Prom: Riding in style will cost you

• Reprints

Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Paying to go to prom in style can be a gas. Or not, depending on which limousine service you’ve contacted for your night on the town.

While some limo services have raised their prices to offset the recent spike in the cost of gasoline, others did not.

Of course, prom night is more about fun than finances for many, and to that end, “Limos are yesterday’s news,” according to Michael Kane, the owner of Cozy Carriage Limousine in Oak Forest. More kids are booking party buses for bigger groups, he said.

Partybuschicago.com describes party buses as having “nice leather seating, loud sound systems with CD and iPod hookups, nice lighting, built-in bars and much more.”

At Chicago Party Bus, a 20-passenger limo party bus is $42 per person for two hours before and two hours after prom. The business actually lowered its prices from $45 last year to attract more business, and it added buses — and they’re all booked.

Here’s a sampling of limousine service rates from Southland businesses:

Marquee Limousine, Worth

Did not raise rates to cover gas price increase

10-passenger vehicle: $100 per hour

14-passenger vehicle: $175 per hour

20-passenger vehicle: $225 per hour

(All with 3-hour minimum, plus 20 percent gratuity)

Frederick’s Limousine, Frankfort

Raised rates to cover gas price increase

Prom package: $60 per person for six hours

Super-stretch limo: 8 passengers, $480

Hummer: $750 up to 12 people; $60 for each person after 12

Cozy Carriage, Oak Forest

$65 to $95 per hour depending on vehicle

Susan DeMar Lafferty