Originally Posted by
WHBM
The concept of "fixed rate" to/from the airport is a USA-ism I haven't encountered elsewhere in the world, where the meter rate is always standard.
The U.S. isn't the only place where flat rates to/from the airport are common. It's just that in the U.S. some cities impose a fixed rate by law, whereas in other places the price is negotiated.
Fixed (in practice) rates can happen in Europe too. In Riga, for example, many airport trips are not metered but set at commonly known flat rates, one for locals and a higher one for tourists.