If your flight is late, your pickup moves with it. We track every flight we are collecting, and your 60 minutes of free waiting starts when the plane actually lands, not at the time printed on your booking. A two-hour delay does not cost you anything extra.
This page explains exactly how waiting time works for airport collections and for pickups from home, so you know what to expect before you book.
The short version
| Pickup type | Free waiting | Starts from |
|---|---|---|
| Airport arrival | 60 minutes | The time your flight lands |
| Home, hotel or office | 5 minutes | Your booked pickup time |
Airport pickups: how the hour works
When you book a collection from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton or London City, give us your flight number. We use it to follow the flight, so the driver’s arrival is planned around the real landing time.
From the moment your flight lands, you have an hour before any waiting charge could apply. That hour is for the parts of arriving that nobody controls:
- taxiing to the gate and getting off the plane
- passport control, which can be quick or very slow depending on the time of day and how many flights have landed together
- baggage reclaim
- customs
Your driver meets you inside the arrivals hall. If you add meet and greet when booking (£10), they will be waiting with a name board.
A worked example
Your flight is due into Heathrow at 06:10 and you booked a pickup on that basis. Strong headwinds and a slot delay mean it actually lands at 07:25.
- You pay nothing for the 75 minutes of delay.
- Your free hour runs from 07:25 to 08:25.
- If you come through arrivals at 08:05, you have used 40 minutes of it.
If the flight number changes
Airlines sometimes switch aircraft or rebook passengers onto a different flight. If that happens, tell us the new flight number as soon as you can. We can only track the flight we have been given.
Diverted flights
If your flight is diverted to another airport, call us on +44 7575 470883 so we can talk through what to do next.
Home and hotel pickups: five minutes
For journeys from your door to the airport, the driver waits 5 minutes free from the booked pickup time. That is deliberately short. Outbound airport runs are timed around check-in and security, so being ready at the door protects your own schedule as much as the driver’s.
Two things help:
- Book the pickup time you actually need, with a buffer for traffic. Our route pages, such as Birmingham to Heathrow, include worked examples of when to leave for a given flight time.
- Have the bags by the door. Loading four suitcases takes longer than people expect, and that time counts.
Why we wait at the airport and not at the kerb
Heathrow and Gatwick do not allow drivers to wait outside the terminals. At Heathrow, pick-ups happen from the terminal car parks, and drivers who arrive early wait at a holding area away from the terminals. Our Heathrow drop-off and pick-up guide explains the rules. Gatwick likewise bans picking up in its drop-off zones. This is why your driver comes into the terminal to find you, rather than you looking for the car outside.
Does a delay change the fare?
No. Our fares are fixed when you book, and they do not change with the time of day. A flight that slips from 22:00 to 01:30 is collected at the same price. You can see typical fares on our Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted price pages.
Common questions
What happens if my flight is delayed?
We track your flight, so your driver arrives for the new landing time. Your 60 minutes of free waiting starts when the flight lands.
How long will the driver wait at the airport?
Up to 60 minutes from landing, free of charge.
How long will the driver wait at my house?
5 minutes from the booked pickup time, free of charge.
Is there an extra charge for a late-night arrival?
No. The fare is the same at any time of day or night.