Why Sustainable Pricing Matters in the Chauffeur Industry: Lessons From Jetstar Asia
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Simon Kalipciyan, COO & Co-Founder, 30 October 2026
In short: Sustainable pricing means charging enough to cover the real cost of a safe, reliable, professional service, so the business is still there for its customers next year. Jetstar Asia's closure in July 2025 is a reminder of what happens when costs rise faster than a business can absorb them. In the chauffeur industry, those costs include professional drivers, late-model vehicles, insurance, airport fees and tolls.
Global travel keeps changing, and businesses in ground transport, especially premium services like ours, have to keep asking what sustainable pricing really means. Last year's closure of Jetstar Asia made that question very real.
What Happened to Jetstar Asia?
Jetstar Asia, the Qantas Group's Singapore-based low-cost airline, operated its last flights on 31 July 2025 after almost 21 years. Qantas pointed to rising supplier costs, high airport fees and intensified competition in the region. Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said some of the airline's supplier costs had risen by up to 200 per cent, and the airline was expected to post an underlying loss of around $35 million that financial year. You can read more in this Airline Ratings report on the closure.
Jetstar Asia served budget travellers, but the lesson applies just as much at the premium end of transport. When the cost of delivering a service rises and the price does not keep up, something eventually gives: the service, the people delivering it, or the business itself.
What a Chauffeur Fare Actually Pays For
A quality airport limo service is not a disposable product. Clients expect a lot, and every expectation has a cost:
| What clients expect | What it costs to deliver |
|---|---|
| Professional, well-presented chauffeurs | Fair pay, licensing, accreditation and identity verification |
| Clean, late-model vehicles | Purchase or lease, servicing, registration and replacement cycles |
| Peace of mind | Commercial insurance and compliance |
| Airport meet and greet | Airport access and waiting fees charged per visit |
| Fast routes across town | Toll roads such as the Eastern Distributor |
| Live tracking and 24/7 support | Dispatch technology, flight data and an operations team |
Airport fees are a good example. From 5 August 2026, Sydney Airport charges limousines up to $166.82 per visit at the Domestic Precinct, depending on how long the car is on site. We explain the full fee table in our guide to Sydney Airport transfer fees. Every one of those costs sits behind the fare before a chauffeur earns a cent.
Sustainable Pricing Is Not Just Profitable, It Is Responsible
At Cars on Demand, we believe sustainable pricing is the only responsible way to operate. Our rates are set to:
- Ensure fair pay for professional chauffeurs
- Allow proper fleet maintenance and upgrades
- Cover insurance, compliance and administration
- Give customers a fixed price confirmed at booking, with no meter running in traffic
- Fund long-term investment in service and technology
In simple terms, our pricing is designed to protect both the client and the people delivering the service. That is how we keep delivering reliable airport transfers year after year.
Rising Costs Need Smarter Operations, Not Cheaper Service
Just as Jetstar Asia faced rising supplier costs and airport fees, chauffeur companies deal with fuel price swings, rising insurance premiums, vehicle costs and a tight labour market. Cutting service to compensate is the wrong answer. We focus instead on better logistics: dispatch technology from RideMinder, live flight tracking, and features like a driver delay that keeps chauffeurs out of the most expensive airport fee bands.
That approach is why businesses across Australia trust us with Sydney airport transfers, Melbourne airport transfers and executive travel in every major city. See why executives choose Cars on Demand.
Cheap Is Not Sustainable
Low prices alone could not save Jetstar Asia. For the chauffeur industry, the lesson is simple: clients value reliability and experience, and they will pay a fair price for quality when it is delivered consistently. Our pricing model puts long-term value first, so we can keep meeting the needs of today's travellers without sacrificing tomorrow's standards.
Chauffeur Pricing FAQs
Why do chauffeur transfers cost more than rideshare?
A chauffeur fare covers professional drivers, late-model vehicles, commercial insurance, airport access fees and tolls, plus services like meet and greet and live flight tracking. Rideshare pickups use designated zones and do not include those services.
Why did Jetstar Asia close?
Qantas said Jetstar Asia was affected by rising supplier costs, high airport fees and intensified competition in the region. It ceased operations on 31 July 2025.
How do I know what my transfer will cost?
With Cars on Demand the price is fixed and confirmed when you book. Use the instant quote to see your exact price in seconds. Journeys over 90km receive 10% off and journeys over 180km receive 15% off.
Book a Smarter Airport Transfer
Cars on Demand is one of the only chauffeur services where you can get an instant quote online, book in seconds and receive instant confirmation, as late as an hour before the trip, then track the car in the app and message your driver.
Reader offers: Use our $20 blog offer by selecting it from the drop-down menu in Extras when you book. First-time customers can also take $50 off a return trip: select it from the same drop-down menu and it applies as $25 off each leg. The $50 return offer is for your first transfers only and cannot be reused on later bookings. See the $50 airport transfer offer.
Get an instant quote and book in seconds, or register online and download our app. Questions? Call 1300 638 258, 24/7, or email admin@carsondemand.com.au.
Related reading: Sydney Airport transfer fees explained | Why I stopped watching the competition | All Cars on Demand blog posts
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