If your flight is late, a flight tracking airport taxi moves your pickup to match your actual landing time. You give us your flight number when you book, and we follow the flight, so your driver arrives when you do. Our Birmingham Airport transfers page says you never pay extra for reasonable delays.
This guide explains how flight tracking works. It covers early, late, cancelled and diverted flights, and what to do to keep your pickup on track.
What happens to your airport taxi if your flight changes
| Situation | What happens | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Flight delayed | We follow the delay and adjust your pickup to the new landing time | Nothing, if we have your flight number |
| Flight lands early | Your pickup moves forward and your driver is in position | Nothing, if we have your flight number |
| Flight cancelled | We rearrange your booking around your new plans | Tell us as soon as you can |
| Moved to a different flight | We need the new flight number to track it | Send us the new details |
| Flight diverted to another airport | Your original pickup point no longer applies | Contact us straight away |
How flight tracking works for airport taxis
Your flight number is the key
Flight tracking starts with your flight number. Our page explains that we ask for it so your pickup matches your actual landing time. Without it, we can only plan around the time you give us, which is a guess.
Use the number on your booking confirmation or boarding pass. A codeshare ticket can show two numbers, so give us the number of the airline that operates the aircraft. Not sure which that is? Send both.
What we follow
We follow your flight, so your pickup moves if you land early or late, as our airport transfers page puts it. If the expected arrival time changes, your pickup changes with it.
Where your driver waits
At Birmingham Airport, your driver waits inside the terminal with a name board. The airport has a single terminal, so there’s only one arrivals hall. Our airport transfers page explains the meeting point in more detail.
What happens if your flight is late
A short delay
Short delays are the most common. A flight that leaves 30 minutes late usually lands about 30 minutes late, and your pickup moves to match. You don’t need to call or message, as long as we have your flight number.
Your driver stays in step with the flight. Meanwhile, you get on with your journey, knowing that the car will be there when you arrive.
A long delay
When a delay runs to several hours, the same process applies, but plan a little more. Let us know if you’ve been told the flight could be much later, or if the airline has changed the plan. Then we can talk through your options.
Our airport transfers page says you never pay extra for reasonable delays. If your wait is very long, tell us as soon as you know, so we can confirm how it affects your booking.
A late-night or overnight arrival
Our service runs 24 hours a day, so a flight that lands at 2am is booked like one at 2pm. For what to expect after dark, see our guide to late-night taxis in Birmingham.
What happens if your flight lands early
Flights sometimes land ahead of schedule. Our airport transfers page says that when we track your flight, your pickup moves forward, so your driver is in position as you come through arrivals.
Even so, you still have to clear the airport. Passport control and baggage reclaim take time, so an early landing doesn’t mean you’re out of the terminal sooner. Allow for that when you tell your driver you’re through.
What if your flight is cancelled
Tell us as soon as you can if your flight is cancelled. Our airport transfers page says we’ll rearrange your booking around your new travel plans.
Contact your airline first to find out what it can offer, because it controls rebooking. Once you know your new flight, send us the details. Then we can track the new flight and set the pickup.
What if your flight is diverted
A diverted flight lands at a different airport from the one on your booking. If that happens, your original pickup point no longer applies. Contact us straight away with the airport the airline gives you.
Our coverage area page lists the towns we serve, and we run transfers to several UK airports. Talk to us about the best way to get you home, while your airline tells you how it plans to move you on.
What if you’re rebooked onto another flight
Airlines sometimes move passengers to a different flight. When that happens, your original flight number stops being useful for tracking. Send us the new flight number, the date and the landing airport.
Without it, we’d be following a flight you’re no longer on. Updating your booking takes a moment and keeps your pickup accurate.
Why the flight number matters
What we can’t do without it
Flight tracking only works if we know which flight to follow. If you don’t give us a flight number, we plan your pickup around the time you gave us, and a delay would leave your driver guessing.
Where to find it
Check your booking confirmation, your airline’s app or your boarding pass. The number usually has two letters followed by up to four digits, such as BA123. If you’ve booked a connecting trip, give us the number of the flight that lands at your final destination.
How long it takes to leave the airport after landing
From landing to arrivals
Landing is only the first step. After touchdown, your plane taxis to its stand, passengers leave the aircraft, and you walk to passport control. Then you collect your bags, if you’ve checked any.
Those steps take different amounts of time on different days, so your driver waits for you to come through, not for the plane to touch down.
Fast track options
Birmingham Airport also offers a Premium Arrivals Fast Track service. Check the airport’s page for what’s included, the price and whether it suits your flight.
If you’re flying out and your flight is delayed
A delayed departure is a different problem from a late arrival. For departures, our airport transfers page says we plan your pickup around your check-in. If the airline delays your flight, don’t assume check-in moves too.
Check with your airline before you change your pickup. Check-in and bag drop deadlines are set by the airline, and they don’t always shift when a departure slips. If the airline confirms a later check-in, tell us the new time, and we’ll adjust the pickup. Otherwise, keep your original time.
