HOW TO HIRE · VEHICLES & TRANSPORT

How to hire an airport transfer driver in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A pre-booked airport car must be licensed — operator, driver and car. Here is how to check, and what the fixed fare should cover.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an airport transfer driver in five steps

  1. Check it is licensed private hireAsk which council (or Transport for London) licensed the operator, and the licence number. Unlicensed private hire is an offence.
  2. Give the full detailsFlight number, terminal, passengers, cases, child seats and the address — in one message.
  3. Get a fixed fare in writingSay what it includes: waiting time after landing, airport drop-off or parking charges, tolls, and the return.
  4. Agree what happens if the flight is lateFlight tracking, free waiting minutes and the rate after them, and how to reach the driver on landing.
  5. Check the driver and the car on the dayThe driver's licence badge, the car's licence plate or disc, and the name and car that were booked.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Private hire licence

In England and Wales a pre-booked car needs three licences from the same authority — the council outside London, Transport for London inside it: an operator licence for the business that takes the booking, a driver licence and a vehicle licence. Taking bookings or driving for hire without them is an offence.

Ask for the operator's licence number and which authority issued it; in London, use the Transport for London licence checker. gov.uk →

A licensed driver in a licensed car

To get a private hire driver licence a driver must be judged a fit and proper person, with background and character checks that can include an enhanced DBS check; the licence usually lasts three years. The vehicle is licensed separately by the same authority.

On the day, look for the driver's licence badge and the car's licence plate or disc, and check the name matches the booking. gov.uk →

Nine passengers or more: a PSV operator licence

A vehicle that can carry nine or more passengers for hire is a public service vehicle, so a group airport run in a minibus needs a PSV operator licence from the traffic commissioner, not a private hire licence.

If a minibus is coming, ask for the PSV operator licence. gov.uk →

VAT

An airport transfer by car or people carrier is standard-rated at 20%. Only a vehicle built with 10 or more seats makes the journey zero-rated. Airport transfer drivers with more than £90,000 of taxable turnover must register for VAT, charge it, and itemise it on every quote and invoice.

Ask the transfer firm for its VAT number and the seats in the vehicle; under 10 seats, expect 20% on the fare. gov.uk →

“Which council licenses your airport transfer business, and what is the operator licence number?”

A good answer: A council name (or Transport for London) and a number they give without hesitation. "We're all self-employed" is not an answer: someone holds the operator licence.

“Is the airport transfer fare fixed, and what does it include?”

A good answer: "Fixed, door to door", with waiting time, airport drop-off or parking charges and tolls either included or listed.

“How do you handle a delayed flight?”

A good answer: They track the flight number, adjust the pickup, and include a stated number of free waiting minutes after landing.

“Where will the driver meet us at the airport?”

A good answer: A clear meeting point — arrivals hall with a name board, or a named car park — and the driver's phone number the day before.

“Can you fit our luggage and provide child seats?”

A good answer: A vehicle chosen for the number of cases, and a straight answer on child seats: provided, fitted, and at what charge.

“What happens if the driver or car is changed?”

A good answer: You are told in advance, and the replacement driver and car are licensed by the same authority.

“What is the cancellation policy for an airport transfer?”

A good answer: In writing, with any fee stated — and what happens if your flight is cancelled.

Getting the quote right

  • The fixed fare, one way or return, for the named pickup and drop-off points
  • Free waiting time after landing, and the rate per period after it
  • Airport drop-off, pickup or car park charges, tolls and clean air zone charges — included or on top
  • Vehicle size, passenger numbers and luggage allowance
  • Child seats, if needed, and whether they cost extra
  • Cancellation terms
  • The firm's VAT number, and VAT on its own line under the fare
  • Who actually attends: the firm's own driver or a subcontracted one, and the licence they hold

Walk away if

  • No operator licence number, or a car with no licence plate or disc
  • A driver who is not the one, or the car is not the one, you were told about
  • A fare that is not fixed in writing before the day
  • Cash only, with no booking confirmation
  • A minibus for a large group with no PSV operator licence
LOW
£45
TYPICAL
£92
HIGH
£251

