Mrs. ATX, ATX Jr., and I just arrived in Istanbul as part of our adventure to Asia and, after landing, we had an awful experience with our Blacklane ride into the city. I’ll have the full trip report on our journey up in the coming weeks.
With the unrest in Istanbul and the fact that we woke up at 3:45a to leave Almaty, I wanted an easy way to get into the city. I inquired with our hotel about their car service but the pricing was on the higher side at roughly €200-300. Blacklane has been used multiple times abroad by SFO777 and we had recently used it in Dubai with great success so I decided to book with them.
We were already in the air from Almaty to Istanbul when I booked the ride, so I had to pay a close in booking penalty. Still, the total for our ride came out to be €163.88 with all taxes and fees included. Not a great deal but I could have booked it for around €120 in advance. We provided our flight number in the booking and also requested a child’s seat but, given the short time frame, noted that we had one packed that we could use if needed.
Locating our Blacklane “Driver”
Ae were assigned to a bus gate when we arrived at Istanbul Airport so it took a while to get off of the plane, to the terminal, and through customs and baggage claim. Our Blacklane driver, or at least who I thought was our Blacklane driver, contacted me to let us know where to meet him and I kept him up to date on our progress.
After retrieving our bags we made our way to the meeting point with luggage and strollers in tow. Upon arriving I found one Blacklane driver holding a sign that wasn’t for me. After looking around for other drivers, and being offered some unsolicited rides in the process. I asked the Blacklane driver that was there to assist.
My Turkish isn’t great so he called the number since the only responses I got to my messages were “Okay” and “I am outside”. Fortunately, he was able to locate the representative who I had been messaging with as our “driver” didn’t have any sort of signage or anything identifying himself. He also walked off at one point while was talking to him to take a phone call before stating “follow me” and heading for the parking garage.
He didn’t turn around once on his way to the elevator and between our 10 month old, stroller, and luggage, we lost him in the crowd briefly. Once we got to the elevator, I realized that he had at least one other group with him and I began to wonder if he had added other people to our ride.
After a short ride in the elevator we ended up in a rideshare pickup area and were told to “wait here”. He ran off and was directing people to various vans that were pulling up and I realized that he was merely the greeter.
Waiting for our Ride
I was already frustrated at this point and Mrs. ATX, who was dealing with our son, was even more so. I decided to check the Blacklane app and noticed that while our driver showed as “Chauffeur Arrived” at the airport, his icon was in Central Istanbul. Messaging the driver directly via the Blacklane app received no response.
Finally, after 10-15 minutes of standing in the parking garage, a van pulled up and we were directed by our “greeter” to get in. The driver of this van didn’t match the driver in the app and neither did the license plate. Mrs. ATX and I considered walking away at that point and taking our chances with a Taxi or Uber as we were unsure if we were being scammed but, eventually decided to get in.
There was no baby seat and the driver seemed confused by it when we asked, further solidifying the feeling that something wasn’t right. We pulled ATX Jr’s car seat out of one of our bags and struggled to get it set up in the van.
The driver was helpful but the van had a custom interior which made it difficult to get the seatbelt attachments right. At one point he stated he would drive very safe so there was no need to worry. We pressed the issue and on the third try, found a seat that would accommodate it.
Finally loaded in, we started our drive into the city and I noticed that the app was not showing our route or where we were on it even though the ride was listed as “Ongoing”. At this point I’d had enough and started searching for customer support via the Blacklane app.
Chatting With Blacklane Customer Support
Blacklane has the option in the app to either chat with or call customer support. Since we were in the car with the driver and felt pretty uneasy, I elected to use the chat feature. After bypassing the AI assistant, I was quickly connected with a representative.
I shared our experience up until that point as well as some questions that I had. First, was this a legitimate Blacklane ride that we were in as it wasn’t showing in the app. The representative confirmed that it was and that it appeared the GPS had been turned off (even more odd).
