With the spike in oil prices caused by the Iran war, we’ve seen airlines, cruise liners, shipping companies and ride-hailing services adding fuel surcharges to offset the increase in fuel costs.
There’ll be plenty of debate over whether these are reasonable, temporary measures, or cynical attempts by large companies to protect margins under the guise of “sharing the pain”, but either way, it looks like fuel surcharges are set to stick around for the foreseeable future.
Against this backdrop, there was a brief scare last week when it seemed like airport limo rides might be next in line. While it ultimately turned out to be a false alarm, it does raise the question of whether this is a “not if, but when” kind of situation…
HSBC Premier Mastercard limo operator adds, then removes fuel surcharges
Last Friday, I received a message from a MileLion community member who spotted that TBR Global, which provides the limo rides for the HSBC Premier Mastercard, had quietly added a fuel surcharge.
While the amount was small in absolute terms (S$1.95 for a regular sedan, S$2.07 for a people carrier), it obviously goes against the spirit of the benefit. A complimentary airport limo ride, after all, should be complimentary.
However, that same afternoon, the charges disappeared and haven’t returned since.
Before you grab the pitchforks, it’s worth stating that there could be perfectly innocuous explanations for what happened. TBR Global provides limo services for a wide range of corporate and individual clients, and it’s possible that the fuel surcharge was never intended for HSBC Premier cardholders, but briefly appeared on their portal nonetheless.
In any case, I reached out to HSBC, and a spokesperson confirmed that cardholders would not be charged any fuel surcharges for their complimentary airport limo rides.
Bullet dodged, but for how long?
The HSBC Premier situation proved to be a false alarm, but what bothers me is that something like this doesn’t happen by itself. Someone must have coded that field into the system, so even if there aren’t any plans to implement fuel surcharges now, who’s to say it can’t happen in the future?
Time will tell, I suppose, but I suspect that if oil prices remain high, then banks will eventually:
- Allow the limo provider to pass on a fuel surcharge to cardholders
- Increase the minimum spend required to qualify for limo rides
- Reduce the number of complimentary entitlements
I’m reminded of the situation a few years ago, when banks started to tighten their airport limo benefits in response to rising operating costs, driven by a shortage of drivers and the post-COVID travel surge. If that was the case then, I can only imagine what S$3.50 a litre petrol will do…
Free rides may not be free!
It’s worth remembering that even in the absence of fuel surcharges, your free limo ride might not be completely free.
Surcharges may apply for:
- Larger vehicles
- Child seats
- Late night/early morning rides
- Stopping at more than one location
- Extra waiting time
However, the key difference is that these surcharges can be avoided to some degree, while a fuel surcharge cannot.
In fact, I consider most of these surcharges to be reasonable, with the possible exception of late night/early morning fees. If those annoy you, then you might want to focus on the Citi Prestige, OCBC VOYAGE and Maybank Visa Infinite, all of which do not impose any late night surcharges (the OCBC VOYAGE even offers complimentary child seats!).
Which credit cards offer an airport limo benefit?
Here’s a rundown of which credit cards currently offer complimentary airport limo transfers. Do note that the UOB PRVI Miles AMEX no longer offers an airport limo benefit, following its 1 April removal.
| Card | Qualifying Spend |
Cap |
| HSBC Premier Mastercard Apply |
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides (T&Cs) |
2 per quarter SG |
| Booking Book via TBR Global at least 48h in advance |
||
 UOB Lady’s Solitaire Metal CardApply |
None (T&Cs) |
1 per year SG Overseas |
| Booking Book via Mastercard Travel Pass app at least 48h in advance |
||
 HSBC Visa Infinite |
S$2K per month for 1 ride No spend required for first 2 [Regular] or 4 [Premier] per year (T&Cs) |
24 per year Includes free rides SG |
| Booking Book via Ten Concierge website at least 24h in advance |
||
 Maybank Visa InfiniteApply |
S$3K per month for 1 ride (T&Cs) |
8 per year SG |
| Booking Book via Lylo at least 5 days in advance |
||
 OCBC VOYAGEApply |
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides (T&Cs) |
2 per quarter SG |
| Booking Book via OCBC app, or call 6593 9999 at least 48h in advance |
||
 Citi PrestigeApply |
S$12K per quarter for 2 rides (T&Cs) |
2 per quarter SG |
| Booking Book via Citi Prestige Digital Concierge at least 48h in advance |
||
 StanChart Beyond CardApply |
None (T&Cs) |
2 per year* Priority Banking & Priority Private only SG Overseas |
| Booking Book via Teleport.sg at least 48h in advance |
||
| *StanChart advertises 10 rides per year for Priority Private Beyond Cardholders. However, this figure already includes the 8 rides that Priority Private customers already enjoy, without the need for the Beyond Card | ||
For more on this benefit, as well as the all-important terms and conditions, refer to the post below.
Conclusion
HSBC Premier Mastercard customers had a brief scare last week, when fuel surcharges popped up on the limo booking portal before being quickly removed.
While this turned out to be much ado about nothing, it does raise the uncomfortable question about whether fuel surcharges were contemplated, though ultimately decided against. And if oil prices remain elevated, then it could only be a matter of time before cardholders feel the pinch, either with copays or stricter benefit terms.
Fingers crossed it doesn’t come to that!
(Cover photo: DB Limo)
If so, would there be a refund if a Denza shows up?
you know, I’ve always wondered!