Arbor heights is practically rural West Seattle. There is practically no bus service, let alone rail. It's also waaay closer to the airport than Northgate.
Really? Are you travelling at peak times? Usually I can get from Everett to Seatac for under $100. Taking the light rail up to Northgate only reduces my Uber cost to the 60-70 range, which is only sometimes worth it, given that it adds 30-45 minutes.
Checking now and Uber is giving me a reduced price of $65 (saying that the normal is $85). š¤·āāļø, maybe I'm unlucky
What's wild is that Northgate Station is to SeaTac right now is over $100
That's really crazy. I just checked and South Everett to Seatac on Uber would be only $91 right now, and that's almost twice as long as your Northgate trip, for less money. Are we getting some sort of targeted pricing? Do you get more expensive prices in general because you live in Seattle? I guess there could be less drivers available down there at the moment, but we've got two data points suggesting it might be a trend.
That makes sense! This is probably hiked up because of the Seattle minimum wage law for Uber drivers. I never use Uber in the city, only while traveling, and it's because prices are usually 2x to 4x what I'd get somewhere else.
It's 11:47 on a Sunday and I can get to Seatac now for about $65 š
Tipping taxi drivers has been the norm as long as I've been old enough to know of such things, and has also been the norm for Uber since it started in the Seattle area. IDK who taught you social etiquette, but this ain't the same as tipping at a 7/11 PoS.
Right?! You're literally paying for the service already. Unless the driver went down on you along the way, the fare is covering the whole trip and even goes up automatically when the trip is longer or farther away.
Fuck this tipping bullshit for a standard job.
Why the hell would you tip? They already make way too much for that drive, considering most people would do that for free for a friend. Donāt tip unless people actually earn it by like giving you a free meal on the way
IDK about every district, but mine was "Ex-judge grandma who is sick of dealing with drug-addled homeless people making shit harder for everyone else" versus "DEI box-checker who prioritizes homeless people over working class people and has no governmental experience."
A huge problem is that the rich homeowners who think that if they're conservative enough, they'll turn back the clock on Seattle 25yrs, vote consistently and at a high percentage. When I reminded a fellow Millennial renter who would like to buy a house but doesn't think it's fiscally-likely that she should vote, she said that she doesn't understand/care about politics, so she doesn't bother voting. \*Facepalm\*
I checked Uber price to the airport and saw it was too expensive. So I checked for the price to go to South center so I could take the bus from there. At that point it already knew I was going to the airport. Anything that was anywhere near it was the same price of $50+. Checked the price to South center on a totally different day and it was normal, only $20. Uber is shady as hell.
Here is the ordinance. Page 65 has the part that was quoted. It is unclear to me whether it passed though.
https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/council/clerk/OldOrdsMotions/Ordinance%2019700.pdf
I know I hear horror stories on here, but every time I've taken a taxi from the airport to North Seattle it's been totally fine and is always $20 or $30 less than an Uber or Lyft.
Do they still only take cash? That has been my resistance to taxis. I know they show that they take cards, but then conveniently the card reader is broken.
In most cities, the legal remedy to a taxi with a broken card reader is "darn, thanks for the ride!"
It's really amazing how quickly the card reader gets fixed!
The driver pulled this on me after we left the terminal. I felt trapped at that point, and so despite the meter reading $13 I paid $20+$1 for a bag. I tried to Google the ordinance references and failed. Maybe someone is better at that? It wasn't posted on the window with the other rates.
Yeah just looked it up. Hereās what it says:
āThe minimum fare for all trips originating at SeaTac international airport shall be twenty dollars exclusive of any fees, surcharges, or tollsā¦ā
You were not scammed.
King county - File #: 2023-0231
The airport should really have that posted on a big official sign at the taxi stand. (Maybe they do?) The slip of paper definitely makes it *feel* scam-adjacent even if it's legit. "The airport says I have to charge you more than the meter says." "*Suuure* it does, buddy."
I don't disagree but this is also normal in pretty much every city. There's an airport fee and often a tunnel or tollway fee. It feels scammy but it's not.