She instructed me to get a photo of the plate if possible when we arrived and that they would take the information and forward it to the Blacklane “Senior Team” for review. Honestly, I’m not expecting to hear anything back from the company and this will likely be the last time I use their services. I’d rather pay more and book a transfer direct with my hotel or, if I’m in the mood for chaos, try my hand a hitchhiking or using a local taxi.
Fortunately, we arrived safely at the hotel without any issues. The driver did in fact drive safely, though I was still happy to know ATX Jr. was strapped safely into his properly attached car seat.
The Blacklane Fleet Owner Reaches Out to Me Directly
I assumed that my feedback to Blacklane had gone off into a black hole until I received a message from who I am assuming is the owner of the local Fleet company in Istanbul. The message didn’t come via the app but he texted me directly.
He acknowledged the issue with the car seat, though made an excuse regarding the close in nature of the booking (even though he charged a €50 close in booking fee), and the incorrect license plates on the vehicle.
The company owner/representative failed to acknowledge any of the other issues that we experienced during the process, even though I sent him the same items I sent Blacklane customer support. Though I reiterated these issues to him numerous times, he was not willing to acknowledge the shortcomings of his service.
He did offer me a discounted ride on my next trip but, given the fact that he is unwilling to acknowledge the issues associated with his service, I’m not willing to take another Blacklane ride in Istanbul and can’t recommend it in good conscience.
While long, hopefully this helps someone avoid the experience and uncertainty we had after landing in Istanbul.
UPDATE: Blacklane Customer Service Response
Shortly after I posted this story, Blacklane customer support reached out to me in response to my issues. It’s safe to say I am blown away, in a good way. The company acknowledged all of the issues that I experienced and indicated that they would not be charging me for this ride. Also, they provided me with a voucher to use on future Blacklane bookings.
While I certainly won’t be using that voucher in Istanbul, I’m happy to see that this issue is being taken seriously and the company’s response will ensure that I give Blacklane another chance in the future!
Summary
We booked a car service between Istanbul Airport and our hotel in the city via Blacklane and had one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had using a rideshare app or car service. While Blacklane worked great for us in Dubai, I can not recommend using this service during a visit to Istanbul given the issues we experiences.
In fairness to Blacklane, the operator we used seems to exclusively operate the Mercedes Vans for the company. I saw other Blacklane drivers delivering the customer service one would expect from the company. Blacklane also responded to my complaint directly and acknowledged the issues. The response from them was more than adequate and I will use the company again, just not in Istanbul.
Helicopter transfers next time….
did they respond because you are a blogger?
No, I don’t believe so. The response was fairly lengthy and came just a few minutes after my post. I did not give them any indication I was a blogger during my conversations with their customer support.
Honestly, with the exception of the child seat issue, I really don’t see much to get in a tizzy about here.
Istanbul airport is huge, and I also had a heck of a time trying to find my driver when I landed there a couple years ago. Couple that with how far away the airport is from the city and you booking just a few hours before, I struggle to understand you expecting perfect service given these limitations.
I know it’s frustrating, and I’ve been in the same shoes before, but the close in booking I think is really what threw things off the rails a bit. You still got where you were going and the ride was safe. 🤷♂️
So you see no issue with vans/drivers that don’t match the descriptions of who you’re supposed to be riding with and your assigned driver being unresponsive in the app? Also the fact that the GPS wasn’t on making it unclear as to whether we were in an actual Blacklane vehicle?
Also, the car seat not being in the vehicle was annoying but we had our own packed. While I did book close in, don’t charge me a close in booking penalty and then use it as an excuse for poor service.
With company’s like this, you’re paying for service. I could have walked out and gotten a Taxi or Uber and avoided the chaos based on what we got.
I worked for a black car service in Boston for ten years. Communication with the client is vital once their plane has landed. Stating clearly where the chauffeur is located and with a large enough sign to welcome the person or group is also important. I have seen chauffeurs holding cell phones up at the waiting site expecting clients, struggling with small children and luggage to read their names to identify them within a gaggle of drivers. You received poor service and deserved much better , especially in a foreign country with your family.