Arion Answers: Rates, Airports, Policies
The complete factual reference — minimums, meet points, fees, timings and policies, straight from dispatch.
These are the actual answers our dispatch office gives on the phone — rates, minimums, meet points, fees, timings and policies, stated as numbers rather than reassurances. Everything below is current Arion policy. If a question is not here, call dispatch at (970) 703-4995.
Booking and notice
How do I book a private driver?
Book online at ridearion.com or call dispatch at (970) 703-4995. Every Arion trip is prearranged, Colorado regulates chauffeured charter service through the Public Utilities Commission (Arion holds PUC LL-04689), so we are not a hail-on-the-street service. Booking online is the fastest route: you pick the vehicle, the pickup time and the stops, and add gate codes, flight numbers and child-seat requests in the notes field.
How much notice do you need?
Two hours for any pickup between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Inside two hours we can usually still run the trip as a rush booking, which adds $50 and is subject to a chauffeur and vehicle being free. We do not confirm a rush booking until a chauffeur is actually secured.
Can I book a 4 a.m. pickup?
Yes, and we run them constantly — they are one of our most common trips. The one rule: our administrative office is staffed 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., so a pickup that falls between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. has to be booked before 10 p.m. the night before. Dispatch and chauffeurs are on duty 24 hours a day; it is the booking desk that keeps office hours, not the service.
How far in advance should I book?
As far ahead as you like. There is no early-booking penalty, and the rate published when you book is the rate you pay even if our rates rise before your trip. That rate lock is tied to the booked date: if you change the date, the rate for the new date applies. If the date moves for a reason outside your control, such as a cancelled flight, we issue a ride credit and reschedule instead. Peak dates — ski holidays, graduation weekends, major concerts, sell out weeks ahead, so book those early for vehicle choice, not for price.
What happens after I book?
You get a written confirmation, then five text updates per trip — sent to both the passenger and whoever booked the ride. Twenty-four hours out: your chauffeur's name, photo and phone number, the vehicle, the license plate and the trip details, with a request to confirm everything is right. Then a message when the chauffeur is on the way, one when they are on location, one when you are on board and one when the trip is complete. Live chauffeur tracking opens one hour before pickup.
Can I change or cancel my reservation?
Yes. Cancel 48 hours or more before the pickup time and you receive a full refund. Inside 48 hours we retain up to 50% of the fare. No-shows are not refundable. Tours cancel on a 7-day window. Refunds take five to ten business days to appear, which is banking timing rather than ours.
What happens if Arion has to cancel my reservation?
It is rare, but if we cannot source a vehicle and chauffeur in time you hear it from a person: dispatch calls you directly, then follows up by text and email so you have it in writing. Because we do not typically charge until seven days before the trip, there is usually nothing to refund. If your card was already charged you receive a full refund in five to ten business days.
Rates, minimums and fees
Every service is booked hourly with a per-vehicle minimum. Rates below are hourly; flat mountain and airport transfer rates are quoted separately and are published on our pricing page. Stretch limousines, party buses and coach buses are quote-only, quoting confirms availability, which moves fast on event dates.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Luggage | Hourly rate | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Sedan | 3 | 3 bags | $150 | 2 hours |
| Executive SUV | 5 | 8 bags / 4 ski sets | $125 | 2 hours |
| Luxury SUV | 6 (5 from Nov 1–Apr 30) | 8 bags / 4 ski sets | $150 | 2 hours |
| Luxury Coach Van | 12 | 14 bags / 6 ski sets | $250 | 3 hours |
| Jet Van (Executive Van) | 9 | 14 bags / 6 ski sets | $325 | 4 hours |
| Stretch limousine, party bus, coach bus | 10–50 | 1 bag + 1 carry-on per passenger | Quote | 4 hours |
Is there a minimum booking length?
Yes, and it is set per vehicle: two hours for the Executive Sedan, Executive SUV and Luxury SUV; three hours for the Luxury Coach Van; four hours for the Jet Van, stretch limousines, party buses and coach buses. Forty miles are included per booking — per booking, not per hour. Flat-rate airport and mountain transfers are priced independently of the hourly card and can legitimately come in below the hourly minimum.
