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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CANCELLATION, LUGGAGE & MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

What areas do you service?

  • We are proud to be the airport shuttle service for Winter Park Ski Resort for the past 43 years!

  • We drop you off right at your accommodations in the Winter Park and Fraser area.

  • The shared shuttle can take guests all the way to Grand Lake in the summer, and to Granby in the winter.

  • We can also provide private charter service to anywhere in the state!

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Does Home James do local service?

  • Yes!  We are happy to bring you from town to the resort, pick you up before and after dinner, do a Safeway grocery pickup, or any other trip you might need! 

  • We request that you make advanced bookings (online bookings shut off 48 hours prior) however we can typically accommodate immediate requests based on staff availability.  

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How do I find you at the airport?

  • Collect your luggage at the baggage claim area on level 5 of the Main Terminal. Proceed to Door 513 on the east side of the terminal. The signage will be blue; if you see even-numbered doors on red signage you need to walk across the terminal to the east side.  The driver will pull up outside Door 513 at Island 1, which is labeled Mountain Carriers, about 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Passengers must meet the driver at the van.  The driver is not allowed to leave the van.

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Do you have a map of where to find the Home James vehicle at the airport?

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Who sets your pricing?

  • The Public Utilities Commission sets pricing for intrastate commercial carriers within Colorado.

  • Did you know that it is now $66 to simply go from the airport to downtown Denver in a taxi?  That means that for just 1/3 more money, we will drive you 5 TIMES FURTHER over a mountain pass to get you to your lodging in the Winter Park area!

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When is payment taken?

  • We take payment for the total amount at the time of booking.

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Do you charge me a fee if I cancel?

  • If you are cancelling outside of 48 hours from your pickup time, and you'd prefer a refund over a future credit, Home James will take a 10% cancellation fee based off of the base fare.

  • If you'd prefer to not be charged anything for a cancellation, you can call our office and we'll set you up with a credit that you can use within one year of your original travel date.  Credits are transferrable: they can be used by a different traveler than the one that originally booked.

  • If you cancel within 48 hours of your pickup time and did not purchase trip insurance, you are subject to the Home James cancellation policy.

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Do I have to call the office the day before I depart the Winter Park area?

  • For a departure leg to DIA we ask that passengers call the Home James office at 970-726-5060 or toll-free at 833-2RIDE-WP the day before your departure to reconfirm your pickup time and location.

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What if my condo checkout time is at 10am but my flight is much later?
  • First, see if they have a place to store your bags.  If so, enjoy your last day in Winter Park bag-free and we'll meet you there when you're ready to depart.

  • If they don't store bags, then you can choose to get picked up prior to your checkout time, or you can call us to change your location for pickup.  Let us know where you'll be and then take the free Lift bus--or book a local trip with us--to wherever you'd like to spend your last few hours.

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What is your cancellation policy?
  • We have a 48-hour cancellation policy for all reservations that have not purchased trip insurance. All reservations are non-refundable if cancelled within 48 hours of your scheduled pickup time, unless you purchased trip insurance. See Trip Insurance in the Home James Policies for details about cancellation with trip insurance.  Should a customer need to cancel outside of 48 hours and would like a refund, they will be subject to a 10% credit card processing fee based off of the base fare.  If the customer would prefer, they can have a credit for the full amount for future travel with Home James.  In order to get a credit, please call the office.  The credit will expire one year from the original date of travel.  Credits are transferrable: they can be used by a different traveler than the one that originally booked.

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What's the deal with trip insurance?

  • Trip insurance costs 20% of your base fare.  If you booked roundtrip, you will have to pay for trip insurance for the entire trip; you cannot get it for just one leg of the trip.

  • If you travel with us on one leg of your trip and then use your trip insurance to get a refund on your second leg, you only get a refund on the portion of the trip that you have not used.

  • If you have more than one person in your party and you are booking together, every person must opt in or opt out.  Trip insurance is all or nothing.

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When do I have to cancel by if I have trip insurance?

  • If you purchase trip insurance for the shared shuttle service, you can cancel your reservation up to 1 hour before your scheduled pickup time for a full refund, less the cost of the trip insurance itself.  If you purchase trip insurance for the private charter service, you can cancel your reservation up to 3 hours before your scheduled pickup time for a full refund, less the cost of the trip insurance itself. 