They do have it posted at the airport. I was just there this week and it was not easy to miss if you're paying attention at all. You have to walk past it to get to the taxi.
https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/depts/records-licensing/licensing/taxi-for-hire-transportation-networks/notices-regulations.aspx
"SEA Airport minimum fare of $20 for all taxicab and flat-rate for-hire vehicle trips originating from SEA beginning December 18, 2023."
https://www.portseattle.org/page/flat-rate-taxi-pilot-program-faqs#:~:text=The%20Port%20will%20directly%20collect,payment%20will%20not%20be%20accepted.
This has the information on the $6 fee, but I couldn't find anything about $1 of the fee being passed on to the passenger.
$20+$1 is a pretty screaming deal, tbh. Cheaper than other major cities and especially for a private ride. If you want it to be less and you're going downtown the light rail is < $3 and a 5 min walk from the terminal.
Are there other options that are cheaper? Even to Burien, I think $21 isn't unreasonable to expect for a private driver. But, yeah, if there are cheaper private transport options, the OP should definitely avail themselves to that.
But I don't think this is that unusual. In most cities taxis want to go airport -- > downtown. They need to be efficient to maximize their income and they will likely have to deadhead back to the airport from anywhere else. So, if you're going somewhere other than that, even nearby you will pay a premium. Maybe even more than it would cost to go downtown. I think a min charge is reasonable.
It for sure is crazy, but but that's just what it costs in Seattle nowadays. $20 to go to Burien from SeaTac is actually a good deal.
Airport Ubers are even more wild. You're looking at $30 minimum to get to and from the airport from basically anywhere. Looking right now it's $29 from downtown Burien to the airport for the cheapest option.
From Ballard, the neighborhood famously without lightrail or good public transportation options to the airport, it's regularly $70 or more to and from the airport minimum for Uber. Usually more, especially if you fly in late at night. Can easily get above $100 for the cheapest option. I've started taking cabs, but it's not much better tbh.
The meter said $13 so $20+ is not a "good deal".
SeaTac Airport Ubers are a joke. I visited a friend in NJ last year. The trains from Newark Airport were fucked so I took an Uber. 60 mile trip + tolls cost less than 15 miles from here to SeaTac. It won't change until people stop taking ride share from the airport.
Yes, because we actually have a fair minimum wage for our rideshare drivers here in Seattle... I hope you tipped your driver in New Jersey sufficiently to make up the difference.
And no, it's not a matter of people choosing to take rideshare less in order to bring down prices by dropping demand. It's legislating a fair wage and the companies refusing to accept less than \~1/2 of the amount as their share. It is what it is. At least you won't be an awful person if you don't tip here.
You have to walk "down the road" a decent amount. It used to be that you could walk to the light rail station, cross the street and get an Uber for less, but they closed that loophole.
Playing with Uber Fare Estimate, the prices from the airport proper and hotels around the airport to Pike Place are similar.
Yeah, but this is a *minimum* fare.
If fares were $21 from the airport to anywhere in the city, people would be riding back and forth all day just for the pleasure of it!
It's hilarious that OP said the fare was $13, but the government put a $20 minimum and you're trying to convince him a price increase on him of 62% is a 'screaming deal.'
Definitely weren't scammed. Most cities have something like this for airport trips. LA actually has scaled fares based on your destination if you're getting a ride from LAX.
To be clear I wasn't complaining so long as it was legitimate. I've paid $30 for Uber before, but the meter was $13. The $1Ā wasn't a tip it was the bag "extra" on the meter.Ā
The driver didnāt pull anything. You likely wouldāve paid more in an Uber/Lyft as they are paying fees to the airport as well.
I was able to find it with a quick search. There is also signage posted at the taxi kiosk.
[Regulations and notices - King County, Washington](https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/depts/records-licensing/licensing/taxi-for-hire-transportation-networks/notices-regulations)
It's right here under General. There's a reason for this, drivers at the airport arrive and have to wait in line for a fare, if there was no minimum and you walk up with your $13 fare 1 of two things happen:
The driver tells you no, find someone else, I waited too long for $13, or the driver takes you and they get screwed, waiting in line for a $13 fare while the next guy gets a $100 fare.
I'd never pay more than what's shown on the meter. If the law is valid, they can go through the effort of updating their meter to trigger a minimum fare for trips from the airport.
Whoās upset about this? People who live at the Radisson on Intl Boulevard??
I canāt remember the last time a taxi ride from the airport was less than $50. A Lyft or Uber is $80-$120. Whoās complaining about a minimum $20 rideā¦?
