pipsil

We recently returned from Europe and used JustAirports.They were perfectly O.K . for transportation between Heathrow and a downtown hotel [ no problem with car size or cleanliness] but don't ever hire them to take you to one of the suburbs. We agreed to a price with Just. Airports but after arriving at our destination the driver said that the office wanted to talk to us.They apparently misquoted the price [ it wasn't exceptionally cheap] and requested another £50. They went so far as to tell us if we did not pay the extra it would have to come out of the driver's pay and did we not have pity on his wife and family! We asked the driver if this was true and he had to admit it was not . I subsequently tried to call JustAirport to complain but was never able to speak to a supervisor. He or she was busy or in meetings.

Marilyn

I have found that the most economical airport transportation when your destination is NOT central London is a local car service based in that area. Most of the airport services charge a fortune if you are going to a suburban area. Still it was sleazy of JustAirports to try to guilt trip you into paying for their mistake.

TopMan

Frankly, I think you got scammed!

KrisKT

We arrived in London on June 26 and had an hour wait through immigration at Heathrow. The JustAirports driver was waiting for us. He was Middle Eastern and spoke good English. The car was along the lines of a Honda Accord. He drove us straight to our hotel with no difficulty. However he tried to charge us an hour extra for his waiting time. I pulled out the e-mail confirmation that stated there was 1 1/2 hours of waiting time built into the price. He backed off and didn't say anything more. The drive back was without incident. The driver wanted 3 pounds less than I was expecting, so we just gave him the extra as a tip. Always have the printed confirmation of the agreed upon price with you!!!

Patrick

I wouldn't be surprised if it was a friend of the driver who was planned to call and pretend to be the office and get the driver more money. I find it hard to believe the office would call and tell you that, that way.

Nikki

I believe Justairports is a reservation service that contracts with individual drivers who own their own vehicles. So far I have had good luck with them, but I suppose it depends upon the individual driver involved.

djkbooks

As mentioned above, apparently JustAirports engages independent drivers with their own vehicles.

We had a similar experience on pickup regarding waiting time. The e-mail confirmation indicated that the driver would monitor our flight, enter the airport 1/2 later and wait an additional 40 minutes for a total of 1 hour and ten minutes free waiting time.

Our flight arrived a bit early. I checked my watch when we entered the terminal. We were 20 minutes early. I checked my watch again when we found the driver. It was exactly an hour later. I doubt the driver knew our flight was early. But, even if he did, we had used up exactly one hour of waiting time. When it was time to pay, the driver wanted to add £5 waiting time (20 minutes at £15/hour).

I whipped out my e-mail confirmation, telling him our plane had been early, I had checked my watch upon arrival and upon meeting him. He didn't ever look at the e-mail, but said, "Oh, I didn't understand that" or something like that.

I have just gotten a quote from JustAirports for a trip in September. I have been meaning to report this incident to them (lower prices than last time). I was also planning to request that the driver add another 1/2 to his arrival time, so that we won't be toe-tapping in the passport control line, since it typically takes a little more than an hour to get there, go through, collect the bags.

If no one who has posted here minds, I would very much like to include a link to this thread in my e-mail.

I think Patrick has the extra £50 driver figured out and that this should definitely be reported to JustAirports.

obxgirl

I've twice booked JustAirports for friends with no mishaps. Based on the experience of others as reported on this thread, I won't be recommending or booking with them again.

djkbooks, if you get some feedback brom Just Airports, please report back with the information!

ggnga

I have always used Swiss cottage cars with good luck. I decided to look at JustAirports website when I read of them here. I got a cash fare of 19 gbp to take me to Heathrow from Kensington. However, when I received the confirmation email it was for a pickup from the airport and the wrong time listed. I emailed back with to correct the confirmation and I received an email back with correct info ..to Heathrow but with the price changed to 24gbp. I then emailed back what is the correct price 19 or 24 gbp and they never responded. Needless to say, I am now a little concerned about using them, then I saw this post.

Did you notice on the website that they say they will charge you for any cancellation, it does not say how much. I never gave them any credit card info as I planned to pay in cash.
I was planning to call them and sort it our when I got to London, but now I wonder if I should just cancel.

19 gbp to Heathrow is very good, 24 gbp is about the same as SCC. I will always tip the driver also. I was put off that they returned email about other things but not the difference in price quote.

