Chauffeur coverage across the London Borough of Merton, Wimbledon to Mitcham

Your confirmation names the chauffeur, the vehicle and the registration, and the car is on the Merton street early. If the only legal space is round the corner from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, that is where it will be, and you will know before you put your coat on.

The route out of Merton is chosen for the hour rather than for the map. Sometimes that means the long way round past Wimbledon Common and the Windmill, and the chauffeur takes it without announcing how clever it was.

• Route out of Merton chosen for the hour rather than for the map
• Gated entrances and courtyards in Merton checked in advance
• A second collection in Wimbledon priced into the same booking
• Engine off and boot open before you reach the car in Merton

For a private flight the clock runs on the Heathrow handling agent's slot rather than on a check-in cut-off, which changes the Merton collection time. That usually compresses the Merton timings, and it means the car finishes airside instead of at a terminal door.

If the flight is cancelled while you are still on A219 Wimbledon Hill Road and Parkside, tell the chauffeur. The car turns round, goes back to Merton, and the rebooking is handled in writing rather than at a kerb.

We treat the arrival as the harder half of a Merton job. Anyone can drive from Merton to Heathrow; being in the right hall at the right minute after a delayed flight is the part that takes attention.

From the barrier it is a short walk to the car and then an indicative 35-65 minutes back to Merton, usually by A219 Wimbledon Hill Road and Parkside. The boot takes the cases, the cabin is warm, and nobody asks you a question between Heathrow and Merton.

• Private arrivals met airside at the Heathrow handling agent, then driven to Merton
• No telephone call from an Heathrow car park before the run to Merton
• Terminal checked against your flight number before you fly home to Merton
• The same chauffeur who drove you out of Merton