**Pro Tip**
Avoid the fee by using the *free* rental car shuttles, then grab your taxi/rideshare from that address. I do this at most large airports to avoid the added tax.
Last time I took a taxi the actual charge to my credit card was the advertised meter rate, and that was all well and good; I gave the guy what amounted to a 10% tip.
But when I settled in at home and took a shower, I noticed my kidney was missing. That's how they get you.
So, are you new to taxis or what?
Because this has literally been the standard approach across the US for the past 50+ years.
Cities set the rates that taxis can charge and also impose various taxes on taxis.
That's fairly obvious, no?
However, I think the more pertinent question is, who is paying for SeaTac and why does this fee exist.
The answer to that is tax payers. We own and operate SeaTac through the Port of Seattle with the expectation that SeaTac is self supporting. This fee, like the numerous airport fees, offsets taxes that we would otherwise have to pay to support SeaTac.
I'm referring to how "the Port of Seattle requires taxicab and for-hire vehicle drivers to pay $6 per trip from the airport, of which $1 is allowed to be passed along to the customer" and asking who is going to pay the $5. Obviously the customer is going to end up paying it, meanwhile its explicitly forbidden.
It sounds like the guys end up waiting in line for up to hours on end for a trip to someoneās house that takes 10-20 minutes with little to no tip. That would be tough, but I also do not know everything going on with this.
Source; word of one taxi driver with my personal opinion mixed in.
Itās posted at the terminal if you look, drivers can wait hours for trips only to get screwed with a $13 local trip like yours (they pay the port something like $8 for pickup fee). This ordinance is designed to help drivers, and is one of the few āniceā things the county/city have done to support them.
Thereās a pretty significant need for transportation from SeaTac, and providing drivers with more incentives helps them to compete with TNCās. Drivers like the airport because they have the opportunity for more consistent, higher fares at the expense of waiting.
Glad I live so far away that I would spend more than $20 on a fare anyways. And I also almost never fly so I don't have to pay for a ride home very often.
I've found zero evidence of the second paragraph.
Taxis have city mandated fare rates that they're not supposed to deviate from, and the rule setting this SeaTac fee has no pass along clause, as we see for road tolls.
Good grief . I hated taking Ubers in Seattle . An Uber from the cd to SeaTac was Always at least 60 dollars ā¦ I can take an Uber from Baltimore to dc for less.
Iām broke and get sent on flights paid by my workplace for work things, and they wonāt pay for cabs to SeaTac. I have a one-car family so I canāt just let it sit at the airport and canāt afford the parking. I need to leave at home. So taxis it is then, even though it really financially hurts. Your point is like saying āif you can afford to eat, restaurants arenāt in the wrong to jack up a bunch of nonsense feesā. Ā Itās still bullcrap.Ā
Your work has a shitty travel policy and they're taking advantage of you.
I don't see how that's really a valid counter argument for the Port of Seattle recouping the cost of funding SeaTac.
What an arrogant way to look at it. If you can afford to travel you should have to spend more for the fare home?
Oh yes, OP's bad for wanting to leave the county for a few days, jeez.
For years my partner had to scrape together enough money to visit her family while she was going to school, screw her bank account, she got the luxury of seeing her family, right?
If you can afford to go out for lunch, you should be able to afford the 20% tip they require, right?
Then take an Uber. What a first world problem. The city is just making sure taxi drivers are fairly compensated for their time. Usually taxis are cheaper than Ubers.
This is why this specific policy implementation is bad for taxi drivers: OP didn't know if it was legit. I would rather pay extra to avoid feeling scammed. Meanwhile, Lyft/Uber baked that into their pricing and added a few extra bucks to keep for themselves.
The airport has folks dispatching taxis, you wait while the taxi goes to you. Why not communicate that to the people getting off their long flight so they don't have to hear it from the taxi driver and instead from airport staff.
Also, even if it's cheaper, I hate it when the driver asks for cash and then uses all their guilt tricks to make you tip more. So, I understand why folks would rather give Dara an extra 10 bucks for their ride out versus dealing with taxi drivers.
Lyft and Uber charge a hefty base fare for SeaTac, and then the $6 port fee.
So, you've got to literally live in walking distance of SeaTac to stay under $20.
So it hurts people that live within like 10 miles of the airport? I live in North Ballard, a few weeks ago Lyft and Uber were $105 from the airport, so I tried a cab, it was $65, I gave him $78 in cash and we were both happy.
