Fares & Booking
Fares, Booking & Flight Delays
How our fixed fares work, what is included, what the airports charge separately, how to book, and what happens when a flight moves. Every fare on this page is confirmed before you travel.
Call 01892 308080How Our Fares Work
Are your airport fares fixed or metered?
Every fare from Matfield Airport Taxis is fixed and agreed before you travel. There is no meter, no surge pricing, no night rate and no terminal surcharge. The price we confirm at booking is the price you pay, whether the roads are clear or the M25 has stopped, and whether you leave at 3am or 3pm.
This is the most important thing to understand about how we price, and where this page and any other page on the site differ, this one is current. A meter charges you for time you did not choose — a queue at Dartford, a slow crawl round the western M25, congestion on the airport approach. An app raises the price precisely when demand is highest, which for airport passengers is exactly when you need to travel. A fixed fare moves that risk from you to us.
It also means the number you are quoted is the number to compare. When you weigh us against another quote, check whether theirs includes waiting, luggage help, the return leg and meeting you inside the terminal, because ours does and cheaper headline figures often do not.
What is included in the fare
- The full door-to-door journey, in either direction
- Help with luggage at both ends
- Meet and greet inside the terminal on arrivals
- Flight tracking, with the pickup time adjusted by us if your flight moves
- An estate instead of a saloon at no extra cost, if you need the boot space
What is charged separately
- Airport drop-off charges, from £7. Set and collected by each airport at the drop-off barrier, not by us. Every airport publishes its own current rate.
- The London congestion charge, on journeys into central London only. That fare is quoted at £130 plus the charge. It does not apply to London City Airport, which sits outside the zone in the Royal Docks.
Fixed Fares from Matfield
| Destination | Fixed fare |
|---|---|
| Gatwick Airport (LGW) | £77 |
| Heathrow Airport (LHR) | £110 |
| London City Airport (LCY) | £115 |
| Stansted Airport (STN) | £120 |
| Luton Airport (LTN) | £150 |
| Central London | £130 + congestion charge |
| Tunbridge Wells | £20 |
| Tonbridge | £35 |
| Brighton | £105 |
| Southampton | £195 |
| Portsmouth | £200 |
| Minibus, 6–8 passengers, any route | Quoted at booking |
Fares from neighbouring villages such as Brenchley, Petteridge, Paddock Wood, Horsmonden and Five Oak Green differ from the Matfield prices above and are quoted on request. Anywhere not listed, call 01892 308080 for a fixed price.
How to Book
By phone or WhatsApp. There is no app to install and no account to create.
Call or message
Phone 01892 308080 or WhatsApp 07741 041293. Bookings are taken 24 hours a day, including for journeys departing in the middle of the night.
Give us five things
Pickup address, destination airport and terminal, date, flight number, and passenger and bag count. The flight number is what lets us track it.
Fare and time confirmed
We confirm the fixed fare and the pickup time, worked back from your departure rather than guessed at. Neither changes afterwards.
How far in advance should I book an airport taxi?
As early as you can, and sooner for pre-dawn departures. Matfield has no railway station and limited on-demand cover, so same-day cars are not guaranteed — particularly for the early Stansted and Luton flights. Booking ahead secures the vehicle and locks the fixed fare. Matfield Airport Taxis takes bookings 24/7.
Why we ask for the flight number
It is the single most useful thing you can give us. With it we can see whether your inbound flight is early, on time or delayed, and move the pickup ourselves without you having to call from the terminal. Without it we are working from a scheduled time that may no longer be accurate. It costs you nothing and it removes the most common failure point in an airport transfer.
Flight Delays & Tracking
What happens if my flight is delayed?
Nothing you need to manage. Matfield Airport Taxis monitors your flight number and moves the pickup time so your driver arrives when you actually land, early or late. The agreed fare does not change because of a delay, and no waiting charge is added for one. You do not need to call and rearrange anything.
Flight tracking is included on every airport booking rather than sold as an extra, and it works in both directions. On departures it tells us whether your flight has moved before you leave the house. On arrivals it means the driver is timed against the landing rather than the schedule, which on long-haul into Heathrow or a late Stansted arrival is often a difference of hours rather than minutes.
The practical upshot is that a delay becomes our problem rather than yours. On a metered fare, waiting time at the airport is billed to the passenger. On ours it is not, because the fare was fixed before anyone knew the flight would slip.
Fares & Booking Questions
Do you charge more for early morning or late night journeys?
No. The fare is the same at 3am as at 3pm — no night rate, no out-of-hours premium and no weekend surcharge. Given that a large share of departures from Gatwick, Stansted and Luton leave before 8am, this is the clearest practical difference between our pricing and metered or app-based fares.
Is the airport drop-off charge included in the fare?
No. Drop-off charges start from £7 and are set and collected by each airport at the barrier, not by us. They vary by airport and by how long the vehicle stays in the drop-off zone. Your fare covers the journey; each airport publishes its own current rate on its website.
Does the congestion charge apply to my journey?
Only on journeys into central London, which we quote at £130 plus the charge. It does not apply to any of the five airport routes, including London City, which sits outside the zone in the Royal Docks. Nothing is added to an airport fare for entering London.
Will the price change if we hit traffic?
No. That is the point of a fixed fare. Whether the A21 is clear or the M25 has stopped, you pay the price agreed at booking. On a meter that risk sits with the passenger; with us it sits with the operator, which is also why we plan pickup times with proper margin.
Do you quote per person or per vehicle?
Per vehicle. The £77 Gatwick fare covers up to four passengers in a saloon or estate, not £77 each. Minibus bookings for six to eight passengers are likewise a single quote for the whole group rather than a per-head fare.
Is an estate more expensive than a saloon?
No, the fare is the same. If you need extra boot space for four large cases, golf clubs, ski bags or a pushchair, ask for an estate when you book and the price does not change. It is worth requesting rather than hoping — we assign the vehicle from the bag count you give us.
Can I book the return journey at the same time?
Yes, and we recommend it. Booking both legs together means the return is confirmed at a fixed price before you fly and tied to your inbound flight number. Arranging transport after landing at midnight, in a village with no railway station, is the worst possible moment to start.
Do you cover pickups from outside Matfield?
Yes. We collect from Brenchley, Petteridge, Paddock Wood, Horsmonden, Five Oak Green, Pembury, Kippings Cross and Capel, as well as Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge. Fares from those addresses differ from the published Matfield prices because the distances differ, so call 01892 308080 for a fixed quote.
What information do you need to give me a price?
Your pickup address, the destination airport and terminal, the date and time, and how many passengers and bags. With that we can quote a fixed fare on the call. The flight number is not needed for the price, but it is what lets us track the flight afterwards.
Is it cheaper to book in advance than on the day?
Our fare is the same either way — we do not discount advance bookings or surcharge late ones. What changes is availability. Same-day cars from a Kent village are not guaranteed, especially before dawn, so booking ahead is about securing the vehicle rather than saving money.
How do I pay for a pre-booked transfer?
The fare is agreed before you travel, so there is no meter reading to settle at the terminal and no surprise total at the end. Confirm how you would like to pay when you book on 01892 308080 and we will tell you what we accept for your journey — the amount itself is fixed either way.
Is it worth booking an airport transfer at all?
From Matfield, usually yes. There is no station in the village, so the alternative starts with a drive and a car park before the first train moves. For two or more passengers, or any flight leaving before the early services run, a fixed door-to-door fare is both simpler and cheaper.
Fares and policies on this page were last reviewed in September 2026.
Ready to Book?
Fixed fares, flight tracking both ways, bookings taken 24 hours a day. Tell us the journey and we will confirm the price on the call.