School transfers
Boarding school transfers, term after term
Boarding pupils travel between school and the airport several times a year: the start and end of each term, half-terms and exeat weekends. We handle those journeys with a clear handover, flight tracking and updates for parents and guardians at every step.
England’s boarding schools educate pupils from all over the world, and many of them fly in and out of London several times a year. For parents thousands of miles away, the journey between the airport and the school is the part they cannot see. They need to know who is collecting their child, that the handover is authorised, and that someone will tell them when their child has arrived.
This page explains how school transfers work, how handovers are authorised, how we keep parents and guardians informed, and how we handle unaccompanied minors and delays.
Who books?
Parents, educational guardians, guardianship organisations and schools. For a school booking several pupils on the same dates, send us the list of names, flights and destinations, and we will build a schedule. For a family, one booking can cover the start and end of term in one go.
Authorised handovers
A pupil is handed over only to the people you name. Before the journey, the booking parent or guardian gives us the pupil’s name and a photograph if you wish, and tells us who will hand over and receive the pupil at each end: a boarding house parent, a guardian or a member of school staff. We send you the chauffeur’s name and details in advance, so you can pass them to the school and to your child.
Unaccompanied minors
Airlines run their own services for children travelling alone, and each airline sets its own ages and rules. Under those services, the airline hands the child only to the adult named on the airline’s form, who must show identification. If you want our chauffeur to collect a child travelling as an unaccompanied minor, name the chauffeur on the airline form, agree it with the airline first and tell us. Older pupils travelling independently are met in the arrivals hall like any other passenger.
Keeping parents informed
We track the flight and can message the parent or guardian at each stage: when the chauffeur is waiting in arrivals, when the pupil is in the car, and when they have been handed over at school. Parents in other time zones can choose which updates they want, so nobody is woken at 03:00 for a routine message.
Licensed chauffeurs
All private hire drivers in London are licensed by Transport for London, and TfL’s licensing includes an enhanced criminal record check. The chauffeur carries their licence badge, and the vehicle displays its licence discs. If your school or guardianship organisation has its own requirements for transport providers, send them to us, and we will tell you plainly whether we meet them.
Start and end of term
The first and last days of term are the busiest, when many schools’ pupils fly on the same days. Book the dates as soon as the school publishes them. If several pupils from the same school arrive on flights close together, a shared V-Class with an agreed wait can be cheaper for each family; we will suggest it where it works.
Exeats and half-terms
For shorter breaks, pupils often stay in London with a guardian rather than flying home. We can take them from school to the guardian’s address and back, or to a hotel where a parent is staying. The same handover arrangements apply.
Luggage at the start of the year
At the start of the school year, pupils often arrive with a year’s worth of clothes, bedding and books in several large cases, sometimes with a trunk. Tell us what is coming. A saloon takes two large cases; for more, the V-Class takes six.
Delays and missed connections
If a flight is delayed, the chauffeur waits and we update the parent and the school. If a pupil misses a connection abroad and arrives on a later flight, tell us the new flight, and we will rearrange the pickup and let the school know the new arrival time.
School trips and groups
For school groups travelling together, such as a sports team or a choir flying to a tour, the V-Class seats six, and several can travel together, timed to arrive at the same time. A member of staff should travel with the group, and we coordinate the timings with them.
Schools outside London
Most boarding schools are outside London, in Surrey, Berkshire, Kent, Sussex, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and further afield. From Heathrow, many are within an hour or so by road; from Gatwick, the schools of Sussex and Kent are closer. Give us the school’s address and the boarding house, because larger schools have several entrances and the right one saves a long walk with luggage.
Pupils with a guardian in London
Many international pupils have an educational guardian in or near London who looks after them during exeats and emergencies. Where a guardian is involved, we can make them the main contact for the journey, with updates copied to the parents abroad. Tell us who should receive which messages.
