You booked a car, the pickup time has come and gone, and there's no sign of it. Whether you're heading to a flight, a train or just home, the next ten minutes matter more than anything else — and the most useful thing you can do is work through a short, calm checklist rather than waiting and hoping.
Step 1: Check the booking details first
Before assuming the car isn't coming, spend thirty seconds on your confirmation:
- Is the pickup time what you expected? A.m. and p.m. mix-ups, or a booking made for the wrong date, are more common than you'd think.
- Is the pickup address exactly right? A driver sent to the right street but the wrong entrance — the back of a hotel, a different terminal, the other side of a station — may be waiting nearby.
- Have you missed a call or message? Drivers and operators often call when they arrive or if they're held up. Check your phone, including any spam or unknown-number filters.
Step 2: Contact the operator, not the app store or a review site
If the details are right and there's still no car a few minutes after the pickup time, contact the operator you booked with directly and have your booking reference ready. They can tell you where the driver is, whether there's a delay, or whether something has gone wrong with the booking.
If you booked with us, contact us using the details in your confirmation and have your booking reference ready.
What to say, briefly:
- Your booking reference and name
- The exact spot where you're waiting
- Any hard deadline — a flight departure time, a train, a check-in cut-off
The deadline is the important part. It tells the operator how urgent the problem is.
Step 3: Decide when to make a backup plan
The right moment to switch to another option depends on what's at stake:
- A flight or train: work backwards from your latest safe arrival time. If the operator can't give you a firm arrival time that still leaves you enough margin, make an alternative plan — don't wait until it's too late for any option to work. For airport runs, our guide to getting to the airport when the Tube is down lists the rail alternatives for each London airport.
- A local journey with no deadline: you have more room to wait for an update.
If you do arrange another car, tell the original operator you no longer need theirs, so the booking is closed off cleanly. Our cancellation guide explains how that usually works.
Why pickups get missed
Understanding the common causes helps you avoid most of them next time:
- Wrong or vague pickup point. Large buildings, stations and estates have several entrances. Add a specific note: "main entrance on X Road" or "outside the Costa at Y station."
- Traffic or a closure en route. A driver heading to you can be caught in the same congestion you'll face afterwards — see how surge periods and disruption affect availability.
- Airport arrivals without a flight number. If the driver is tracking a flight time that's wrong, they'll be in the wrong place. Our airport waiting time guide explains why the flight number matters.
- Booking too close to the time. Very short notice, especially very early in the morning, leaves little room for anything to go wrong. See our last-minute booking guide.
How to make it less likely
- Book important journeys in advance — especially early-morning airport runs. Our advance booking guide has a checklist.
- Double-check your confirmation as soon as it arrives, not on the morning of travel.
- Give a mobile number you'll actually answer, and keep your phone on you and unmuted around pickup time.
- Use the notes field for anything a driver needs to find you.
After the journey: raising it properly
If a missed pickup cost you money — a missed flight, an extra fare — raise it with the operator in writing, with your booking reference, what happened and what it cost. If the operator doesn't resolve it, you can take it further; our guide to complaining about a taxi sets out the route, including the licensing authority.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What should I do if my pre-booked taxi doesn't turn up? A: Check your confirmation for the time and address, look for missed calls, then contact the operator with your booking reference, where you're waiting and any deadline such as a flight time.
Q: How long should I wait for a booked taxi? A: Contact the operator a few minutes after the booked time rather than waiting silently. How long to wait after that depends on your deadline — for a flight or train, work back from your latest safe arrival time.
Q: Should I book another taxi if mine is late? A: If the operator can't confirm an arrival time that still gets you there in time, arrange an alternative and tell the original operator you no longer need the booking.
Q: Can I complain if my taxi didn't arrive? A: Yes. Raise it with the operator first in writing, with your booking reference. If it isn't resolved, you can escalate to the relevant licensing authority, which is TfL in London.
Q: How do I stop a taxi booking going wrong? A: Book important journeys in advance, check the confirmation straight away, give a precise pickup point, include a flight number for airport pickups and keep your phone on you.
Got an important journey coming up? Book it in advance and add clear pickup notes — it's the simplest way to make sure your driver finds you.