  • Passengers that travel with Home James (board the vehicle and use the service for any length of the trip) but are delayed due to traffic, weather, and road closures are not entitled to a refund. 

  • Passengers that do not notify Home James of their cancellation will be charged the full amount.

  • Should you choose to change your pickup time for any reason on the day of travel, the staff will do their best to accommodate based on availability, at no extra charge. Your trip insurance, however, expires one hour prior to your original pickup time (three hours prior to your original pickup time in a private charter).  

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How much luggage can I bring?

  • Each passenger is limited to 1 large bag, 1 carry-on sized bag, plus a ski or snowboard bag or another large bag.  Carry-on luggage may be required to fit underneath your seat. Excess luggage is subject to a surcharge of $44 per additional bag. Oversized luggage (any single dimension greater than 5 ft.), oversized ski or snowboard bags, and bike boxes are subject to a charge of a base-rate seat per piece of oversize luggage.

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What happens if my luggage gets left behind?

  • It is the passenger's responsibility to ensure that all of their bags get onto the Home James vehicle that they are traveling on, even if the driver offers to take the bags and put them on the vehicle.  Should a bag be left behind, Home James will ship the bags to the bag owner at the bag owner's expense.

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Do you charge extra for a wheelchair?

  • An ADA-compliant collapsible scooter or collapsible wheelchair are no extra charge, however due to insurance reasons drivers are not allowed to help passengers move in or out of the van.  Please call the office if you are travelling with these items so that we can plan for the space required.

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Are you pet-friendly?​
  • Small pets are now allowed on shared shuttles!  Pets that can fit under the seat in a carrier are allowed on shared shuttles.  There is no additional charge for this, but we do ask that you make us aware that you are bringing a pet at the time of booking.  Larger pets are not allowed on shared shuttles unless they are certified service animals.  Proof of certification must be emailed to info@ridhj.com​ prior to travel.  Non-certified animals and larger animals can always be accommodated on private charters.  Further questions may be answered in this article by the ADA National Network entitled "Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals."  

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Are private charters allowed a stop?
  • Private charters are allowed one stop for up to 30 minutes.  Should the group require more time, the driver or Home James office staff will need to collect $95/hour or part of an hour beyond the first 30 minutes. 

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What happens if my flight is delayed before my private charter?
  • We understand that flight delays happen.  If you know your flight is delayed a significant amount of time and call our office before a driver is dispatched (more than 3 hours before your scheduled pickup time), there will be no charge to change your pickup time.  If a driver was dispatched but you are delayed 60 minutes or less, Home James will not charge extra.  

  • Once delays go beyond 60 minutes, the customer will be subject to a charge of $95 per hour or portion of an hour after the initial 60 minutes.  The free 30 minute stop is also forfeited; if a stop is still needed, the customer will be subject to the $95 per hour or portion of an hour charge.  Changes of more than 2 hours are subject to driver availability; you may have to wait until a driver is available.

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Are you kid-friendly?

  • Yes of course!  Children 11 and under are always half the price of a full-price adult fare.

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Do you provide child seats?

  • Home James does not provide child car seats.  While car seats are not required by law within commercial vehicles, Home James strongly encourages guardians to travel with their child’s car seats.  Due to insurance reasons drivers are not allowed to help install car seats; it will have to be done by the child’s guardian.

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Do I get my money back if there are weather or traffic delays or road closures?

  • As much as we’d like to, Home James is unable to control the weather or traffic.  Home James is not responsible for missed flights due to these issues.  If you feel that more time may be needed, it is your responsibility to call and change your pickup to an earlier time.  The office staff will do their best to accommodate based on current availability.

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What happens if the roads close?

  • If the roads are open, Home James will be running vehicles! 

  • If Berthoud Pass (Highway 40) closes due to an avalanche, an accident, or any other reason, we will assess the situation and decide if it makes sense to wait for the road to open, or if we will "go around" by taking Highway 40 west to Kremmling, then Highway 9 to Silverthorne, and then I-70 to the Denver International Airport.  This route takes a minimum of 3 hours, and in bad weather it has taken over 7 hours.