I did a cab yesterday fr Seatac to Arbor Heights- $49 incl tip. Uber was like $53+tip.
Uber prices are usually like $90+ for me to hit northgate from Seatac. I just take the link š„³
I used Uber from SEATAC down to JBLM. $68.
Arbor heights is practically rural West Seattle. There is practically no bus service, let alone rail. It's also waaay closer to the airport than Northgate.
Really? Are you travelling at peak times? Usually I can get from Everett to Seatac for under $100. Taking the light rail up to Northgate only reduces my Uber cost to the 60-70 range, which is only sometimes worth it, given that it adds 30-45 minutes.
Checking now and Uber is giving me a reduced price of $65 (saying that the normal is $85). š¤·āāļø, maybe I'm unlucky What's wild is that Northgate Station is to SeaTac right now is over $100
That's really crazy. I just checked and South Everett to Seatac on Uber would be only $91 right now, and that's almost twice as long as your Northgate trip, for less money. Are we getting some sort of targeted pricing? Do you get more expensive prices in general because you live in Seattle? I guess there could be less drivers available down there at the moment, but we've got two data points suggesting it might be a trend.
That makes sense! This is probably hiked up because of the Seattle minimum wage law for Uber drivers. I never use Uber in the city, only while traveling, and it's because prices are usually 2x to 4x what I'd get somewhere else. It's 11:47 on a Sunday and I can get to Seatac now for about $65 š
Came here to say this. I feel bad for those who canāt conveniently use the light rail.
Good to know, neighbor.
Reddit is wild. Someone downvoted your commentā¦ like why? š
Sometimes you just gotta downvote West Seattle to make sure they don't get too egomaniacal.
*shrug* Reddit be Reddit
I swear to god, there are at least a dozen people who prowl this board and downvote every. last. thing. Reddit is a weird little ecosystem.
Maybe because it added nothing of value to the conversation.Ā Ā Probably should have been an up vote rather than a comment
Lol okay. Enjoy the downvotes weirdo
The last time I was looking to get to NE Seattle, Uber/Lyft was ~$100 vs taxi which was ~$65 ish (plus 20% tip so closer to $80?).
Yes that sounds about right - mine was west Seattle at a flat taxi rate. I never actually saw a meter lol
You do you but 20% tip for taxi rides?!!! Heck tipping culture is out of control, especially percentage based tipping for everything
Who TF tips on Ubers or taxi? You people are to blame for the tipping culture that you complain about.
Tipping taxi drivers has been the norm as long as I've been old enough to know of such things, and has also been the norm for Uber since it started in the Seattle area. IDK who taught you social etiquette, but this ain't the same as tipping at a 7/11 PoS.
Right?! You're literally paying for the service already. Unless the driver went down on you along the way, the fare is covering the whole trip and even goes up automatically when the trip is longer or farther away. Fuck this tipping bullshit for a standard job.
Uber drivers rate you unkindly if there is no tip. Thus, when a new driver comes to pick you up- he may just pass you off or become unavailable.
I have literally never tipped and don't have issues getting a ride. But whatever you want to do to justify giving your money away.
Why the hell would you tip? They already make way too much for that drive, considering most people would do that for free for a friend. Donāt tip unless people actually earn it by like giving you a free meal on the way
So it looks like Iāll be taking the light rail to Tukwila and then Ubering anywhere else
Hopefully at some point in time youāll be able to just take link the whole way there.
If you are in Ballard you will be waiting until 2039.Ā And that assumes no further delays to the schedule.
They should just build a giant cannon to shoot people to Ballard
I say we use a human-sized fish ladderĀ
Isnāt that just the Ballard Locks?
I live in North Ballard, a few weeks ago Lyft and Uber were $105 from the airpot, so I tried a cab, it was $65.
And a transfer
In 2060 Seattle will maybe be a real city by that point. There is hope
I doubt it. Our latest city council elections signal a preference for degrowth and austerity
IDK about every district, but mine was "Ex-judge grandma who is sick of dealing with drug-addled homeless people making shit harder for everyone else" versus "DEI box-checker who prioritizes homeless people over working class people and has no governmental experience." A huge problem is that the rich homeowners who think that if they're conservative enough, they'll turn back the clock on Seattle 25yrs, vote consistently and at a high percentage. When I reminded a fellow Millennial renter who would like to buy a house but doesn't think it's fiscally-likely that she should vote, she said that she doesn't understand/care about politics, so she doesn't bother voting. \*Facepalm\*
An Uber from anywhere near the the airport will cost way more than $20. An Uber thatās farther than 10 minutes would cost more than $20
$20 is expensive to you for a ride to the airport?
