What a Flat Rate to Pearson Really Covers

A flat rate sounds simple until your flight lands 70 minutes late. Before you book a Toronto Airport Limo, it helps to know what the number on the quote includes, and what it leaves out.

The Price Is Set Before the Car Moves

With a meter, the fare grows while you sit on the 427. With a flat rate, the company gives you one price for the trip and that price holds. Rain, a stalled truck near Dixie Road, a closed ramp: none of it changes what you pay.

That only works if the quote is for your real trip. Give the full pickup address, the terminal, the number of bags and the number of people. A sedan price is not an SUV price, and four adults with ski bags will not fit in a sedan.

Late Flights Are the Company's Problem, Not Yours

A good airport car service watches your flight number, not the clock. If the plane is early, the driver leaves early. If it sits on the tarmac in Calgary for an hour, the pickup moves with it. Ask one question when you book: do you track the flight? If the answer is vague, keep looking.

Where the Driver Actually Meets You

Pearson has two terminals and they are not close to each other. Tell the company which one you land at, Terminal 1 or Terminal 3. Many services send the chauffeur inside to the arrivals hall with a name sign, which matters after a long flight when your phone is at four percent.

If you are being picked up at home, the rule is easier. Be ready ten minutes early. The car will be.

Pick the Car for the Bags, Not the People

• One or two travellers with carry-ons: a sedan is plenty.
• A family with checked bags and a stroller: an SUV saves an argument at the curb.
• A group of eight to fourteen: one Sprinter van costs less than three cars and keeps everyone together.
• A wedding or a prom: that is what the stretch limousine is for.

Four Things to Ask Before You Pay

1. Is this the total, or are there extra charges on top?
2. Is the driver's wait time included if my bags are slow?
3. Can I pay by card, and which cards?
4. Is someone answering the phone at 4 a.m. if my plans change?

The last one matters more than people think. Early flights leave at six. A company that only answers during office hours cannot help you at the hour you are most likely to need it.

It Is Not Only Pearson

The same flat-rate idea applies to Billy Bishop on the island, to Hamilton, and to the long run down to Buffalo for a cheaper U.S. flight. The longer the drive, the more a fixed price is worth, because a border lineup or a QEW backup can add an hour that you did not plan for.

Book the ride when you book the flight. Write the confirmation in the same note as your boarding pass. Then the drive to the airport becomes the one part of the trip you do not have to think about.