Fixed-Price Taxi vs Uber vs Black Cab
Three ways of paying for the same journey across London, and almost nobody explains the difference before you're in the car. This is our honest guide to metered black cabs, dynamic ride-hail pricing and fixed-price private hire — how each is calculated, when each is genuinely the best choice, and where the surprises come from. We're a fixed-price operator, so we have a view — but we'd rather tell you when the other options win than sell you a car you don't need.
The three models
How each fare is actually calculated
The metered black cab
London's licensed taxis run on a regulated meter set by Transport for London, charging on a combination of distance and time — which means traffic costs you money. Tariffs are higher in the evenings, at night and at weekends. The great strength is availability: you can hail one, and the driver has passed the Knowledge. The weakness is that you can't know the final number when you get in, and a jam turns a short journey into an expensive one.
Dynamic ride-hail pricing
App-based services quote up front, but the quote is generated dynamically from supply and demand at that moment. When lots of people want cars and few are available — rain, rush hour, a stadium emptying, a strike day, 3am — the price rises, sometimes sharply. It's not a scam; it's the mechanism working as designed. It just means the price is least predictable exactly when you most need certainty.
Fixed-price private hire — how we do it
A private hire operator must be pre-booked (we can't be hailed, and that's a licensing rule, not a preference). Because the journey is arranged in advance, we can quote a price at the moment of booking and hold it. The fare is calculated on the route and the vehicle, agreed before you commit, and then it stops changing. Traffic, weather, the hour, demand — none of it alters the number. If the M4 crawls, that's our problem, not your fare.
When each wins
Which one you should actually use
Being straight about it, because the answer isn't always us:
- Hail a black cab when you need a car right now without planning, for a short central journey in light traffic, or when you want a wheelchair-accessible vehicle instantly. Nothing beats a cab on a street corner at 2pm.
- Use an app for spontaneous journeys at quiet times, when the dynamic multiplier is at rest and the convenience is real.
- Book a fixed price for anything you can plan: airport runs, early-morning flights, late arrivals, long-distance journeys, event nights, business travel that needs a clean receipt, and any journey where an unexpected fare would genuinely matter. Also for groups — one car, one fare, rather than per-person maths.
The pattern is simple: the less predictable the moment, the more a fixed price is worth. That's why our busiest bookings are 4am airport runs, post-match returns and strike days — the exact moments when the other two models are at their least friendly.
Worked examples
What our fixed prices look like
| Journey | Distance | Duration | Fixed from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central London → Heathrow | 16–20 mi | 35–70 min | £52 | View → |
| Paddington → Heathrow | 16 mi | 35–60 min | £52 | View → |
| Central London → Gatwick | 28 mi | 50–90 min | £75 | View → |
| Central London → Stansted (any hour) | 38 mi | 45–70 min | £80 | View → |
| Central London → Luton | 34 mi | 55–80 min | £75 | View → |
| London Bridge → Mayfair | 4 mi | 15–35 min | £30 | View → |
| Central London → Southampton cruise | 78 mi | 1h45–2h20 | £130 | View → |
| Central London → Birmingham | 118 mi | 2h15–3h | £220 | View → |
Indicative fares for the whole car (up to 4 passengers), fixed at booking. The Stansted line is the one worth noticing: it's the same price at 3am as at 3pm, which is where fixed pricing differs most sharply from the alternatives. Any applicable Congestion Charge or airport terminal charge is disclosed up front, never added afterwards.
The fine print
What fixed actually means, precisely
Plenty of firms say "fixed price" and mean "fixed unless something happens." Here's our version, stated plainly:
- Traffic doesn't change it. No time-based component, so a jam costs you nothing extra.
- The hour doesn't change it. No night surcharge, no weekend premium, no bank-holiday rate. 3am costs what 3pm costs.
- Demand doesn't change it. No surge, ever — not on New Year's Eve, not during a strike, not when it's raining.
- Flight delays don't change it. We track the flight and wait; the fare stays where it was.
- Luggage doesn't change it. No per-bag charges. Tell us what you're carrying and we'll send the right vehicle.
- What does change it: if you change the journey — extra stops, extra passengers needing a bigger vehicle, a different destination — we requote before we drive, not after.
- Third-party charges — the Congestion Charge and airport terminal drop-off fees are set by others, not us. They're disclosed at booking so there's no surprise.
FAQ
London taxi pricing frequently asked questions
Is Uber cheaper than a black cab in London?
Sometimes, and sometimes considerably not — it depends entirely on demand at that moment. App pricing is dynamic, so it's often lower at quiet times and higher when cars are scarce, while a black cab meter is regulated but climbs with time spent in traffic. Neither lets you know the final figure in advance the way a pre-booked fixed price does.
What does 'fixed price' actually mean?
With us, it means the number quoted at booking is the number you pay: unaffected by traffic, the hour, demand, flight delays or luggage. The only things that change it are changes you make to the journey — and we requote before driving, never after.
Why can't I just hail a private hire car?
Licensing. Private hire operators must be pre-booked — only London's licensed black cabs can be hailed on the street or picked up at a rank. That requirement is also what makes fixed pricing possible: because the journey is arranged in advance, the price can be agreed in advance.
Do you charge extra at night or at weekends?
No. There's no night surcharge, weekend premium or bank-holiday rate. A 3am airport run costs exactly what the same journey costs at 3pm, which is the single biggest practical difference between fixed pricing and the alternatives.
What about the Congestion Charge and airport drop-off fees?
Those are set by Transport for London and the airports, not by us, so where one applies to your journey we disclose it at booking. Nothing gets added at the end.
Is a fixed-price car always the cheapest option?
No, and we won't pretend otherwise. A short central journey at a quiet time can be cheaper by app or cab, and a solo traveller with hand luggage is often better off on the train to Heathrow. Fixed pricing wins on predictability, which is worth most on airport runs, group travel, long distances and the awkward hours.
How far ahead do I need to book?
Same-day is usually fine, but earlier is better for 4am airport runs, event nights and strike days. Booking early also locks the price — one of the quieter advantages of a fare that can't move.
What's the wait time for a car in central London?
For pre-booked journeys the question doesn't really apply: your car is scheduled for a time you choose, and the driver's name and registration are sent by SMS beforehand. That's the trade — you give up hailing on impulse, and you get certainty about both the price and the pickup.
Fixed price · No surge · 24/7
See a fixed price for your journey
Enter the route and get a number that doesn't move — no meter, no surge, no night rate. If another option suits you better, we'll say so.
Related pages
More on how we price
Related: How fixed pricing works · Paddington to Heathrow · Express vs private transfer · London Bridge to Mayfair · Heathrow transfers · London & UK taxi