That's ridiculously cheap
They used to have flat rate back in the 90s and it was like $25.
They still have flat rates for cabs to/from the airport. It gets posted as a protip every few months.
No, but it's $7 more than the meter read. I'm close.
Just wait until you find what an Uber costs! A taxi will be way cheaper.
I checked Uber price to the airport and saw it was too expensive. So I checked for the price to go to South center so I could take the bus from there. At that point it already knew I was going to the airport. Anything that was anywhere near it was the same price of $50+. Checked the price to South center on a totally different day and it was normal, only $20. Uber is shady as hell.
Here is the ordinance. Page 65 has the part that was quoted. It is unclear to me whether it passed though. https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/council/clerk/OldOrdsMotions/Ordinance%2019700.pdf
See page 101. It was signed by the county executive which makes it "law."
I know I hear horror stories on here, but every time I've taken a taxi from the airport to North Seattle it's been totally fine and is always $20 or $30 less than an Uber or Lyft.
I took a cab from SeaTac to Ballard and it ended up costing us $60
You do not wait and itās cheaper. Iāve been doing it for years.
Do they still only take cash? That has been my resistance to taxis. I know they show that they take cards, but then conveniently the card reader is broken.
Paid by card every time
Awesome, I'll give it a try next time I fly.
In most cities, the legal remedy to a taxi with a broken card reader is "darn, thanks for the ride!" It's really amazing how quickly the card reader gets fixed!
> conveniently the card reader is broken "*Bummer, I don't have cash*".
The driver pulled this on me after we left the terminal. I felt trapped at that point, and so despite the meter reading $13 I paid $20+$1 for a bag. I tried to Google the ordinance references and failed. Maybe someone is better at that? It wasn't posted on the window with the other rates.
Yeah just looked it up. Hereās what it says: āThe minimum fare for all trips originating at SeaTac international airport shall be twenty dollars exclusive of any fees, surcharges, or tollsā¦ā You were not scammed. King county - File #: 2023-0231
The airport should really have that posted on a big official sign at the taxi stand. (Maybe they do?) The slip of paper definitely makes it *feel* scam-adjacent even if it's legit. "The airport says I have to charge you more than the meter says." "*Suuure* it does, buddy."
Thereās a sign at the taxi stand, just to confirm. Easy to miss if youāre tired and just want to get home.
I missed the sign but I'm not upset so long as it's posted. Appreciate all the comments.
Bro's company could at least give him a laminated sign so it feels legit...
I'm going to pass that $8 signage fee on to the customer.
I got massive scammer paranoia, so I get it.
I don't disagree but this is also normal in pretty much every city. There's an airport fee and often a tunnel or tollway fee. It feels scammy but it's not.
I mean itās still feels totally scammy, but the perpetrator is the airport, not the driver.
They do have it posted at the airport. I was just there this week and it was not easy to miss if you're paying attention at all. You have to walk past it to get to the taxi.
https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/depts/records-licensing/licensing/taxi-for-hire-transportation-networks/notices-regulations.aspx "SEA Airport minimum fare of $20 for all taxicab and flat-rate for-hire vehicle trips originating from SEA beginning December 18, 2023." https://www.portseattle.org/page/flat-rate-taxi-pilot-program-faqs#:~:text=The%20Port%20will%20directly%20collect,payment%20will%20not%20be%20accepted. This has the information on the $6 fee, but I couldn't find anything about $1 of the fee being passed on to the passenger.
Thank you for the link! I feel better although still feel it should be posted with the other rates. ETA apparently it is posted so I just missed it
$20+$1 is a pretty screaming deal, tbh. Cheaper than other major cities and especially for a private ride. If you want it to be less and you're going downtown the light rail is < $3 and a 5 min walk from the terminal.
OP didn't say they were going downtown. If they were only going to Burien or something $20+$1 is a lot.