What extra fees should I expect?
The short list, in full: rush booking inside two hours, $50. Inside meet-and-greet at Denver International, $75 (free at Eagle County and Aspen). Child car seat, $25 per seat; boosters free. Wait time beyond the free grace period, billed at the vehicle's hourly rate in 15-minute increments. Biohazard cleanup, $250 minimum. Smoking in the vehicle, $500. There is no per-stop charge, no fuel surcharge line, no late-night surcharge and no airport-fee line item beyond what is quoted.
Is gratuity included or required?
There is no gratuity line charged to you. Gratuity is discretionary on every reservation and never added automatically at booking. Our position is that a chauffeur should earn it. If you would like to prepay one, dispatch can add it; otherwise tip in the vehicle or not at all, and it will not affect your service.
Is there a cleaning fee?
Normal wear after a long day on the road is on us and is not charged. If excessive cleaning is required, the cost comes from a professional detailer's fee schedule and is passed through at cost. Biohazard cleanup — vomit, blood, other bodily fluids, starts at $250 and bills at the detailer's actual cost if it runs higher. Smoking of any kind in the vehicle is a flat $500.
How and when do you charge my card?
All reservations are paid in advance, but the card is typically charged seven days before the trip rather than at booking. Trips booked inside that seven-day window are charged at booking. Vans and buses are charged when the reservation is made. We take Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover, plus Zelle and Venmo. Contracted business accounts pay by check or ACH against a retainer with net 30 terms. We no longer accept Cash App.
Do you charge for extra stops?
No per-stop fee. Because trips are booked hourly, a stop consumes time rather than triggering a charge — a gear stop or a grocery run on the way to the mountains adds real minutes. Any overage beyond your booked hours is charged when the trip completes. Meal stops are worth flagging at booking: the clock does not stop while you eat.
Airports and flights
| Airport | Standard meet | Where | Surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver International (DEN) | Curbside | Level 5, Island 2, west near door 506, east near door 511; your chauffeur texts the exact door | Inside meet with name sign, $75 |
| Eagle County (EGE) | Inside, name sign | Level 1, between baggage claim and the ticket counters | None |
| Aspen/Pitkin County (ASE) | Inside, name sign | By the baggage area or the arrival door | None |
| Private terminals / FBOs | Tarmac-side | Planeside where the FBO permits it; otherwise at the FBO entrance | None |
Where exactly does my chauffeur meet me at Denver International?
Curbside on Level 5 — the same level you reach after the train from the concourses. Pickups run from Island 2, on the west side near door 506 or the east side near door 511, depending on your airline's baggage claim. Your chauffeur texts you the exact door once your flight lands, which matters right now because DEN construction moves the pickup points regularly. If you would rather be met inside at baggage claim with a name sign and have your bags carried out, that is $75 and is arranged at booking.
What time is my airport pickup scheduled for?
Thirty minutes after your scheduled landing time. That covers taxi, the train and baggage claim on a normal day. Your chauffeur texts you the moment the aircraft is on the ground.
How long will the chauffeur wait at the airport?
We do not leave until the office has exhausted every way of reaching you, phone, text and email. If there is still no contact one hour after your flight has landed, the chauffeur is released and the fare is not refunded. On non-airport pickups the grace period is 15 minutes of free wait time, after which the vehicle's hourly rate applies, prorated in 15-minute increments.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
Nothing on your end. Dispatch runs FlightAware Premium and tracks your flight from the moment it is scheduled — departure, delay, diversion and arrival alerts included, so we adjust the pickup time on our side before you land. There is no charge for a delay we can see coming, and no late-night cutoff: a chauffeur will be there whatever the hour.
What if my flight is cancelled?
We do not cancel your reservation. Dispatch holds it and moves it to your new arrival. If you tell us to cancel, we cancel and issue a credit for the value of the ride, then rebook off your new flight information. The only time we release a reservation without your say-so is when there has been no answer to phone, text and email one hour after the flight has gated.
