Mini Cab it .... too good to be true?
 

As I was researching transport options from Heathrow Terminal 1 to the Bayswater area of London I found an ad/app for minicabit.com. After inputting my desired routing, time, date etc. A variety of quotes were given to me .... the rates seem to good to be true approx 31 pounds for 3 people ....

Has anyone used this app service for an airport to London transport? Are they reliable? Honest? The FAQ's on their website indicate all cabs and drivers need to be licensed.

I would appreciate learning of your experiences with minicabit.com .

Thanks, Julie

No idea about this particular service - sounds like an "aggregator" for the actual companies/services.

But yes, for someone to operate a minicab (i.e., bookable only, not on-street pick-up) service, they do have to be licensed, and you can access TfL's database of licensed companies (though you'd have to get the quotes and make a booking yourself):
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/

All these car services seem to get good recommendations on another travel website:

www.london-transfers.com

www.skyexpresscars.net

www.handicars.co.uk

www.justairports.com

www.exclusiveairports.com

www.swisscottagecars.com

www.expressways.co.uk

Heathrow Express is 15 minutes to Paddington. Could not be simpler. Why not use it?

One reason not to use Heathrow Express is the cost; for 3 people significantly more than £31.

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/tick...s/prices-fares

I'm guessing "minicabit" may be a way for smaller local companies to get in on the internet quoting business. They would usually quote a rate per car, and £31 doesn't seem spectacularly low, to judge by what the local minicabs round my way advertise. Black cabs and "executive" companies would charge more - these minicab companies might well use relatively ordinary cars.

I believe your are correct PatrickLondon that minicabit is an "aggregator", and don't use black cabs. My concern is do they have a history of promptness, honesty in maintaining quoted prices etc.

If I am alone I'll either use HEX or Heath Connect, but there may be three of us arriving at the same time, then I want to book a cab/car.

Thanks for the tips and responses.

>> My concern is do they have a history of promptness, honesty in maintaining quoted prices etc. <<

Since they are an aggregator they would have any control over promptness etc, They aren't the cars/drivers - just the go-between

I'd go w/ one of the established car services like justairports.com or http://www.london-transfers.com who have a well know track record. They will be quite a bit cheaper than 3 HEX tickets.

"Heathrow Express is 15 minutes to Paddington. Could not be simpler. Why not use it?"

1. Because no-one - not even those of us who live next door to a train line from Paddington actually wants to go there.
2. It's absurdly expensive.

Most of us use the tube because for almost all destinations in central London it's both cheaper AND faster than the HEX, the Connect or almost ANY kind of surface road transport.

I say "almost" , because Virgin Limobike is faster than the tube to almost anywhere in London. But nothing else is.

oops -- need to preview . . . That should say >>they wouldn't have any control . . . <<

Minicabit is NOT GOOD. We prepaid online for our return trip from LHR into London. After a long flight, no one showed up. There were no texts/emails/phone calls to let us know that they weren't coming (even though they had all of our contact information). We called and didn't get an answer. The nice greeter at LHR (purple jacket folks) helped us get another minicab after an hour of waiting. He told us that this service is not reccomended because minicab it is just a booking service and accepts no responsibility when drivers don't show up. Leaving travelers stressed, without transportation and paying again. We had to pay double to get another cab and now we've paid twice and Minicabit is not returning our emails or calls. Better to book directly with a cab company. Try Kabbee maybe?

Or, in my case, I'm trying to make an early flight on a Sunday and neither the tube nor the train start running early enough, according to TFL.CO.UK, to allow me to make my flight. Therefore I have to take a cab, drastically inflating the cost of my transportation to Heathrow. I've never had this happen in another city. Tsk, tsk, London.

So sleep at Heathrow. Plenty of airport hotels, or look into Yotel. If you lived in the US you'd be lucky to get public transport to the airport any time of day.

>> If you lived in the US you'd be lucky to get public transport to the airport any time of day.<<

That's what I was thinking -- my large-ish city has absolutely no public transport to the airport other than a once every 2 hour bus that only stops at the airport because it is 'on the way' to a small town 20 miles away.

If you don't want to stay at a LHR hotel and don't want to book a car service, there is the night bus -- I believe it is the N9 -- that goes from central London to LHR every 20 minutes all night long.

<If you lived in the US you'd be lucky to get public transport to the airport any time of day>

Yes we're among the lucky ones here in California. .We walk out our door, down to the Bart and go straight to the airport right from our house here in the Bay Area. But, just like in London the trains don't run overnight or early in the mornings - particularly on the weekends.

<I've never had this happen in another city. Tsk, tsk, London.>
Not sure where you've been traveling but we have found this elsewhere, particularly on a Sunday.

Good to know about the night bus Janis.

We generally take the Tube for the reasons flanner outlined, but occasionally we've taken a minicab and I've used and can recommend Blackberry Cars. . I'd rather make a reservation directly as this seems more reliable than going through a consolidator.

We use Atlas Cars a lot; never had a problem with them, always on time, clean cars. Download their app for booking. They send you a text when the car has arrived, with license plate and name and phone number of driver.

I have used the HEX, and would do so again, if I'm on my own. If you need to be north of Hyde Park, it's the fastest way to go. But if you are travelling with more people, a car service is usually cheaper.