Mistakes that cause missed pickups
Most missed pickups come from small details. The most common is giving the wrong flight number, such as the outbound flight instead of the return. Another is giving the first leg of a connecting trip, when we need the flight that lands at your final airport.
Dates cause problems too. A long delay can push your landing past midnight, so your arrival date changes. Check that your booking shows the date you’ll actually land, and tell us if it doesn’t. Finally, double-check the airport name, especially if you’re flying into a city with more than one airport.
How to reach us if plans change
Our website says the team is available 24/7 to help with bookings. Use our contact us page, or email sales@netairporttransfers.co.uk with your booking details and your flight number. Put your name, your date and your pickup time in the subject line, so your message is easy to find.
If your flight changes at short notice, contact us as soon as you know. The sooner we have the new details, the sooner we can update your pickup.
Planning your own time around a delay
A long delay is easier to manage if you plan for it. Check your airline’s app for updates, and keep your phone charged. If you’re being met at home, tell whoever is waiting that you’ll be late.
Travelling with children or older relatives? Think about food and rest during the wait. Airlines owe care during long delays in some circumstances, so ask at the desk. Once you land, your taxi will be waiting, so you don’t need to arrange another one.
Your rights if the delay is long
Our service only covers your taxi. For compensation for the delay itself, check your rights with your airline. See the Civil Aviation Authority’s guidance on delays and its guidance on cancellations.
According to the CAA, you may be entitled to compensation if you reach your destination more than three hours late. Amounts depend on the flight’s distance and, on longer flights, the length of the delay, and they range from £220 to £520 per person. It doesn’t apply when extraordinary circumstances caused the problem. The airline must provide care during a long delay, whatever the cause.
If a delay runs beyond five hours, the CAA says you can choose not to travel and receive a refund. Separate bookings are different. If your trip uses them, the CAA says you have no statutory right to care or compensation after a missed flight.
How delays affect the price of your taxi
A fixed fare
Every fare is fixed before you travel, and our airport transfers page says the price you’re quoted is the price you pay. There’s no meter and no surge pricing. That matters on a delayed day, because a late flight doesn’t push your fare up.
Metered taxis and waiting
A meter charges for time as well as distance, so waiting can add to the bill. With a fixed fare, that worry goes away. Our guide to fixed-price and metered taxis explains how the two work.
Ask about long waits
If you expect a very long wait, ask us how it affects your booking before you travel. Our page says reasonable delays cost nothing extra. It doesn’t publish a fixed waiting limit, so confirm the details for your journey when you book.
Practical tips for a delayed arrival
- Give us your flight number when you book, and check it matches your ticket.
- Check your airline’s app for the latest arrival time.
- Look at Birmingham Airport’s live arrivals board before you leave for the airport.
- Tell us straight away if your flight is cancelled, diverted or changed.
- Keep your phone charged, so we can reach you.
- Tell your driver when you’re through baggage reclaim.
Tracking your return flight from other airports
We also run transfers between the Midlands and other UK airports. Our airport transfers page says that on Heathrow journeys, your flight is tracked for the return.
Separate pages cover Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick. For other airports, contact us with your flight details and ask how tracking works on your journey.
Families, groups and business travellers
Families and groups
A late flight is harder with children or a large party. The Mercedes V-Class seats up to seven passengers with luggage, and your driver waits with a name board. Tell us how many of you are travelling, and how many bags you have.
Business travellers
For regular trips, a corporate account gives monthly invoicing for staff and clients. Flight tracking means a delayed director doesn’t need to rebook a car. Tell us the flight number for each traveller.
Taxi service across Birmingham and the Midlands
We collect from homes, hotels and offices across the region. That includes our Birmingham taxi service, as well as pickups from Solihull, Coventry and Wolverhampton. Our coverage area page lists every town we serve.
If you’d like a fixed price for your journey, you can get a quote online for your airport transfer.
Book an airport taxi with flight tracking
NET Airport Transfers runs pre-booked, fixed-fare taxis to and from Birmingham Airport, 24 hours a day. Tell us your flight number, your pick-up address and your group size. We’ll follow your flight and plan the pickup around your actual landing. Book your taxi online, or contact us with any questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my airport taxi if my flight is delayed?
We follow the delay and adjust your pickup to the new landing time, according to our Birmingham Airport transfers page. You never pay extra for reasonable delays.
Do I need to tell you if my flight is late?
Not if we have your flight number. We track the flight, so your pickup moves with it. Tell us if the flight is cancelled, diverted or changed.
What if my flight lands early?
Because we track your flight, your pickup moves forward, and your driver is in position as you come through arrivals.
Where will my driver meet me at Birmingham Airport?
Inside the arrivals hall, once you’ve collected your bags. The airport has a single terminal, so there’s only one arrivals area.
What if my flight is cancelled?
Let us know as soon as you can. We’ll rearrange your booking around your new travel plans.
Will a delayed flight change the price of my taxi?
Our fares are fixed before you travel, with no meter and no surge pricing. Reasonable delays don’t cost extra.