What if my flight diverts to another airport?
Tell dispatch and we will work the problem. We can often meet a diversion in Colorado Springs or run the ground leg back to your destination, subject to vehicle availability. Be realistic with us about timing: repositioning a vehicle 70-plus miles in the same storm that caused the diversion takes time, and we would rather give you an honest arrival window than a comfortable one.
How early should I be picked up for a departing flight?
Denver International recommends arriving two hours before departure, and we reverse-engineer the pickup time from that using distance, traffic and weather. From the mountains in winter, add two more hours — for a noon departure out of DEN that means leaving Vail around 7:00 a.m. Your chauffeur confirms the time the day before, once we have the forecast and the pass conditions. If you would rather leave earlier, just say so.
Private aviation
Do you meet private flights at FBOs?
Yes, and it is a core part of what we do. Most fixed-base operators allow the vehicle planeside on the tarmac, and our chauffeurs follow FBO staff direction to the letter to get there. Where tarmac access is not granted, your chauffeur waits at the FBO entrance. We serve Centennial (APA), Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (BJC), the Denver International FBOs, Eagle County and Aspen.
What information do you need for a private flight pickup?
The date, the arrival time and the FBO name are the essentials, most private travelers supply those directly. Give us the tail number as well if you have it: dispatch tracks general aviation aircraft by tail number through FlightAware Premium, which lets us stage the vehicle against the real ETA rather than the filed one. Where no tail number is available, dispatch coordinates the pickup directly with FBO staff.
Can you handle a same-day tail-swap or schedule change?
Usually, yes. Because we watch the aircraft rather than the itinerary, a departure that moves up or a diversion shows on our side before the call reaches us. Flight-department bookings also get itemized documentation of flight-caused delays, which is what makes any waiting time on the invoice auditable rather than arguable.
Service territory
Arion is based in Northern Colorado and runs the Denver metro, the northern Front Range and the I-70 mountain corridor daily. Distances below are one way from Denver International.
| Region | Representative destinations | Typical distance from DEN |
|---|---|---|
| Denver metro | Downtown Denver, Cherry Creek, DTC, Aurora, Broomfield | 25–40 miles |
| Northern Colorado | Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Windsor, Longmont, Boulder, Estes Park | 45–85 miles |
| Summit County | Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Frisco, Silverthorne | 100–120 miles |
| Eagle County | Vail, Beaver Creek, Avon, Edwards, Eagle | 135–155 miles |
| Roaring Fork Valley | Aspen, Snowmass, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs | 220 miles to Aspen |
| Southern Front Range | Colorado Springs, Castle Rock, The Broadmoor | 70–100 miles |
What areas do you serve?
Denver and the entire northern Front Range, the I-70 mountain corridor to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper Mountain, the Roaring Fork Valley to Aspen and Snowmass, and Colorado Springs. Long-distance one-way transfers anywhere in Colorado are quoted on request. If your trip starts or ends at DEN, EGE, ASE or a Front Range FBO, it is in our territory.
Do you serve Fort Collins and Northern Colorado?
Yes — Northern Colorado is home. Arion operates out of Firestone, between Denver and Fort Collins, so Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Windsor, Longmont, Berthoud and Estes Park are local work rather than out-of-area runs. That matters most on early-morning DEN departures, where a Fort Collins pickup is roughly a 75-minute drive and the vehicle is staged locally the night before rather than deadheading up from Denver at 3 a.m.
Do you drive from Denver to Aspen?
Yes. Denver International to Aspen is about 220 miles and roughly four hours in good conditions, routed on I-70 through Glenwood Springs. Winter, Vail Pass and Glenwood Canyon all move that number, so we quote the trip individually and build in the winter buffer. Note that Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is closed for runway reconstruction from April 4 to November 19, 2027, during that window Eagle County becomes the practical air gateway to Aspen, and the ground leg is one we already run.
Will you drive outside Colorado?