This should be a lesson that when you get good service not to go somewhere else for a few pounds difference.

skatterfly

I have been gong back and forth on this issue myself... they have the best prices... but I've seen too many comments like this that leave me a bit suspicious.

My other concern was another post here... I'd have to dredge it up... that the passengers had requested a carseat and they didn't arrive with one. Since I'll be with a baby this time and no carseat, this is probably my biggest issue.

Ray Skinner obviously comes up a lot in these types of posts... and for my route he's like $25-30 more than Just Airports. But we're honestly thinking of using him after these additional negative reports about Just Airports.

Maybe someone here outta take MK2's recommendation to try Aircars 2000?

~kat

Spygirl

Skatter-I've posted on this before. I used Premier airport cars (premierairportcars.com) 33GBP from Heathrow-to Notting Hill (W11), and 26GBP return to airport. They were there right on time both ways. Had a brand new Mercedes from the airport, and a large SUV on return. Paid for my trip online with a credit card. No complaints.

pipsil

djkbooks,
Feel free to use my complaint in any of your communication with JustAirports. The name of the person quoting the price via email was Charmain.

djkbooks

Please report on ease with booking with Ray. Well ahead of our May trip, I filled in the online booking form, which promised a confirmation within 24 hours. Days went by...two weeks. Since it is requested that a second inquiry not be made, I phoned. Ray, himself, answered the phone, took down my name, promised a confirmation by the next day. Still, it was three days coming, and was considerably higher than JustAirports.

On the AOL boards, for many months now, folks have complained of not receiving responses from Ray. The excuse give is always "server problems".

Interestingly, though, Ray phone my house the day of departure to ensure that we had suitable arrangements.

FauxSteMarie

DJKBooks, how odd.

On the same day you endorsed justairports on AOL, you criticize them on fodors.

It makes one wonder if anyone can rely on anything you post.

charmaine10222

JUST AIRPORTS

Just a Idea on how the Company is working.

Thank you for informing me regarding the below matter, and I would be greatefull if you could post this note back on the notice board that you got this from.

1. The Drivers working for us and all off the other companies in and around London are Self-Employed Chauffeur Drivers. This mean that we provide them with bookings once they qualify through our test. The only way for us to know what the drivers are doing wrong when working, would be through Customer-feedback directly to us and not via a message board. If you have a problem when you buy milk and it has gone bad, you take it back to the shop you bought it from, the same goes for this, if they were unhappy with the way the driver treated them, they should have contact our office and we would have sort out a alternative arrangement

2. The passengers should call our office and speak to either myself(which is in the office 6 days per week form 7 am to 6pm) or the dispatcher(there is a dispatcher available 24 hours a day) once the driver asked for more money and explain the matter to him/her, and I am confident that the customer would/shall receive a solid explanation from our Dispatcher if they needed to pay more money due to the fact that they have more luggage that they inform us, or that ther was waiting time after the free waiting time was over, or the dispatcher would have talked to the driver and explain that he should not charge passengers extra.

3. We clearly ask passengers how many passengers are travelling and the amount of luggage, including hand luggage. This is to determine what type of vehicle we need to send in order for all the luggage to fit propperly in the back of the vehicle. As you can understand the vehicles in America is bigger than the Brittish versions. We are stationed in the office and when we ask passengers how many pieces of luggage they have and the say 4, we can only make note of the four pieces, when they turn up with 6 or 7 pieces of luggage, and get upset, it is pretty much out of our hands. We have to rely on passengers honesty when asked about the luggage.

4. The PCO (Public Carriage Office) is the body controlling all Chauffeur Services in and around London and the have licenced all drivers and vehicles, this mean that the have done medical and criminal checks on the driver, in order to insure that the driver is capable of transfering Passengers and their luggage. Also the Vehicles are Registered by the body, to ensure that passengers are transported safely

5. Drivers have to insure their cars for public liability(in case of a accident and the passengers is injured) and this insurance state that there should not be any lugggage in the car that can hurt passengers or the driver when moving on impact. This mean that all the luggage should be in the boot of the car.

