When you book a ride, how you're charged makes a big difference. A metered black cab, a surge-priced app, or a fixed-fare transfer can produce very different prices for the same journey — and only one lets you know the cost before you set off. This guide compares fixed fares against both the meter and surge pricing, showing how each works and why a locked price gives you certainty.
There are three common models for taxi and private-hire pricing, and understanding them helps you avoid nasty surprises. The metered fare (traditional black cabs) charges by time and distance as you go; surge or dynamic pricing (ride-share apps) flexes the price up with demand; and the fixed fare (pre-booked transfers) locks the price when you book. Each behaves very differently, especially when traffic is bad or demand is high.
Charges by time and distance as you travel. In heavy traffic the meter keeps running while you sit still — the price rises with every minute of a jam.
Prices flex with demand. At peak times, after events, in bad weather or late at night, the fare can multiply — sometimes dramatically — versus the standard rate.
The price is agreed when you book and doesn't change — not for traffic, not for demand, not for the time of day. You know the cost upfront.
Locked when you book — no meter, no surge, whatever the conditions:
| From | Saloon | Executive | MPV | 8-Seater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London City Airport | £91 | £101 | £103 | £111 |
| Heathrow Airport | £98 | £110 | £112 | £120 |
| Gatwick Airport | £123 | £142 | £146 | £158 |
| Luton Airport | £110 | £130 | £133 | £143 |
| Stansted Airport | £113 | £133 | £136 | £146 |
These prices don't change for traffic, time of day or demand. Compare that certainty against a meter ticking in a jam or a surge multiplier at peak time.
The core advantage of a fixed fare is certainty. You know exactly what the journey costs before you travel, so you can budget, compare and book with confidence — no watching a meter climb in traffic, no shock when a surge multiplier hits at the worst moment. For airport transfers especially, where journeys are long and timing matters, that certainty is invaluable: your price is set, your driver is booked, and neither traffic nor demand can change what you pay.
A: No — a fixed fare is locked when you book. Traffic doesn't increase it, unlike a meter.
A: Dynamic pricing (used by apps) that raises the fare when demand is high — peak times, after events, bad weather. Fixed fares don't surge.
A: Not always, but it's always certain — and in traffic or at peak/surge times it very often works out cheaper, with no risk of a nasty surprise.
A: In heavy traffic, where it keeps charging while you're barely moving — exactly when a fixed fare protects you.
A metered fare rises in traffic and surge pricing spikes with demand — both leave you uncertain until the journey's done. A fixed fare locks the price when you book, giving certainty whatever the traffic, time or demand. For airport runs especially, that locked price wins.
No meter, no surge — your price locked when you book.
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