The terms that apply when you book a transfer with Rapid Airport Transfers — fixed pricing, waiting time, cancellation, refunds, vehicle conduct and governing law.
Welcome to Rapid Airport Transfers. By booking a journey with us — through our website, by phone or by email — you enter into a contract on the terms set out below. Please read them carefully. These terms together with your booking confirmation email form the complete agreement between you (the customer) and us (Rapid Airport Transfers).
1.1 "Company", "we", "us", "our" refers to Rapid Airport Transfers, an operating name of the licensed private-hire operator based at Cardinal Point, Park Road, Rickmansworth WD3 1RE, licensed by Three Rivers District Council.
1.2 "Customer", "you", "passenger" refers to the person or entity making a booking or using our service.
1.3 "Booking" refers to the transportation request made by you and accepted by us, evidenced by a confirmation email or text containing a six-digit booking reference.
1.4 "Service" refers to the pre-booked private-hire transfer journey provided by a licensed driver assigned by us.
1.5 "Driver-allocation email" refers to the email we send the afternoon before pickup containing your assigned chauffeur's name and mobile number.
2.1 All bookings must be made in advance through our website, by phone on 01923 88 2424, or by email. A booking is only considered confirmed once you receive a confirmation email or SMS from us containing a six-digit reference.
2.2 It is your responsibility to check that the details in the confirmation (date, time, pickup & drop-off addresses, vehicle class, passenger and luggage count) are correct. We are not liable for booking errors arising from inaccurate information supplied by you.
2.3 For airport arrivals, we strongly recommend providing the inbound flight number so we can link the booking to the live airline feed and automatically adjust pickup timing if your flight is delayed. Bookings without a flight number rely solely on the originally scheduled pickup time.
2.4 We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any booking where: (a) we are unable to supply a suitable vehicle (e.g. exceptional weather, road closure, capacity); (b) the booking is suspected to be fraudulent; or (c) the passenger has previously breached these terms. In case (a), a full refund will be issued.
2.5 Third-party bookings (e.g. a PA booking on behalf of a colleague) are permitted — enter the traveller's name and mobile as the passenger details, and your own contact details as the booking contact.
3.1 All prices shown on our booking widget are fixed and all-inclusive for the route entered and stay at that price through to checkout. There is no surge multiplier, peak-hour uplift, late-night premium, bank-holiday surcharge or Christmas / New Year premium.
3.2 The fixed price includes: driver's time, fuel, vehicle hire, applicable tolls (e.g. Dartford Crossing, M6 Toll), airport pickup access fees, the £7 Heathrow drop-off fee where applicable, and 45 minutes of complimentary waiting time on airport arrivals.
3.3 Additional charges may apply for: (a) extra stops not in the original booking (typically £5–£15 depending on distance and location); (b) changes to vehicle class after booking is confirmed; (c) waiting time exceeding the 45-minute airport allowance or 15-minute non-airport allowance (typically £0.50/minute); or (d) car cleaning where the vehicle has been soiled (flat fee £60).
3.4 Online payments are processed securely by Stripe via Visa, Mastercard or American Express. Your card details are processed by Stripe and never stored on our servers. Cash payment to the driver is accepted only if pre-arranged with our office.
3.5 Corporate account customers are billed monthly with itemised invoices on 30-day payment terms. Account setup takes approximately 24 hours subject to credit reference checks.
4.1 We will use reasonable endeavours to get you to your destination on time and by the most appropriate route, but we cannot guarantee specific arrival times where journey conditions are outside our control (traffic, weather, road incidents, airport queues).
4.2 Airport arrivals — Meet & Greet: For airport pickups, your driver will wait inside the arrivals hall with a printed name board (default service, included at no extra charge). 45 minutes of complimentary waiting time is included, measured from the actual landing time of your inbound flight (not the scheduled time).
4.3 Non-airport pickups: 15 minutes of complimentary waiting time is included, measured from the booked pickup time. After this allowance, waiting charges of £0.50 per minute will apply.
4.4 Live flight tracking: Every booking with a flight number attached is linked into the live airline feed. If your inbound flight is delayed or arrives early, our dispatch system automatically adjusts the chauffeur's arrival time. The 45-minute waiting window restarts from the revised actual landing time.
4.5 Cancelled or diverted flights: If your inbound flight is cancelled, please contact us as soon as possible — we can hold the booking for 24 hours pending your rebooked flight at no charge. For diverted flights, call us immediately on landing; we can usually redirect the chauffeur to the diversion airport (any additional mileage will be confirmed before the redirect, not after).
5.1 Cancellations more than 24 hours before pickup: Full refund issued, processed within 5–10 business days back to the original payment method.