Out-of-state work is handled case by case — call dispatch. Our licensing, insurance and chauffeur training are built around Colorado operations, and we would rather refer you to a vetted operator in the destination state than stretch a promise.
Vehicles and passengers
How do I know which vehicle I need?
Size to the luggage, not the headcount. Four adults with ski bags do not fit an Executive SUV the way four adults with carry-ons do. The rule we use: a sedan takes 3 passengers and 3 bags, either SUV takes 8 bags or 4 ski sets, the Luxury Coach Van takes 14 bags or 6 ski sets. Tell dispatch what you are carrying and we will tell you which vehicle it fits in, including whether a roof rack or covered box is needed.
How many passengers fit in each vehicle?
Executive Sedan 3, Executive SUV 5, Luxury SUV 6, Jet Van 9, Luxury Coach Van 12. Beyond 12 we recommend by terrain, usually a mini coach or party bus to keep a group together, otherwise multiple vans or SUVs. Twelve passengers is the ceiling for a single Arion van.
Does SUV capacity change in winter?
Yes. From November 1 to April 30 the Luxury SUV carries 5 passengers rather than 6, because winter travel means gear and gear needs the sixth seat. The Executive SUV is 5 passengers year-round. We would rather set that expectation at booking than at the curb with skis on the ground.
How much luggage actually fits?
Executive Sedan, 3 bags. Executive and Luxury SUV, 8 bags or 4 ski sets, with 7 to 8 pieces inside when the SUV is running at its winter 5-passenger limit. Vans, 14 bags or 6 ski sets, up to 18 suitcases when nobody needs legroom for skis. Buses, one suitcase and one carry-on per passenger. Oversized items ride on the roof — we run open racks and covered boxes, because nobody should sit with a bag on their lap for two hours.
Are your vehicles wheelchair accessible?
Not fully — we have no lift or ramp in the fleet, and we will not imply otherwise. Folding wheelchairs, walkers, portable oxygen and service animals are all accommodated in our SUVs and vans. If you need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, we refer clients to Hermes Worldwide and their ADA Sprinter van at (303) 577-7600, and our DEN accessibility guide covers the airport side in detail.
Do you provide car seats?
Yes. Child seats are $25 per seat, in both rear-facing and forward-facing configurations, tell us which at booking, and note that two seats is $50. Booster seats are free, but we still need the count at reservation so your chauffeur arrives with the equipment already fitted. Where Colorado law requires a child restraint, it is required in our vehicles too; there is no exception for a hired car.
Are pets allowed?
Yes, with owners keeping pets under control in transit and telling the chauffeur if a comfort stop is needed — we are glad to pull over. Excessive shedding or mess that requires more than a normal cleaning is billed at the detailer's cost. Service animals are always welcome and are never part of a cleaning conversation.
Can we drink alcohol in the vehicle?
Alcohol is permitted for passengers 21 and over, and we stock water, soda and refreshments on board. No consumption by anyone under 21, on any booking. Smoking of any kind is not permitted and carries a $500 minimum cleaning charge.
Winter operations
How do you handle Colorado's traction law?
Nothing changes for you and there is no surcharge. Our winter fleet runs four-wheel drive with state-approved winter tires, which satisfies the traction law as the vehicle sits, 4WD vehicles are not required to chain. Vans and buses are two-wheel drive and may pull over to chain up when conditions require it; our chauffeurs are quick at it, and some buses carry auto-deploy chains. It is a few minutes of delay and it is why the trip keeps moving when other vehicles are turned around at the checkpoint.
What happens if I-70 closes during my trip?
Every mountain transfer is monitored in real time and chauffeurs are given alternate routing as conditions change — including being told mid-trip to turn around when a pass closes or a delay becomes substantial. Your chauffeur tells you the decision and the reason directly, at the time it is made, in plain language. The standard we hold is getting you to your destination safely and as fast as conditions allow, not sitting in a closure queue hoping.
How much extra time should I plan in winter?