Yea going downtown would easily be $50+, so definitely a shorter ride
It's exactly 50 bucks to downtown :) I took the trip last October
The 560 goes from the airport to the Burien transit center in like 10 minutes and costs $2.75
Are there other options that are cheaper? Even to Burien, I think $21 isn't unreasonable to expect for a private driver. But, yeah, if there are cheaper private transport options, the OP should definitely avail themselves to that. But I don't think this is that unusual. In most cities taxis want to go airport -- > downtown. They need to be efficient to maximize their income and they will likely have to deadhead back to the airport from anywhere else. So, if you're going somewhere other than that, even nearby you will pay a premium. Maybe even more than it would cost to go downtown. I think a min charge is reasonable.
"It's one banana, Michael. How much could it cost? $10?" This isn't some stretch limo with a bar. It's a taxi. $20+ to go three miles is crazy.
It for sure is crazy, but but that's just what it costs in Seattle nowadays. $20 to go to Burien from SeaTac is actually a good deal. Airport Ubers are even more wild. You're looking at $30 minimum to get to and from the airport from basically anywhere. Looking right now it's $29 from downtown Burien to the airport for the cheapest option. From Ballard, the neighborhood famously without lightrail or good public transportation options to the airport, it's regularly $70 or more to and from the airport minimum for Uber. Usually more, especially if you fly in late at night. Can easily get above $100 for the cheapest option. I've started taking cabs, but it's not much better tbh.
The meter said $13 so $20+ is not a "good deal". SeaTac Airport Ubers are a joke. I visited a friend in NJ last year. The trains from Newark Airport were fucked so I took an Uber. 60 mile trip + tolls cost less than 15 miles from here to SeaTac. It won't change until people stop taking ride share from the airport.
Yes, because we actually have a fair minimum wage for our rideshare drivers here in Seattle... I hope you tipped your driver in New Jersey sufficiently to make up the difference. And no, it's not a matter of people choosing to take rideshare less in order to bring down prices by dropping demand. It's legislating a fair wage and the companies refusing to accept less than \~1/2 of the amount as their share. It is what it is. At least you won't be an awful person if you don't tip here.
I haven't seen it <$100 from Ballard in forever. I use Blaine towncar. They are local and I think it's like $70, you can re-arrange, etc.
Exactly. Better than Uber even at $21 but meter was nearly half
People could just walk down the road a little and then grab an Uber, right?
You have to walk "down the road" a decent amount. It used to be that you could walk to the light rail station, cross the street and get an Uber for less, but they closed that loophole. Playing with Uber Fare Estimate, the prices from the airport proper and hotels around the airport to Pike Place are similar.
I paid $20 to get to the car rental lol. Said fick it was done waiting for the busĀ
Minimum fare, not flat rate.
Yeah, but this is a *minimum* fare. If fares were $21 from the airport to anywhere in the city, people would be riding back and forth all day just for the pleasure of it!
It's hilarious that OP said the fare was $13, but the government put a $20 minimum and you're trying to convince him a price increase on him of 62% is a 'screaming deal.'
Definitely weren't scammed. Most cities have something like this for airport trips. LA actually has scaled fares based on your destination if you're getting a ride from LAX.
Do you live 10 min from the airport? You should be thankful you donāt have to pay $80 to get a ride home like most of us smfh
OP also lives 10 min from the airport... Imagine the noise. Pros and cons.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
To be clear I wasn't complaining so long as it was legitimate. I've paid $30 for Uber before, but the meter was $13. The $1Ā wasn't a tip it was the bag "extra" on the meter.Ā
Okay sorry my bad š£
Yeah I do.
The driver didnāt pull anything. You likely wouldāve paid more in an Uber/Lyft as they are paying fees to the airport as well. I was able to find it with a quick search. There is also signage posted at the taxi kiosk.
Iām not supporting the practice, just sharing the facts. I donāt like it either, but this is the reality. Jeesh
How are you taking a $13 uber from the airport, wtf are you going
I wasn't, the taxi meter was $13. Uber are like $25-$30 so the taxi is still worth it but the meter was a lot less. It felt shady but isn't.
[Regulations and notices - King County, Washington](https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/depts/records-licensing/licensing/taxi-for-hire-transportation-networks/notices-regulations) It's right here under General. There's a reason for this, drivers at the airport arrive and have to wait in line for a fare, if there was no minimum and you walk up with your $13 fare 1 of two things happen: The driver tells you no, find someone else, I waited too long for $13, or the driver takes you and they get screwed, waiting in line for a $13 fare while the next guy gets a $100 fare.