5.2 Cancellations within 24 hours of pickup: May be subject to a cancellation charge of up to 50% of the booking fare, depending on whether we have already allocated a driver and committed to the route.
5.3 "No-show": Where you do not meet your driver within 60 minutes of the actual flight arrival time (or 15 minutes of the booked non-airport pickup time) and have not contacted either the driver or our dispatch office, the booking is treated as a no-show and no refund will be issued.
5.4 Cancellations by us: If we cancel because we are unable to fulfil the service (e.g. severe weather, vehicle breakdown without replacement), a full refund will be issued. We are not additionally liable for any consequential losses (e.g. missed flight where we cancel within reasonable notice).
5.5 Last-minute changes: Changes to pickup or destination address within 4 hours of the booked pickup time may not be possible and may incur additional charges if accepted.
5.6 All refund requests should be made by email to our booking team with your six-digit reference. We aim to acknowledge within 24 hours and process valid refunds within 5–10 business days.
6.1 We accept liability for direct losses caused by our negligence or breach of these terms, up to the value of the booking fare paid.
6.2 We do not accept liability for: (a) missed flights or appointments due to traffic delays, road closures, road incidents or adverse weather beyond our reasonable control; (b) indirect or consequential losses (e.g. cost of a replacement flight, accommodation, business losses); (c) delays caused by inaccurate booking information supplied by you (e.g. wrong pickup address or wrong terminal).
6.3 Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any other liability that cannot legally be limited.
6.4 Our insurance covers passengers in line with UK hire-and-reward regulations. Our PHV operator licence is held with Three Rivers District Council; the assigned vehicle is licensed for hire-and-reward and the driver holds a current PHV driver's licence and DBS check.
7.1 You are responsible for the behaviour of all passengers travelling in the vehicle, including children, throughout the journey.
7.2 Smoking, vaping, and consumption of alcohol are strictly prohibited in all our vehicles. Eating is discouraged but acceptable for short journeys with non-messy food.
7.3 Where a passenger soils the vehicle (vomit, spilled drink, food residue, mud) a flat cleaning charge of £60 will be applied to cover valeting and the out-of-service time required.
7.4 Threatening, abusive, racist or harassing behaviour towards the driver will result in the journey being terminated at the nearest safe stopping point. No refund will be issued in such cases.
7.5 The driver has the right to refuse entry to, or terminate the journey of, any passenger they reasonably believe presents a safety risk to themselves, the vehicle, or other passengers.
7.6 Seatbelts must be worn at all times by all passengers (including in rear seats) in compliance with UK road traffic law. Where a child seat or booster is required, please request it at booking — we provide these free of charge.
8.1 The luggage allowance for each vehicle class is shown on our booking widget and fleet page. Excessive luggage beyond the stated allowance may require an upgrade to a larger vehicle class — please contact us if in doubt.
8.2 We accept no liability for loss or damage to personal property carried in the vehicle, beyond what is required by UK consumer law. We strongly recommend that valuables (laptops, jewellery, passports, medication) are carried in cabin luggage and kept under your personal control.
8.3 Lost property: If property is found in the vehicle after the journey, it will be returned to our office at Cardinal Point, Rickmansworth and held for collection for 30 days. Beyond 30 days, unclaimed items are disposed of in accordance with the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977. We can arrange return delivery at your cost.
9.1 We are not liable for any delay or failure to perform our obligations under these terms where such delay or failure is caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including (without limitation): severe weather, flooding, road closures, major incidents (RTAs, terrorist threats, security alerts), industrial action, pandemic, government action, IT system failures of our third-party providers (Stripe, Google, hosting), or airport closures.
9.2 In any such event, we will use reasonable endeavours to find an alternative solution (e.g. alternative route, alternative driver). If we cannot deliver the service, a full refund will be issued.
10.1 We aim to provide an excellent service every time. If something goes wrong, please tell us so we can investigate, learn and put things right.
10.2 Complaints should be submitted in writing to our booking team via the contact page within 14 days of the journey, including your six-digit booking reference.
10.3 We will acknowledge complaints within 48 business hours and aim to provide a substantive response within 14 calendar days. Complex complaints (e.g. involving third parties such as airports or insurance) may take longer; we will keep you updated on progress.
10.4 If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate to Three Rivers District Council (our PHV licensing authority) or pursue the matter through the small claims court for amounts under £10,000.
11.1 These terms and any contract between you and us are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
11.2 Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these terms or the service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
11.3 If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
12.1 We may amend these terms from time to time to reflect changes in our service, the law, or industry practice. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the terms were last revised.
12.2 Material changes will be flagged with a banner on this page for at least 30 days before taking effect. Bookings made before the change takes effect are governed by the version of the terms in force at the time of booking; bookings made after take the new version. We recommend reviewing this page from time to time.