Add about an hour to any mountain transfer, and two hours for a mountain-to-DEN departure. Concretely: a noon flight out of Denver means leaving Vail around 7:00 a.m. Most winter mornings you will arrive early and have a coffee. The one morning you would not have is the reason the buffer exists.
What winter equipment do your vehicles carry?
Four-wheel drive and state-approved winter tires across the winter fleet. Chauffeurs are asked to carry a mountain preparedness kit, flares, roadside triangles, solar blankets, water and snacks — and an avalanche beacon is strongly recommended for corridor work, though not mandated. We would rather tell you exactly what is standard and what is recommended than blur the two.
On the day of your trip
How early does the chauffeur arrive?
Ten to fifteen minutes before your scheduled departure time in the Denver metro, and up to 30 minutes early in snow or heavy weather at the dispatcher's discretion. That window is used for a final vehicle check, a route review and a look at current traffic. Weddings are staged 30 minutes prior as standard.
Where does the chauffeur pick me up at my home?
At your front door, unless you tell us otherwise. If you would rather be met at the end of the driveway or at a side entrance, put it in the notes field when you book. Gate codes belong there too, a chauffeur who already has the code is not the one calling you at 4:45 a.m. from outside the gate.
What happens if my chauffeur is late?
You hear from us before you have to ask. Your chauffeur and a dispatch operator both reach out with the delay, the cause and the plan. Weather on I-70 and the mountain passes is our most frequent interrupter by a wide margin. If a vehicle cannot make it, dispatch reassigns another chauffeur immediately and tells you who is coming and when.
What if I leave something in the vehicle?
Call dispatch at (970) 703-4995. Items go to the main office as soon as possible and the chauffeur often returns them the same day. Everything found is logged and stored secured and out of sight, and dispatch — not the chauffeur, contacts you to arrange the handoff. Wallets, phones, medication, keys, laptops and ID documents are escalated immediately. Unclaimed items are held 30 days.
Can I request a quiet ride?
Yes, and you do not have to ask twice. Silence is the default posture of a professional chauffeur; conversation happens when you start it. Tell us at booking if you will be taking calls or working, and the chauffeur will handle the cabin accordingly.
Privacy, safety and credentials
Are your chauffeurs licensed and insured?
Arion operates under Colorado PUC authority LL-04689 and carries $1.5 million in commercial auto liability plus $5 million in general liability on every vehicle, every trip. Our record: more than 2,500 trips, 10,556 passengers, 579,878 miles, zero accidents. More than 65% of that book runs on Arion's own fleet with Arion chauffeurs; the balance goes to vetted Colorado PUC-certified affiliate operators trained to Arion's written standards. Details on how we vet.
Is my trip confidential?
Yes, and contractually so. Passenger names, pickup and drop-off locations, itineraries, conversations inside the vehicle and billing information are all confidential. Every chauffeur who carries Arion clients has acknowledged our SOP and signed a confidentiality statement, and no photographs of clients are taken or posted without written permission. Information is released only where the law compels it, to protect life or safety, with your explicit authorization, to the limited extent needed to complete your reservation, or in a fraud or payment investigation. Signed NDAs are available on request for both drivers and staff — the full policy is on our confidentiality page.
Will a chauffeur speed to make up time?
No. Speed is the one thing we will not trade, and no chauffeur has ever been disciplined at Arion for arriving late to protect a passenger. If the clock is against us we will tell you honestly what the arrival window looks like and, where it helps, coordinate with the party waiting for you.
How does Arion handle a group in multiple vehicles?
One point of contact per vehicle, not one for the whole group, each chauffeur communicates directly with their own contact. Each vehicle departs when its own point of contact confirms it is ready, rather than holding the whole group for one late passenger. Vehicles head to the same destination and ideally travel together, but we never promise a convoy; arrival times can differ slightly.
Have another question?
We respond to every inquiry within one hour.
Last reviewed: August 25, 2026 by Arion dispatch. Rates, policies and Colorado Department of Transportation rules are subject to change; call (970) 703-4995 for current details.