What an airport transfer driver costs: £45–£251 per journey

Airport transfers are priced per journey as a fixed fare, with waiting time, extra stops and airport drop-off or parking charges either included or listed on top. Airport Transfer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Airport transfer drivers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BookingFlight number, addresses, passengers and luggage confirmed in writing with the fixed fare.
  2. The day beforeYou receive the driver's name, phone number and the car's details, and the pickup time is confirmed.
  3. PickupThe driver arrives in the licensed car, helps with luggage and checks the destination.
  4. The journeyA direct route at legal speeds, child seats fitted properly if booked, and a stop only if agreed.
  5. Drop-off and receiptDropped at the agreed terminal or address, with a receipt that matches the quote.

Private hire vehicle (PHV)
A car that can only be pre-booked, not hailed in the street.
Operator licence
The licence for the business that takes private hire bookings.
Licence plate or disc
The council's or Transport for London's sign that the vehicle is licensed for hire.
Meet and greet
The driver waits in arrivals with your name on a board.
Free waiting time
The minutes after landing before waiting charges start.
PSV
Public service vehicle — one carrying nine or more passengers for hire, which needs a PSV operator licence.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the booking confirmationIt records the fixed fare, the pickup time and what was included — the evidence if extra charges appear.
Check the receiptIt should match the agreed fare; waiting time or parking added on top should match what you were told.
Note anything wrong straight awayA late pickup, a different car or unsafe driving is easier to raise the same day, with times and the vehicle details.
Your reviewSay what was done and how it turned out; under four stars, the operator first gets the chance to make it right.

STEP 1Tell the operator, in writingSay what went wrong — a late pickup, a missed flight, an overcharge — and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the trader must provide the service with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2Let Locufy follow it upRate the airport transfer driver under four stars and Locufy asks if you want the operator to have the chance to fix it before the review is published; we follow it through.
STEP 3Report it to the licensing bodyLicences for an airport transfer come from the council (Transport for London in London; the DVA in Northern Ireland), and that body decides who is fit and proper to hold one, so tell it about safety concerns. For money owed back, the consumer helpline can pass it to Trading Standards — Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeA claim over an airport transfer driver can go to the small claims track in the county court up to £10,000 in England and Wales, to simple procedure in the sheriff court up to £5,000 in Scotland, or to the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland — no solicitor needed.

Hiring an airport transfer driver: questions people ask

Yes. In England and Wales the driver needs a private hire driver licence, the car a vehicle licence and the business an operator licence, all from the same council or from Transport for London. Scotland and Northern Ireland license private hire through their own councils and the DVA.

Ask the business for its operator licence number and the issuing authority. In London, Transport for London's licence checker confirms drivers, vehicles and operators; elsewhere, ask the council that issued it.

Yes. A vehicle that carries nine or more passengers for hire needs a PSV operator licence from the traffic commissioner, not a private hire licence.

Expect £45–£251 per journey, around £92 on average. Our airport transfer price guide has the detail, and your postcode above brings up airport transfer drivers close to you.

A good airport transfer service tracks the flight and moves the pickup, with free waiting time counted from landing. Get the waiting allowance and the rate after it in writing.

Tell the business in writing at once and keep the times. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service must be provided with reasonable care and skill; you can ask for the fare back or a reduction, and for the cost of a replacement taxi.

MORE GUIDES

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Airport transfer drivers near you

Airport transfer drivers in LondonAirport transfer drivers in ManchesterAirport transfer drivers in BirminghamAirport transfer drivers in GlasgowAirport transfer drivers in BelfastAll airport transfer drivers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — operator licences for private hire vehicles
  2. gov.uk — driver licences for taxis and private hire vehicles
  3. gov.uk — vehicle licences for taxis or private hire vehicles
  4. gov.uk — PSV operator licences
  5. Transport for London — licence checker
  6. gov.uk — private hire vehicle or minicab licence (Scotland)
  7. nidirect — apply for a taxi operator licence
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  9. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  10. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  11. nidirect — small claims process
  12. The VAT treatment of passenger transport (VAT Notice 744A) — 4.7 Transport in taxis, limousines and hire cars
  13. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register