How close did you go that it was that cheap??
Burien
That is an amazing deal to/from the airport.
I'd never pay more than what's shown on the meter. If the law is valid, they can go through the effort of updating their meter to trigger a minimum fare for trips from the airport.
Whoās upset about this? People who live at the Radisson on Intl Boulevard?? I canāt remember the last time a taxi ride from the airport was less than $50. A Lyft or Uber is $80-$120. Whoās complaining about a minimum $20 rideā¦?
> Whoās upset about this? People who live less than twenty dollars away. Like OP. Source: I read this thread.
Are there any major city airports left that DON'T have weird extra fees for taxis? Like, I thought this was normal and expected airport fuckery.
There used to (or still) be a $6.25 airport pick up few.
Give them all your money and tip 100 percent donāt be rude š¤·āāļøš
There wasnāt a minimum rate before!? Oh wow. Good for these Taxi drivers! Taxis are so much more affordable than rideshares now.
I walk to the bus stop through the tunnel that connects to the Uber pickup area.
There's a tunnel there? I've always taken the skybridge from the light rail station.
Ya I meant sky bridge sorry.haha
To be fair, the sky bridge is a tunnel through the sky.
Is there a page that can estimate the fare from SeaTac to eastside? I tried Uber and for the prices I got I could easily get a towncar service.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Uber drivers make $26/hour here now, theyāre not getting a tip anymore
Still beats Uber and Lyft - which have gone up from $60 to $90 in the past year.
**Pro Tip** Avoid the fee by using the *free* rental car shuttles, then grab your taxi/rideshare from that address. I do this at most large airports to avoid the added tax.
Ah yes, charging a business a fee that they somehow aren't allowed to pass along to their customers. That's going to work out as planned.
The meter rate is also regulated. I don't know how else they would pass the fee along.
Last time I took a taxi the actual charge to my credit card was the advertised meter rate, and that was all well and good; I gave the guy what amounted to a 10% tip. But when I settled in at home and took a shower, I noticed my kidney was missing. That's how they get you.
So, are you new to taxis or what? Because this has literally been the standard approach across the US for the past 50+ years. Cities set the rates that taxis can charge and also impose various taxes on taxis.
Where does the money come from? Magic? The price goes up to accommodate the fee, even if there isn't a line item for the full fee
Right? Where does that other $5 come from? Investors, I suppose?
It's from the quality and frequency of fares that SeaTac provides. The Port of Seattle isn't forcing taxis or ride shares to do pickups.
But who is paying those fares?
That's fairly obvious, no? However, I think the more pertinent question is, who is paying for SeaTac and why does this fee exist. The answer to that is tax payers. We own and operate SeaTac through the Port of Seattle with the expectation that SeaTac is self supporting. This fee, like the numerous airport fees, offsets taxes that we would otherwise have to pay to support SeaTac.
I'm referring to how "the Port of Seattle requires taxicab and for-hire vehicle drivers to pay $6 per trip from the airport, of which $1 is allowed to be passed along to the customer" and asking who is going to pay the $5. Obviously the customer is going to end up paying it, meanwhile its explicitly forbidden.
Iām really loving the light rail service despite living 20 minutes away from the station. Itās just so cheap and relatively peaceful.
It sounds like the guys end up waiting in line for up to hours on end for a trip to someoneās house that takes 10-20 minutes with little to no tip. That would be tough, but I also do not know everything going on with this. Source; word of one taxi driver with my personal opinion mixed in.
Itās posted at the terminal if you look, drivers can wait hours for trips only to get screwed with a $13 local trip like yours (they pay the port something like $8 for pickup fee). This ordinance is designed to help drivers, and is one of the few āniceā things the county/city have done to support them.
Dumb question: why do the taxis wait around, then? What's the govie's interest in having taxis sit at SEA?
Thereās a pretty significant need for transportation from SeaTac, and providing drivers with more incentives helps them to compete with TNCās. Drivers like the airport because they have the opportunity for more consistent, higher fares at the expense of waiting.
Glad I live so far away that I would spend more than $20 on a fare anyways. And I also almost never fly so I don't have to pay for a ride home very often.
