How to price airport transfers without leaving money on the table

Airport work is the backbone of many taxi and chauffeur businesses, and it is also where it is easiest to under-charge. Parking, waiting for delayed flights and early starts all cost you, but a flat per-mile price does not show any of that.

Start with a clear fare structure

Most operators do well with four simple parts that customers can understand at a glance:

• A base fare that covers getting the car out and starting the job.
• A per-mile or per-kilometre rate for the distance.
• A minimum fare so very short trips are still worth taking.
• An airport surcharge for parking and access fees.

Use fixed routes for your busiest journeys

If a lot of your customers go between the same airport and the same city centre, set one fixed price. Customers love knowing the exact cost before they book, and you avoid arguments about traffic or the route taken. A fixed route should already include any airport charge, so there are no surprises on top.

Do not forget night and waiting charges

Early-morning and late-night pick-ups are harder to staff. A modest night surcharge, applied automatically by the pick-up time, is easy to explain. For arrivals, decide how much waiting time is included and charge per minute after that, and say so in your terms.

Let the system do the arithmetic

The more rules you have, the easier it is to get one wrong by hand. In Bookara, fares are always calculated on the server from your own rates, so a quote given on WhatsApp, on your website and in the back office is the same number every time.