  • If CDOT closes both Highway 40 and I-70, there is no way to get to Denver.  If the estimated length of closure looks to be long enough to affect you making your flight, you should look at changing your flight plans.  After that, make your way back to the ski hill and enjoy the great snow and smaller crowds! 

  • If you are down in Denver when the roads close, we will do everything we can to get you up to the mountains as soon as possible.  

  • In all road closure cases, we will do our best to proactively call every affected passenger to keep them updated on the situation, and give them options on what travel adjustments can be made.

  • Keep in mind that it is the passenger's responsibility to change their pickup time if they feel they need more time to get to the airport.  Our responsibility is to leave town on time.  Home James is not responsible for traffic and weather causing road delays.

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How much should I tip my driver?

  • It is typical to tip 10-20% for good service.

 

When does Home James add an automatic gratuity?

  • Home James Transportation will add an automatic 15% gratuity to all private charters and parties of 5 or more on our shared shuttle.  Customers are welcome to add more gratuity for exemplary service.

  • Home James does not add automatic gratuity on parties of 4 or less on our shared shuttle.

 

Can Home James change my vehicle?

  • Home James Transportation reserves the right to change the vehicle that you have reserved

  • If Home James changes you to a less-expensive vehicle, the customer is entitled to a refund of the difference in price.

 

Can Home James change my pickup time?

  • Home James Transportation reserves the right to move any departure reservation to an earlier time.  Home James Transportation also reserves the right to move any arrival reservation to a later time.  This can be done at any time for any reason.  We keep this ability for a number of reasons.  This list is by no means exhaustive and is only intended to illustrate some of the most commonplace reasons: 

  • Safety: we may be aware of a storm coming, and for the safety of our passengers and drivers, we may move the pickup time in order to have a better chance of getting you to your flight on time.  

  • Traffic: Much like bad storms, we may be aware of severe traffic, and we may move your pickup time in order to have a better chance of getting you to your flight on time.  

  • Road Closures: at times CDOT will notify us of avalanche blasting, and so we will move pickup times up in order to attempt to get you to the airport on time, or push your airport pickup time later so that you are not sitting in the van for hours waiting for Berthoud Pass to re-open.

  • Home James will do everything in our power to get a hold of every passenger by phone prior to moving pickup times.  If you are unreachable by phone, we will send an email to the address that received the confirmation email.

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How long has Home James been around?

  • Home James Transportation is proud to be starting its 44th year of operating shuttle service from Denver to the greater Winter Park area! Our commitment is to provide the highest level of service to all of our guests in a safe environment.  If we ever fall short of this commitment, please let us know.  

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Does Home James do weddings?

  • Yes!  We'd love to help get your loved ones to and from your wedding safely.  Send an email to info@ridehj.com or call our office to get a quote!

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What's the deal with the name?!

  • The name "Home James" predates the current owners (and even the owners before that), going back 40+ years to when the company was the local taxi service for the Fraser Valley.  The name is in reference to a popular cliche from the turn of the 20th century, where a wealthy socialite tells her driver named James to take her home. 

  • The cliche became popular thanks mainly to a movie, followed by a song sung in 1934 by Elsie Carlisle, in which she--and the main character in the movie--both say "Home, James, and don't spare the horses!"

  • The generations of people who used the phrase are, for the most part, no longer with us, so this phrase is dying out as well.  We hope our company helps to keep it alive, especially if you have loved ones that used to use it!

  • David Calladine added some interesting commentary regarding the subject on the website Quora:

    • The wonderful story about James Darling, Queen Victoria's footman is I think, a bit of an urban myth. In the 1600’s coachmen were generally referred to as 'James.’ The name James is/was very popular within the UK. Just as the main servant in charge of the rest of the house (the butler) was usually given a royal monarch's nickname - Alfred, Charles, George, the other servants were similarly called familiar names. James was of course the name of the king who followed the Tudor monarchs, thus the coachman--the horse equivalent of the chauffeur--was called James, and his sidekick, the postillion, the young lad who helped ride a team of horses, was called Charlie, after James’s son Charles.

    • With so many servants in a large household, it made more sense to refer to the changing sea of helpers by pet names than trying to remember all those individual names.  Apparently, you kept your memory of names for all the important social contacts.

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Road Closure FAQ

More questions?  Take a look at our Terms & Conditions

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