precision80

minicab it is then. which do you prefer Addison Lee or Airport Direct?

Edit, I just got a quote from Addison, £62.00, is that cheaper than a black cab? Does that price sound about right?

stut

Addison Lee is very good, but £62 is a lot, and not much cheaer than a black cab! I would count on paying in the £30s for a 'normal' minicab firm like Airport Direct or Just Airports.

zipadee

What advice would you offer to someone arriving whose plane lands at 4:30 p.m. on a Monday at LHR and whose hotel is also near Victoria Station. We fly out of LGW also but into LHR so this particular advice I'm keenly interested in. You mentioned a mini cab for a Saturday night but how would a Monday afternoon in the middle of rush hour be (assuming we clear customs in an hour to 90 minutes) Would the tube/Baron's court/transfer ultimately be my best option? Thanks in advance

And what happened to the HEX and GEX discount coupons I use to always see but now that I need 'em seem to have vanished?

stut

Personally, I wouldn't go near the roads at that time of night, unless I really had a lot of luggage. I would go for the Tube transfer, but note that the Tube can be very busy in the evening (particularly Victoria). At LHR, go down the escalators, then turn around and go to the very back of the train. Make sure your luggage is placed in the spaces by the doors. You should be OK, just be prepared to be in a crowd on the way out at Victoria.

You could also get the HEX to Paddington, then queue for a taxi. This is unlikely to be quicker, given the taxi queues (and congestion on exiting the rank) at that time of day.

Well, these were actually the codes (publicised via moneysavingexpert.com) that people were given when they redeemed BAA WorldCard (airport spend loyalty) points for a HEX/GEX discount. Rather than personalising them, they were simply issued weekly, and BAA/HEX soon cottoned on the fact they were being misused, and withdrew the offer.

Raffles

The VIRG25 25% off discount is still available until the end of June. For the HEx, the ticket stays in the system for 6 months - book a ticket for travel on June 29th but don't collect it. You'll get the 25% discount and as long as you collect the ticket before December 29th it will still be in the system.

Same with GEx except I think they only stay in the system for a month.

precision80

Is tipping customary for the minicabs?

stut

Depends on level of service. If your bags are carried and the driver is helpful and courteous, a couple of pounds extra or a round-up is welcome.

meska

I will be traveling from Heathrow to Witley by minicab as other public transportation options would get me there too late.

Has anyone used http://www.minicabsinlondon.co.uk? What are your experiences?

They have decent price @ 55.60 to my destination and accept prepayments by paypal.

I have not been able to find anything cheaper - any other cab suggestions are welcome.

Thank you!

stut

Witley in Surrey? If so, that's a good fare, I'd expect to pay £45 to Guildford.

You could also look up Beeline, they're pretty decent if you're headed that way.

meska

That's right - Witley in Surrey, pretty close to Guildford

Thanks for the info. However, Beeline's webpage at http://www.beelinetransfers.co.uk/ is useless if this is the company you meant.

stut

Ah, no, it's these people: http://www.beeline-cars.co.uk/

I suppose it must be quite a popular name for minicab/van companies...

meska

Thanks a lot!

JakiChan

My friend and I are going to spend our last couple of nights at a hotel attached to Paddington so we can take the Heathrow Express for our 8am flight. So I have to ask - if we take the 5:10am train (which appears to be the earliest) is there enough time to make an 8am flight? It sounds like there almost may not be with the way security is these days.

Wingnut

Just a quick private hire fares update:

Central London to LHR:

My local (quite posh) minicab firm: £56
Addison Lee: £52
Airports Direct: £30

We have a winner. Not used them before - hope they're reliable...

Wingnut

Which airline, which class of service, do you have status? Although, to be honest, even in cattle with no status you'd have to be very unfortunate indeed not to make an 8am flight with a 05:10 HEX departure.