A metered black cab runs on the standard Transport for London tariff, with a minimum fare of £4.40 and a typical cost of £75 to £130 to central London. A fixed pre-booked price for the same trip is usually £45 to £75, agreed before you travel and unaffected by traffic. Checked August 2026.
How the meter works
Black cabs waiting at the marshalled rank outside each terminal's arrivals hall run on the TfL tariff. There are three rate bands: Tariff 1 for weekday daytime, Tariff 2 for evenings and weekends, and Tariff 3 for nights and public holidays, each charging progressively more per mile as the meter runs. The minimum fare is £4.40, and a rank surcharge of about £1.60 is commonly added. Because it reflects real-time traffic and distance, the fare to central London typically lands somewhere between £75 and £130 over about 18 miles and 45 to 75 minutes, but the exact figure isn't known until the meter stops.
How a fixed price works
A pre-booked minicab or private-hire car quotes a set fare before you travel, commonly £45 to £75 to central London. That price doesn't move regardless of the route taken, the traffic on the day, or a delayed landing. What's typically included varies by operator, so it's worth checking, but a fixed quote commonly covers the door-to-door fare and the drop-off charge, with no meter running and no surge for the time of day.
Side by side
| Metered black cab | Fixed pre-booked price | |
|---|---|---|
| When you know the fare | Only when the meter stops | Before you travel |
| Typical cost to central London | £75 to £130 | £45 to £75 |
| Affected by traffic | Yes, directly | No |
| Night or holiday travel | Higher Tariff 3 rate | Usually the same price |
| Drop-off charge | Added separately, £7 | Commonly included, worth confirming |
| Booking needed | No, join the rank | Yes, in advance |
When metered can still make sense
If you land and simply want to go without arranging anything in advance, the rank is there, marshalled and ready, with no app or phone call needed. For a very short or unplanned trip, that convenience can outweigh the wider fare range.
When a fixed price wins
For a planned journey, particularly to central London, a fixed price is both usually cheaper and always predictable, since you know the exact number before you fly. It also removes the risk of a longer-than-expected route or heavy traffic pushing the cost up, and because it's agreed in advance, a delayed flight doesn't change what you pay. For the fuller comparison including ride-hailing apps, see taxi versus Uber, and for how flight delays are handled, see what happens if your flight is delayed.
Heathrow Airport Guide's disclosed transport partner is 247 UK Airport Taxi, part of the Tick Taxi group. Need a door-to-door taxi? For fixed-price, flight-tracked transfers to and from Heathrow Airport, we recommend 247 UK Airport Taxi. Your fare is fixed and quoted before you travel, so drop-off charges, night surcharges and traffic never change what you pay.
More
More: Overview, Taxis, Routes, Drop-off, FAQs.
Frequently asked questions
Is a fixed-price minicab cheaper than a metered black cab at Heathrow? Usually yes. A fixed price to central London is commonly £45 to £75, against roughly £75 to £130 on the black-cab meter, and the fixed price is agreed before you travel.
What is the minimum fare for a Heathrow black cab? £4.40 on the standard TfL tariff, before distance and time are added. A rank surcharge of about £1.60 is commonly added on top.
Does the black-cab fare change at night? Yes. Tariff 3 applies at nights and on public holidays and charges more per mile than the weekday daytime Tariff 1 or the evening and weekend Tariff 2.
Does a fixed price include the £7 drop-off charge? Commonly, yes, but it varies by operator, so it's worth confirming when you book.
We recommend a transport partner and may earn a referral fee. It never changes what you pay, and we only list options we would use ourselves.
Last verified August 2026 by the Heathrow Airport Guide editorial team. Prices and timetables change, so confirm the specifics on the official Heathrow Airport website before you travel.