Hotel group transfers for tour operators.

What a DMC needs from a transport partner

A destination management company needs three things from transport: the right vehicle at the right door at the right time, one contact who answers, and a written price before the group lands. Everything else is detail. This guide sets out how we work with tour operators and DMCs that bring groups into Dubai, and what we need from you so the transfers do not become the story of the trip.

We supply the vehicles and drivers. You keep the guest relationship, the guides and the programme. If a guide travels with the group, the driver follows the guide’s timings; if there is no guide, the driver is briefed on the meeting points.

What to send for a quote

• Arrival and departure flights, with terminals if you have them. DXB has three terminals, and they are not close to each other for a group on foot.
• Group size, split into adults and children, with the number of wheelchair users or guests who need help.
• Number of suitcases and large bags: the vehicle is chosen by bags as often as by seats.
• Hotel names and the check-in window. Some hotels do not release rooms before the afternoon.
• The programme: every move between hotel, venue and sightseeing, with times.
• The name and mobile number of your on-the-ground contact for the day.

The more of this arrives at once, the faster the written quote comes back. Use the booking form with a mobile number, or message us on WhatsApp at +971 54 126 1681.

Arrival waves: how we handle groups that land in pieces

Most groups do not land together. A group of 60 may arrive on three flights across six hours. Waiting for everyone at the airport is expensive and tiring; sending three vehicles without a plan wastes seats. We group by flight and terminal, set a meeting point and a wait time, and put the extra waiting on the quote, so you see the cost of an extra hour before you commit.

The driver tracks each flight. If a flight is late, the driver stays with the plan agreed with you. If a flight is very late, we call you, not the guests. Our DXB arrivals pick-up guide explains where drivers meet guests and how long it takes from landing to the vehicle. For private groups from Al Maktoum Airport see DWC transfers.

Seats, bags and the right vehicle

Seats are the easy part. A 13-seater van carries about 10 bags, the Sprinter about 12, the 30-seater mini coach about 20 and the 50-seater coach about 50. A group of 20 with a bag each fits seats in a Sprinter but not bags, so it needs the mini coach or a Sprinter plus a van.

Smaller VIP or FAM trip guests travel well in the Mercedes V-Class or luxury SUV. One quote can combine them with the group coach so the whole delegation arrives to one timetable.

For reference, full-day rates up to 10 hours with driver and fuel start from AED 900 for the 13-seater van, AED 2,450 for the Sprinter, AED 1,100 for the 30-seater mini coach and AED 1,450 for the 50-seater coach. A transfer is quoted for the route and the waiting time, and the written quote shows both.

Hotel driveways and the big-coach problem

Not every hotel can take a full-size coach at its door. Some city hotels in Old Dubai have narrow forecourts, one-way streets and a short unloading bay, and a 50-seater may have to stop on the street. A mini coach or two vans often reach the entrance when a large coach cannot. We ask the hotel or you for the drop-off rule when we know the property, and we put the stop point on the driver’s sheet.

Check-out and luggage are the other points. A group of 40 leaving a hotel at the same moment fills the lobby with bags. Ask the hotel to stage luggage the evening before, and set the coach time with a margin for the lifts.

From hotel to programme

After arrival, the same vehicles work as the programme transport: city tour, desert evening, dinner and gala. Our pages on a private city tour, desert safari group transport and event transport cover the details. Where a group needs the same driver across several days, say so on the first request. The quote lists each day separately with its hours.

Examples

Example one: a 36-person incentive group on two flights, 90 minutes apart, two hotels. One 50-seater coach waits at the airport for both flights and runs both hotels in turn. The extra wait is on the quote.

Example two: 22 guests and 24 suitcases to a hotel with a small forecourt. A 30-seater mini coach, because the 22 seats are enough but the bags are not for a Sprinter.

Example three: a FAM trip of six agents with a guide, V-Class for the party, the same car all week.

Related: Dubai airport transfer for groups · Meeting your driver at DXB · Event & conference transport · Coach rental Dubai · What’s in a bus rental quote · Corporate Chauffeur · Get a quote

Keep reading

• City tour by private minibus: A one-day Dubai city tour route for a group, how a private minibus compares with a hop-on hop-off bus, and what each option costs per head.
• Dubai Airport to your hotel: Metro, bus, taxi rank, app ride, hotel transfer or a driver in arrivals: how to reach your hotel from DXB, area by area.
• Dubai airport transfer for groups: Vans, Sprinters, mini coaches and 50-seat coaches for groups landing at DXB or DWC, with the luggage and the split flights planned.
• Stopover tour: A private Dubai stopover or layover tour from DXB: met at arrivals, shown the city at your pace, back at the terminal in good time for your next flight.
• Event & conference transport: Delegate shuttles, VIP cars and tour buses with drivers for conferences, exhibitions, galas and sport, run from one plan.
• Big group arrival at DXB: How to land 30 or more people at Dubai International and get them onto the right coach: flight lists, luggage, split arrivals and a group leader who is easy to find.