08/03/2026
💬 This came up in a local group the other day and it’s a fair question people often ask…
We saw a post earlier from someone looking for an airport transfer and saying “everywhere seems extortionate prices.”
It’s a fair question, and we completely understand why airport transfer prices can sometimes look high at first glance.
We thought it might be helpful to explain what actually sits behind the price of a professional, licensed airport transfer service.
When you book a proper chauffeur or private hire company, the headline price isn’t just “fuel and a driver”.
Before a company like ours even takes a small profit, the job has to cover things like:
🚘 Vehicle purchase or finance
Just to give one example of rising costs – the average price of a new car in the UK has gone up by around 40% since 2020. The top of the range Mercedes models we use by even more.
🛠 Maintenance & tyres
Our vehicles cover huge mileage. servicing every couple of months, tyres, brakes and repairs are constant costs.
⛽ Fuel costs
Ok, so we buy so much of the stuff we use fuel cards and probably get it a couple of pence a litre cheaper than the average punter but it's still a constant cost and going up again at the moment.
🛡 Commercial insurance
Another huge liability is the cost of Hire & reward insurance - an absolute must in our business .
📜 Licensing & compliance
Before we can even take a booking we have to have Operator licences, driver licences, vehicle testing, council fees and regulatory compliance.
💳 Card & bank processing fees
Whether it’s £1 or £100, paid by card or transferred into the bank, there are always processing fees involved..
🧾 VAT & taxes
The government has to get their share as well, 20% goes straight to HMRC in VAT before we even start covering tax and other costs.
📱 Running the business
Booking software so you get professional confirmations and messaging, accountancy fees, Website, marketing, telephone, office and yard costs - it all adds up.
👨✈️ A professional driver’s time
Early morning 3am starts, waiting time for delayed flights, and the return journey home. Our chauffeurs love their jobs but lets be honest - nobody works purely for the love of it and they deserve a fair wage.
Of course someone’s mate might say “I’ll take you for petrol money”, but they probably won’t be quite so keen when the alarm goes off at 3:30am on a foggy morning in March.
Professional airport transfer companies aren’t trying to rip anyone off. We’re simply running a properly licensed, insured and reliable service that people can depend on when they have a flight to catch.
And when you’re heading off on holiday or an important business trip, reliability is usually the one thing you don’t want to gamble with.
When it comes to airport travel, would you rather save a few pounds or know a fully licensed professional driver in a clean and well maintained vehicle will definitely turn up at 3:30am?
✈️ Safe travels to everyone heading off this summer whoever you choose to get you to the airport.
