Ask for the seat when you book — not on the day
We supply child and booster seats at £15 per seat and the driver will fit them. But a car seat has to be physically in the vehicle when it leaves us, which means the request has to be on the booking.
Tell us the age, and where they are borderline the height and weight too. Rear-facing, forward-facing and booster are different pieces of equipment and the right one depends on the child rather than the birthday.
What the rules actually say about taxis
The law on child car seats has specific provisions for licensed taxis and private hire vehicles, which are not identical to the rules for your own car. Where a correct seat is not available, there are limited circumstances in which a child over three may travel in the rear using an adult seat belt.
That is a legal minimum, not a plan. A properly fitted seat is safer and less stressful for everybody, and at £15 it is the cheapest part of the trip. Request it with the child's age when you book — availability is limited and priority goes to journeys over 20 miles, so the earlier the better.
Choose the vehicle for the luggage, not the passengers
This is where family bookings most often go wrong. A Standard Saloon seats four, so two adults and two children fit — until you add two large suitcases, a pushchair, a travel cot and the bag with all the snacks in it.
Count the large cases separately from the people. Two adults, two children and a week's luggage is a Mini Bus, and the difference in price is smaller than the difference in the morning.
Pushchairs, and how they travel
A folding buggy goes in the boot without ceremony. A large travel system with a separate carrycot takes up most of a saloon boot on its own. Tell us which you have, because the answer changes the vehicle.
If you need the pushchair on the pavement at the other end — at a terminal, for instance — say so, and the driver will pack it where it can come out first rather than at the bottom.
Airport runs with small children
Two things help more than anything else. Book the pick-up earlier than you think you need: the arithmetic of check-in and security does not change because a toddler will not put their shoes on, and half an hour of margin buys back an enormous amount of calm.
And on the return, give the driver the flight number rather than a time. Passport control and baggage reclaim with tired children take as long as they take. With flight monitoring, the driver is simply there when you emerge — inside, with a name board, from 30 minutes after you land, and a hand for the cases.
Small practical things
Sit the child who gets travel sick behind the driver rather than in the middle, where they can see out of the front. Ask for the air conditioning to be turned down rather than off if somebody is cold. We operate a no-food, no-drink policy in the vehicles — bottled water is the exception — so plan snacks for before or after. Tell the driver if anyone is unwell so they can stop somewhere sensible rather than on a hard shoulder, and on a journey over two hours ask for a comfort stop when you book so it is planned into the schedule.
