Taxi to Airport
 

I am staying at a small boutique hotel so there is no taxi line outside. I asked the front desk to book me a cab for Saturday morning to the airport and they said it would be 50 rmb extra. Just wondering if that is standard or if I am getting ripped off. Anyone know if I can just book a cab myself from one of the taxi companies directly and how much it would be? thank you.

Where are you?

Sure you can. If you can speak chinese you can make an apointment with a driver, too. You didn't tell us in which City and Street you are so we can't say how much a taxi to a airport will me.

Before we do the booking thing, let's see if there are any other options.
Where are you staying and what time is your flight on Saturday morning (I presume a domestic one)?

The problem with booking a cab, is that even if you do so yourself (especially if you do so yourself), there's no guarantee they will show up. This has been an increasing problem in Beijing.

I am staying at Hotel Kapok Wangfujing. Need to leave for the airport around 9am on Saturday, I know the cost should be around 120 rmb or so but just worried about hailing a cab off the street during that time.

Not peak traffic time. Unless heavy rain...more customers.

This happens normally when you aren't staying in the city and need to get to the airport. When I stayed at IC Qiandaohu and IC Huizhou they asked for more because there aren't cabs waiting, and normally the resorts are frequented by those with cars.

In Beijing, I really think that you don't need to do this, and can just walk outside and find one. Your hotel can do this for you, and by doing this they can send one of their employees outside to hail one (what they often do....). I think the 50 rmb fee comes from them having to reserve the cab and have it waiting for you at the hotel at 9am. You can also do it yourself, and shouldn't be too worried about it - just give yourself enough time to do it

Why don't you just call one of the taxi booking numbers (that are printed on taxis themselves)? I never do this because I've learned it's rather pointless during peak periods, but Saturday morning should be easy as pie.

As other posters have said, saturday AM is not a peak taxi time.

But, a 10 rmb note to the concierge, or asst. concierge about 10 minutes before departure with clarity on which BJ airport terminal ( 2 or 3 ) will have you a cab.

In that Wangfujing area, there are cabs, & lines at the nearby Grand Hyatt.

Agree with the others. I wouldn't bother pre-booking a cab. I thought you were going to say you needed to leave at 5:00 am or something very early. Just give yourself a little extra time, maybe check-out by 8:30 am and have bellboy/concierge start looking for a cab if there's not a couple already waiting nearby. Saturday morning, you shouldn't have to wait very long and there should be plenty of empties in that area (unlike M-F).

50 yuan to book a cab is a rip off.

Don't have to pay such unnecessary fees.

+1 and +1

thanks everyone for the help!

Agree with all the other advice. I stayed at the Hilton Wanfujing recently, with an even earlier departure time than you have on a Sunday morning. Had no problem finding a cab outside.

I stayed at the Kapok a few weeks ago and had no problem just waiting outside at 9AM on a weekday.