subject: After I've Arrived At The Airport, How Long Is My Reservation Valid? [print this page] When you're flying into any major international airport, you've probably decided to depend on the local taxi services to provide your transportation from the airport to whatever your destination may be. There are a number of reasons, all quite compelling, to opt for the use of a taxi company instead of using public transportation in any given city. However, there is a concern that many people have when flying into a city after booking a cab reservation and that is how long the taxi is going to wait for them.
You have to keep in mind that taxi drivers are only going to be making money when they have a passenger in the car. Therefore, if you're late they have no way of knowing that you're actually still coming, and they can't afford to sit there and wait all day for you. So, it's safe to say that they're going to give you a little bit of leeway, but it's also not very likely to find a cab driver that is going to wait more than fifteen minutes or so for you to show up if you're late for your booked pickup time.
There are a couple of things that you can do to help make sure that this doesn't create you any kind of problems. First of all, you should never assume that it's going to be a speedy process getting off your plane and getting your luggage. This always seems to take longer than you think it will, so give yourself lots of time to get that done. Worst case scenario is you have time to grab a cup of coffee before your taxi shows up, which is much better than the car leaving without you.
Second, you should always keep contact information for the cab company with you at all times. That way, if when you land you see that there is going to be a problem with the timing you can contact the company. They will either release the first driver so that they can send another at a more correct time or they will ask the current driver to wait. If a driver does wait an abnormally long time for you, it is common practice to tip generously; as you know that wait time has come out of their daily wages. With a little planning, you shouldn't have any problems making sure that your cabs aren't leaving without you.
