Disappointment was the word to describe this business. This outfit lacked people trained in customer service. It was my first time taking this shuttle service to and from Northstar. I did my research online and came across North Lake Tahoe Express. It is essentially the first thing that pops up when you type in North Lake Tahoe. I booked everything online although I remember that their website was somewhat confusing. Also, they have very limited pickup times so I did have to wait a considerable amount at the airport before getting picked up. Also, they called me beforehand to tell me that they were changing my times for departure a month after I booked. Luckily, the new times were still pretty close to the original times I booked.
I have to admit that this service did get me from point A to B and back. However, it just wasn't smooth as planned. I remember reading on the internet that they had an office at Reno's Airport. Once I picked up my heavy snowboard bag, I proceeded to this place ahead of time before my scheduled pickup. A lady greeted me at the counter to give me the spiel about the pickup. As she was talking, I noticed a pile of other people's luggage being stored so I asked whether I could store my stuff there before my ride. What came out of this lady's mouth really surprised me. She said that I couldn't. She said that TSA doesn't allow stray bags at this facility.
If I am storing my bag at your place, why would it be a stray bag? I told her that my bag was extremely heavy and lugging it all around the airport would be cumbersome. She finally let me store it with all the other luggage. I was pissed. I felt discriminated. I hate going to new places to experience this.
I was waiting at the chairs that the lady at the counter told me to do 10 minutes before my scheduled departure. There was a man walking around checking people into the service, but he never came up to me. Again, I was not wearing camouflage nor invisible. Why did he go up to everyone else (there were only four people in the shuttle total) and not me? Finally, I went back into the office to inquire and another lady directly me to those other people and the check in guy. Ironically enough, when I dropped off my bag, the driver knew exactly what my name was. If he knew my name, why did he not approach me but everyone else? The ride was some old unmarked vehicle that made so many squeaky noises, it is questionable as to whether it should be on the road, especially during inclement weather. At least the drive to Northstar was decent.
On my return trip, my driver was 15 minutes late. I understand that these drivers can be late, but I did not receive a phone call or any notification. I tried to call their office, but of course, no one picked up! Since it was raining outside and cold, it was quite unpleasant to be waiting. Finally, a little shuttle bus arrived with the name "Airport" on the outside. However, I had to go up to the shuttle bus and ask whether it was the "North Lake Tahoe Express." She confirmed this and proceeded to open the back door for me. I put the snowboard bag in the back and hopped on the shuttle.
Now that I know what to expect, this is a decent way to get to and from destinations in Lake Tahoe. They should spend some money in clearly labeling their vehicles as the North Lake Tahoe Express like they do on their website. read more