someone else’ via the Blacklane app is invaluable. It’s easy to add a guest’s name to a booking when on-the-go, the expenses side is seamless, and the guest directly receives important information such as the chauffeur’s location and arrival confirmation. You can have multiple guests set up on one profile, making it simple to manage and amend many different journeys as and when plans change.
“Think of it as taking control of the chaos,” says Dow. “When transport is well-managed, everything else falls into place.”
This events season, keep your executives and VIPs moving comfortably, productively, and sustainably – no matter how full the calendar gets.
Learn more or set up a corporate account: blacklane.com/en/corporations
We are excited to have Blacklane as a gold partner at the PA Life Christmas Party & Star Awards 2025.
