Rear Cabin Etiquette for Passengers and Their Guests

Where people sit, and why it is not arbitrary

The most comfortable seat in a chauffeur car is behind the front passenger, because the seat in front of it can be moved fully forward and because it is furthest from traffic when the car sets down at a kerb. By convention that seat goes to the most senior passenger or to the guest being hosted. It is a small courtesy that people notice.

When two people travel and one is hosting, the host generally takes the seat behind the driver and gives the guest the better side. When three travel, the middle position falls to whoever is going the shortest distance. None of this is a rule anyone will enforce, but knowing it removes a moment of hesitation at the kerb.

Doors, luggage and letting the chauffeur work

Chauffeurs open doors and handle luggage as part of the job. Passengers who reach for their own case or open their own door are being polite, but it often creates an awkward negotiation on a busy pavement. The smoother approach is to let the chauffeur do it and simply say thank you.

There are exceptions worth knowing. On the traffic side of a busy road, wait for the chauffeur rather than opening a door into a cycle lane. And if you are in a hurry, saying so lets the chauffeur adjust rather than performing the full routine while you fret.

• Let the chauffeur open the door on the traffic side
• Give the best seat to the guest or the senior passenger
• Say if you are in a hurry rather than rushing the routine
• Take anything you need with you at each stop

Conversation, and how to set the tone

Chauffeurs read passengers well, but they are not telepathic. If you want silence, say so at the start; it will be received as useful information rather than rudeness. If you would like conversation, ask a question and it will follow. Either is normal and neither needs justification.

When hosting a guest, setting the tone is the host's job. A brief word to the chauffeur at the start, such as asking for a quiet journey or mentioning that you will be talking business, saves everyone from guessing for the first ten minutes. Guests take their cue from the host, so the first thirty seconds set the tone for the journey.

Phones, calls and third parties in the cabin

Taking a call in a shared cabin follows the same conventions as a train quiet coach with an audience of one or two. Keep it brief, keep names and figures vague if the material is sensitive, and use a headset rather than a speakerphone where possible. If a guest is present, a short apology before taking a call goes a long way.

It is also worth remembering that the chauffeur hears everything. Professional practice treats it as private, but if a conversation is genuinely confidential it is reasonable to say so, and it is equally reasonable to leave the detail for the destination. Sensitive material is better kept for a room with a door than a cabin with an audience.

Looking after the cabin, and the tipping question

Ordinary care is all that is asked: take rubbish with you, mention a spill rather than hiding it, and keep muddy boots or wet equipment out of the passenger compartment unless it has been prepared for. Any genuine accident is far better mentioned than discovered later.

Tipping is discretionary in the UK and never expected. Some passengers tip after a long day or where a chauffeur has gone out of their way; many do not, and no chauffeur will treat you differently for it. A specific note of thanks passed back to the company is often valued more than money.

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