Why you should consider riding with GroundLink
Quick summary
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
You just landed at the airport and the last thing you want to do is wait in the long yellow taxi line or walk to a central area hoping that an Uber will be available. You want to get off the plane, grab your luggage and get into a car. There are many car-service companies that will do that, but you'll have to do research in advance to find out the one that serves your destination. Or you can just go straight to GroundLink -- a presence in more than 460 markets. GroundLink is similar to your traditional black car service but with many enhancements.
Benefits of booking with GroundLink
GroundLink uses modern technology to help ensure a safe ride. Before you get into the car, you'll receive a text message with the driver's name, picture and car model. Cars also have GPS tracking, so you can see your driver's location during the pickup process. Drivers are professional, cars are clean and some have water waiting for you.
Related: Why I no longer use services like Uber and Lyft
The service also offers an on-time guarantee -- if your car is more than five minutes late to pickup, your next ride is free (up to $75). When I used to take a different car service on a weekly basis from New York City to the airport, the car was frequently late.
For those traveling on business who need to track expenses, your GroundLink account will show all of your rides. This allows you to pull receipts and expense them properly. You don't need to worry about losing a receipt at the end of your ride.
GroundLink on-demand
In most markets, GroundLink requires you to schedule at least 30 minutes to four hours before your requested pickup time — depending on the market. Of course, you can always book weeks in advance.
However, in select markets, such as New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin and Boston, GroundLink offers an on-demand service called RIDE NOW. Similar to Uber and Lyft, this allows you to book a car when you need it and a car will be available within 10 minutes. To use this feature, you must book through the mobile app.
GroundLink booking process
With GroundLink, you can book a ride online, through their mobile app or by calling its customer service line. You'll enter your pickup and drop-off location as well as your pickup date and time. If you are being picked up from an airport, you'll be asked to enter your airline and flight number. If you don't know it offhand, GroundLink can help look it up. This allows GroundLink to track your flight in case there are delays or if the flight arrives early. If you're checking bags or know that you have to take a call once your flight lands, you can also request a pickup time later than the gate arrival.
Once you enter your information, you'll select your desired car. Pick anything from an economy car to a van. You'll see the price of each.
During the car-selection process, you'll also can add a car seat if needed. They offer infant, toddler and booster seats so you are getting the right car seat for your child's age. Other car-service companies offer car seats, but usually it's one-size-fits-all and the seat might not work for your child. For families, this is a huge perk of GroundLink.
You'll see the final price on the checkout page. Unlike taxis that run on a meter or might give you some arbitrary price once you arrive at your destination, your original quote from GroundLink is guaranteed and will not change at the end of your trip. Best of all, tips are included in your upfront rate so you don't have to worry about not having cash.
You can always add an additional gratuity, but the only thing GroundLink adds to your final ride are tolls, wait times, congestion taxes, parking fees and stop charges. These are charged to the credit card used to book your ride.
GroundLink discounts
GroundLink might not be the cheapest car service in a particular city, but there are many promotions that will help you save money. For starters, first-time users who sign up through a referral link will earn a $10 credit toward their ride. You can then refer a friend and receive an additional $10 credit after they complete their first ride. Ride credits expire 90 days after they are received.
Also, always google "GroundLink coupon codes" before you book. Many will pop up, but you might have to try a few to find one that works. Currently, you can get 10% off your ride by applying promo code "BLACKCAR10".
Finally, if you have an American Express credit card, such as the American Express® Green Card, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express or the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, check your account to see if you are eligible for the GroundLink Amex Offer. Through April 3, 2020, you'll receive a $25 statement credit after you spend $125 or more with GroundLink. You can take advantage of this offer twice per enrolled card, for a total savings of $50. The $125 minimum is on one or more transactions, so even if you're not spending that much on a single ride, after you complete multiple rides to trigger the threshold, you'll see the statement credit on your account. Just make sure to add the offer to your card in advance and pay with your registered Amex card.
The information for the Amex Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: You might be able to save $50 on your next two GroundLink rides
The best thing about Amex Offers is that they can be combined with any promotional code you find. The discount will not appear during your GroundLink checkout process, but instead later as a statement credit.
Maximize your ride
As with any travel-related purchase, use the best credit card to maximize your purchase. Since GroundLink codes as "Travel," use a credit card that offers an increased bonus in the travel category. Popular cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card and the Citi Premier® Card will give you 3x points on travel-related purchases (on the first $150,000 in combined purchases per account anniversary year on the Ink Business Preferred).
Related: The 6 best credit cards for travel purchases
Or, you can always use a credit card that allows you to "erase" your purchase. For example, with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you can redeem your miles at a fixed rate of 1 mile per dollar spent on travel purchases made within the last 90 days. Since you cannot use your traditional points and miles for car service transportation, this method allows you to redeem your points for a free ride.
Bottom line
When traveling to a new city, GroundLink might be the simplest way to reserve a car service to get from Point A to Point B. You know you'll always get into a clean and safe car and you won't need to spend time researching car-service options. GroundLink offers many benefits but you might pay a premium price.