6. The isurance companies clearly specify that the capacity of the vehicle types are as follows;

6.1 Saloon - Maximum 4 Passengers and 2 Pieces of Luggage including hand luggage

6.2 Estate - Maximum 4 Passengers and 4 Pieces of Luggage including hand luggage

6.3 MPV - Maximum 6 Passengers and 5 Pieces of Luggage and 2 Pieces of Hand Luggage

6.4 8 Seater MPV - Maximum 7 Passengers and 7 pieces of luggage and 2 pieces of hand luggage

7. As for the fact that the the driver said the office want to talked to the passengers to inform them regarding an increase in the price, that is not true, as we have a set-up computer system that calculate the prices according to the milage of the destination, we do not alter the prices to any quotes, except where the passenger have more luggage or were delayed in customs and the driver get charge more money in the car park. From the message linked send to me, it is not possible for me to find out who was the passenger or the driver in this matter, but I invite the passenger to contact me at [email protected] and give me all the details of the booking, in order to sort the matter out, and would the case be that the driver tried to steal money from the passenger, I will refund the passenger and discharge the driver immediately as well as report him to the Public Carriage office. I can only think that the driver got a friend or relative on the phone as this sound like a scam to me.

There is no person in this office that will tell any passengers that the fare would be deducted from the drivers salary, as the fare that you pay, are the drivers money. And for the fact the the person ask the passengers if they have no mercy for the drivers wife and family, that is just unbelievable, as we do not get personal with the drivers or there family. They are here to do a job to the best level we required and that is it.

We have been operating for 11 years and we have many happy customers, and sometimes we do get the odd mistake, but we are only human and we try to solve all problems to the best of our ability. We transfer almost 1000 passengers every day and very few ever complain.

This is a free country and you can use who ever you think, but as one of the largest and most reliable companies in the UK, and surely the cheapest around, I would not see why anyone would want to use someone els

I hope this answer your questions

Have a wonderful weekend

Kind Regards

Charmaine Wiese

Office Manager

pipsil

Charmaine's response is all very well but when I tried to contact the JustAirport office to complain after this experience no supervisor was available to speak to me and I tried several times. By the way, I did not pay the extra £50. I paid what I was quoted. I wish I had taped the telephone conversation [allegedly with his office] regarding the driver having to pay the extra out of his own money. However, I am sure I still have the original emails with Just Airport and I will contact Charmaine giving her the date and confirmation number. she should be able to research it.Should be interesting! I might add there were just two of us with minimal luggage, no waiting time, so none of the "extras" were applicable.

JoeG

I can only speak from personal experience - we had excellent service using JustAirports. The drivers were prompt and courteous. The vehicles were clean and as represented. The fares were as quoted.

JoeG

djkbooks

For Lauren aka Faux: If you are going to chase me about the travel forums looking for ways to be contrary, it would be best if you would read everything before commenting.

I fully reported my experiences on AOL regarding attempting to book Ray's, and the fact that the JustAirports driver requested an additional £5 for waiting time we did not incur. Moreover, I recommend to everyone in private e-mails that they bring their e-mail confirmation along and check their watch upon arrival and again upon meeting the driver.

As mentioned above, the issue of the waiting charge was pleasantly resolved, and may have just been a misunderstanding.

With JustAirports, the online booking process was simple and swift. Our pickup driver was at the appointed place with our name on a sign. He was a responsible driver and handled all our bags for us. The driver returning was prompt, handled all the bags, even waited while my husband went after a cart, then loaded the bags onto it. Both drivers were pleasant and professional. Both vehicles were spacious and comfortable, nearly brand new, very well kept. For all that, and that their charges are the lowest I've found so far, I do recommend JustAirports.

I e-mailed Charmaine at 10:15 PM EDT on 8/19, and she responded here in detail less than six hours later.

There is always the possibility of a wayward employee. It just seems prudent to advise the employer of any unusual incidents so they may be explained/corrected, and to let others know to take care to avoid similar situations.

lyb

Though I have not yet actually used JustAirports, I will be in one week. I have several email contacts with Charmain and she has always responded very promptly and in details.

I will be more than happy to report on my experience with JustAirports when I return from my trip in September.

Spygirl

It seems that when a few people post here about a particular limousine service, then everyone else acts like a sheep and goes with that same service as well. Whatever. When I arrived in London last month, I used premier airport cars premierairportcars.com) and was very happy with them, particularly their prices. From Heathrow to Notting Hill, I paid 35GBP and rode in a brand new Mercedes, and for the return I paid 26GBP and was in an SUV. They were prompt, waiting for me when I got in, picked me up right on time for the return, and courteous. I would definitely use them again.