Do you get a taxi to/from the airport or do you ask a friend/family for a lift ?

[Thefakeone]

If stupid o'clock and/or airport is miles away then assuming taxi.

My friend will always ask me for a lift, regardless of what airport. I think this is a piss take and if you are going away then you need to factor in the cost of a taxi ?

Last year, for the first time, I had a taxi to the airport. So much easier than parking and the cost was about the same.

Just say clearly that you’re not doing it any more, the friend is totally unreasonable.

I either drive and park or airport hotel.

Train, taxi or drive. I have never asked for a lift to or from the airport.

I live over 2 hours from the nearest airport. Giving someone a lift is a bit more than "helping them out".

@sandrapinchedmysandwich Well surely if you don't want to do it you just say no, end of story.

It's odd to repeatedly agree to something you don't want to do and then complain about having to do it / repeatedly being asked to do it.

FWIW I have free airport parking with my job so it's never reciprocated as I don't need it, but on the basis it's a short distance I'm still happy to do it if I'm available.

After not have very good luck with parking we always get a taxi now. It's not particularly cheap but really reliable and have been great when we've had delays etc, they always have drinks and snacks for the kids and if it's late coming home will offer milk for a brew at home if we need it.

Taxi.

The only people who get lifts to/from the airport are people who live in this house or people staying with us in this house. And even then, I would only do to the nearest airport.

If you don’t want her to keep asking, tell her that it isn’t going to happen again. Not just cos this particular time doesn’t work. It’s fine to just not want to do this for someone who has options like a cab or drive and park but just prefers to use your time and your car (a bit different if it was a last minute flight to a sick relative or something)

Airport coach. Runs through the night and more comfortable than a car anyway.

If it's REALLY stupid o'clock (which I don't book any more now anyway because it's such a misery), then airport hotel (Yotel, Bloc etc.). If I'm not saving enough £ to justify airport hotel, then I just book the civilised flight.

Our return journey to the airport would cost us £220 in a taxi or mini cab so we drive ourselves and park there. Even valet sometimes works out cheaper and you can leave drinks/blankets/big coats in your car ready for the return.
When I lived 18 miles from Gatwick sisters/parents etc would often offer to drop us - but they wouldn't nowadays due to the bloody cheeky drop-off fees.

Me too

Only ever paid for parking. Never asked a friend or taken a taxi.

Well of course you do. I was disagreeing with the helping each other out is what friends do comment as this friend now just seems to expect this and it might be she is pushy so it's now difficult to wriggle out from.

I think the distance makes all the difference. 15 minutes. Meh. 2 hours though becomes 4 hours for the op and that's a big ask. Especially when the friend makes snidey comments and doesn't reciprocate

Just say NO why don't u just get a taxi.

When I was very young like teenager maybe into early 20's and it was just me and DH. We wld ask family if the flight times weren't very early morning or late at night.

These were to local airports about 10-20 miles away. We wld also buy them a gift for it so maybe bottle of spirit or something. Which is probably not far off same cost as the taxi 😂

My mum sometimes gets her friend to take her and my dad and she does same for me. Again only if the flight times are reasonable. Otherwise they get taxis.

Since the kids were born we have always parked at the airport so they can travel there in car seats. Also no one wld be able to fit 4 of us and 3 big suit cases in their car plus hand luggage.

@Thefakeone you are being an absolute doormat if you agree to constantly giving her lifts. If the arrangement was reciprocal fair enough but it's not.

Next time you fly ask her for a lift

By the time you offer petrol money or buy them a thank-you gift, it’s not really cheaper to ask someone for a lift. UK Airport Taxi gave us a flat quote for Gatwick at 5 AM that ended up cheaper than parking too.

I always use private hire airport taxi service . Very reliable and no inconvenience to anyone .

Drive and pay for parking

we used to live a mile away from the train station and I would get a taxi sometimes (if I was unable to drive) if the weather was bad or I had high heels or heavy bags

Now we live about 2 miles from the train station and I get a taxi sometimes if I planning to have a drink after work

Back in the 80s when we first started going abroad, we'd get airport taxis. But over the years, they became more unreliable and then we started to feel unsafe with maniac drivers, so by the 90s, we started taking our own car and parking in the airport car parks. Much more convenient. We're 90 minutes away from nearest airport, Manchester airport, by road, so completely impossible to expect lifts from family as they'd lose most of their day with a 3 hours round trip.

We tried looking at trains, but they're expensive and with it being Northern Rail around here, unreliable and a poor timetable, so it's never been an option for us.

Just realised I completely answered the wrong question here!

We plan to get yourselves there usually - park at the airport or get a taxi if local.