Swallow Escorts

Swallow is the fourth of the finishing terms and the least commonly offered. It is listed separately for the good reason that offering the other three implies nothing about this one.

Where it sits

COB is the most widely offered, CIM is common, CIF less so, and swallow sits at the end of that order.

What it costs

Where it is offered it usually carries a surcharge, commonly £20 to £50, and rather more at the lower priced end of the market where the base rate is thinner.

Why the surcharge exists

Because it is the least commonly offered thing on the list and the pricing follows scarcity, as it does everywhere else in this market.

That is worth understanding rather than resenting. The extras pricing across this market tracks how commonly something is offered, not how difficult it is, and this sits at the far end of that curve.

Worth knowing

This is among the small number of services where the answer can change from one week to the next, and that is entirely her call. A listing describes what is usually on offer, not a contract.

How to ask

On the phone, before the booking is confirmed. Asking at the door is the single most reliable way to get a no.

If the answer is no, take it as final rather than as an opening figure. This is the service where pressing hardest damages a booking fastest, and a companion who says no on the phone will not change her mind at the door.