What to tell us when you book an airport transfer

Our booking form is short, but every box on it is there for a reason. The more of it you fill in, the more accurate your price and the fewer phone calls back and forth before the day. Here is what we ask for, and what we do with it.

The full addresses

A postcode on its own gets us to the right street. A house number, a flat number or the name of a hotel gets us to the right door. If the pick-up is somewhere awkward to find, such as a mews, a gated block or a building with more than one entrance, tell us in the notes.

The airport and the terminal

Heathrow has four terminals and Gatwick has two, and they are a long way apart. Your airline booking says which one you need. If you are not sure yet, tell us the airline and we can work it out together.

The flight number

For a drop-off, the flight time tells us when you need to be there. For a pick-up, the flight number and the time it is due to land tell us when to be there. It is the single most useful thing you can give us when you are coming home.

How many of you

Count everyone, children and babies included. It changes which car can take you, and for children it matters for seats as well. Our post on getting to the airport with children has more on that.

Your luggage

Two people with hand luggage and two people with four large cases need different cars. Tell us roughly how many bags, and anything bulky or oddly shaped:

• large suitcases and their number
• buggies, travel cots and car seats
• golf bags, skis, bikes or musical instruments
• wheelchairs or mobility aids

A mobile number

On the day, plans move: a flight lands early, you are still in passport control, the drive is running late. A mobile number you will have with you means we can reach each other quickly.

Anything else

The notes box is for whatever does not fit anywhere else: a second stop on the way, a return journey you are not sure of yet, or a passenger who needs a little extra help. If it matters to you, it is worth telling us.