Both will get you to the airport. The difference is in what happens around the journey: what you know before you set off, what you do if the flight is late, and who is waiting for you at the other end.
Price: certain or metered
A local taxi from a rank or a street hail is normally metered, so the final price depends on the route, the traffic and how long you sit in it. A pre-booked transfer is quoted as a fixed price before you travel. That is what you pay, whatever the traffic does. At City Wheels there is no meter and no surge pricing at peak times. The only things that can change the total are additions you ask for on the day, such as an extra stop or a longer wait than the free allowance.
Delays: yours and the flight's
A taxi at the rank has no idea when you actually land. With a pre-booked transfer you give the flight number and the driver tracks it. If the aircraft lands early or late, the pickup time moves with it. Our free waiting allowance for airport arrivals starts from the moment the aircraft lands, not from the time originally booked.
Luggage and passengers
When you book a transfer you choose a vehicle class for the people and bags you actually have, rather than taking whatever car is next in the queue. A standard saloon suits one to three people with a couple of medium suitcases. A larger party with more luggage needs an estate, an XL or a people carrier, and it is much better to know that before the day than to discover it on the pavement.
Flexibility: where a local taxi is better
A pre-booked service is the wrong tool if you need a car this minute. City Wheels is a pre-booked private hire service, not a street-hail taxi, so we don't take instant hails. If your plans are unplanned, a taxi from a rank is the practical choice. If you know the date and the time, booking ahead removes the uncertainty.
A quick way to decide
- Early-morning flight, or arriving late at night: pre-book, so a car is waiting rather than hoped for.
- Travelling with children, a lot of luggage or a group: pre-book, so the vehicle fits.
- A long journey: pre-book, because a fixed price removes the worry of a meter running on a long run.
- Short hop, no rush, plans unsettled: a local taxi may be the simpler choice.
If you know when and where you are travelling, enter your pickup and destination in the booking form and you will see the fixed price before you commit. For airport runs we recommend at least 12 hours' notice, though we will always try to help at shorter notice.