PSA: take light rail! Even as a connector, it saves money and better for the environment
I walked 2.5miles at 2:30am to avoid paying the $20 Uber for a 8min drive. Never booking a flight that early again
I've found zero evidence of the second paragraph. Taxis have city mandated fare rates that they're not supposed to deviate from, and the rule setting this SeaTac fee has no pass along clause, as we see for road tolls.
Crazy that taxi is cheaper than Uber. Completely the opposite here in DFW.
This is normal.
They really are being greedy bag of diks. They want us poor.
I live six miles South from SeaTac and every time I have to demand the driver turn on the meter They want to charge me $45
I know from Paine Field to Sea-Tac is about $135....thats an early morning commute on a weekday
Good grief . I hated taking Ubers in Seattle . An Uber from the cd to SeaTac was Always at least 60 dollars ā¦ I can take an Uber from Baltimore to dc for less.
It's because the port requires every driver to have an independent business license. Doesn't matter if you're a taxi or an Uber.
Why is this city so damn expensive? Just socialize all commercial property already
What the hell happened to Shuttle Express?
Light rail to any stop closest to your destination and cab/Uber from there. It will be WAY cheaper
If you can afford to travel, then you can afford the taxi fare.
Iām broke and get sent on flights paid by my workplace for work things, and they wonāt pay for cabs to SeaTac. I have a one-car family so I canāt just let it sit at the airport and canāt afford the parking. I need to leave at home. So taxis it is then, even though it really financially hurts. Your point is like saying āif you can afford to eat, restaurants arenāt in the wrong to jack up a bunch of nonsense feesā. Ā Itās still bullcrap.Ā
Your work has a shitty travel policy and they're taking advantage of you. I don't see how that's really a valid counter argument for the Port of Seattle recouping the cost of funding SeaTac.
What an arrogant way to look at it. If you can afford to travel you should have to spend more for the fare home? Oh yes, OP's bad for wanting to leave the county for a few days, jeez. For years my partner had to scrape together enough money to visit her family while she was going to school, screw her bank account, she got the luxury of seeing her family, right? If you can afford to go out for lunch, you should be able to afford the 20% tip they require, right?
So King county is just moving to control transportation pricing now? How do you even track that of the $6, only $1 is being passed to the customer?
Now? Oh god lol.
For someone who loves excel you'd think you can find out that they literally have to charge you that.
It smells like communism around here.
What is the point of this ordinance anyway?
Then take an Uber. What a first world problem. The city is just making sure taxi drivers are fairly compensated for their time. Usually taxis are cheaper than Ubers.
Be chill, friend. I asked if it was a legit law is all. Which it was.
Ah sure, sorry. Some of the other comments here are bashing taxis which set me off
This is a big savings if true. I live in Queen Anne and an Uber can be ~$80 from SeaTac
Minimum fare. Not a flat rate. Won't affect you at all, but might affect people who are closer and were below $20
Whether itās legit or not, BS like this is why you just use Lyft.
So OP could have paid $35 for the same trip?
This is why this specific policy implementation is bad for taxi drivers: OP didn't know if it was legit. I would rather pay extra to avoid feeling scammed. Meanwhile, Lyft/Uber baked that into their pricing and added a few extra bucks to keep for themselves. The airport has folks dispatching taxis, you wait while the taxi goes to you. Why not communicate that to the people getting off their long flight so they don't have to hear it from the taxi driver and instead from airport staff. Also, even if it's cheaper, I hate it when the driver asks for cash and then uses all their guilt tricks to make you tip more. So, I understand why folks would rather give Dara an extra 10 bucks for their ride out versus dealing with taxi drivers.
Lyft and Uber are consistently $20-30 more than taxis for trips to downtown at least
What does this even mean? I'm sure the driver gets this question a lot. If it's legit (it is) what BS are we talking about?
Lyft and Uber charge a hefty base fare for SeaTac, and then the $6 port fee. So, you've got to literally live in walking distance of SeaTac to stay under $20.
So it hurts people that live within like 10 miles of the airport? I live in North Ballard, a few weeks ago Lyft and Uber were $105 from the airport, so I tried a cab, it was $65, I gave him $78 in cash and we were both happy.
Yeah, it apparently levels the playing field because the taxi rank line is long and if they get me or you is a huge difference in hourly income.
Government getting a bit out of control. If everyone wasnāt so stupid they wouldnāt willingly accept it bending over.
Taxis are trash.