Central London
From Heathrow to the centre
The central addresses people ask for most, off-peak and in the weekday rush.
| Destination | Distance | Off-peak | Rush hour | Main roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster | 17 mi | 36 min | 52 min | M4, A4 |
| Mayfair | 16 mi | 35 min | 51 min | M4, A4 |
| City of London | 19 mi | 46 min | 67 min | M4, A4 |
| Canary Wharf | 23 mi | 61 min | 79 min | M4, A4 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 14 mi | 28 min | 41 min | M4 |
| Paddington | 16 mi | 34 min | 49 min | M4, A40 |
| St Pancras International | 18 mi | 43 min | 62 min | M4, A40 |
| Victoria | 17 mi | 37 min | 54 min | M4, A4 |
| Shoreditch | 20 mi | 50 min | 73 min | M4, A4 |
| South Kensington | 15 mi | 29 min | 42 min | M4, A4 |
Which car?
Choose by luggage first
| Party | People | Large cases | Our suggestion |
|---|---|---|---|
| One traveller | 1 | 1 | Mercedes E-Class |
| A couple | 2 | 2 | Mercedes E-Class |
| Three, light luggage | 3 | 2 | Mercedes E-Class |
| Three, holiday luggage | 3 | 4 | Mercedes V-Class |
| A family of four | 4 | 4 | Mercedes V-Class |
| Six travellers | 6 | 6 | Mercedes V-Class |
| A group of eight | 8 | 8 | 2 × V-Class |
| A party of twelve | 12 | 12 | 2 × V-Class |
In every fare
What the price includes
- 01
Flight tracking
The chauffeur follows your flight number, so an early landing or a delay moves the pickup with it.
- 02
Meet and greet
Your chauffeur waits in arrivals with a board showing your name, and takes the bags from there.
- 03
A fixed price
Agreed when you book. Traffic, a longer route on the day or a late landing do not change it.
- 04
Parking and drop-off
Airport drop-off and short-stay parking charges are part of the price, not added afterwards.
- 05
A route from live traffic
The chauffeur checks the roads before setting off and picks the line that is moving.
How to book
Three steps to the kerb
- 01
Plan the journey
Choose the airport and the address. The planner gives the distance and the drive time at the hour you travel.
- 02
Book ahead
Reserve with your flight number, terminal and a contact number. The price is fixed at that point.
- 03
Meet your chauffeur
Your chauffeur follows the flight and waits in arrivals with your name on a board.
What else we do
Other services
Airport transfers
Arrivals and departures at every London airport: flight tracked, met inside the terminal, fixed fare.
Read moreCruise transfers
Southampton, Dover, Portsmouth, Harwich and Tilbury, in a car sized for cruise luggage.
Read morePrivate aviation
Biggin Hill, Farnborough, Northolt and the jet centres at Luton, Stansted and City.
Read moreBusiness travel
Visiting clients, board members and staff, arranged and invoiced cleanly.
Read moreWeddings
The couple, the family and the guests, timed to the ceremony and the reception.
Read moreEvents
Wimbledon, Ascot, Twickenham, Wembley, the O2 and ExCeL, with a pickup planned for the end.
Read moreProms
A smart arrival at the school prom and a safe ride home, arranged with parents.
Read moreShopping
Knightsbridge, Bond Street, Westfield and Bicester Village, with the bags kept in the car.
Read moreHourly hire
One car and chauffeur for a day of meetings, visits or several stops.
Read moreJourney planner
Distance and time for any journey
Heathrow Westminster
- Distance
- 17miles
- Off-peak
- 36min
- Weekday rush
- 52min
Usual line: M4, A4. Chauffeurs choose on the day from live traffic.
Good to know
Questions, answered
Who can the pupil be handed over to?
Only the people named by the parent or guardian when booking.
Can you collect an unaccompanied minor?
Yes, if the chauffeur is named on the airline’s form and the airline has agreed. Arrange it with the airline first.
Will parents be updated?
Yes. We can message at each stage, and parents choose which updates they want.
Are the chauffeurs checked?
Yes. London private hire drivers are licensed by TfL, including an enhanced criminal record check.
Can you take pupils to a guardian for an exeat?
Yes, with the same handover arrangements.
Can a school book for many pupils?
Yes. Send us the list, and we will build a schedule.
What if the flight is delayed?
The chauffeur waits, and we update the parent and the school.
Which car takes a trunk?
Usually the V-Class. Tell us what is coming.
Can a guardian be the main contact?
Yes. Tell us who should receive which updates, and parents abroad can be copied in.
Which airports do pupils usually fly into?
Mostly Heathrow and Gatwick, and we cover every London airport. Give us the school address and boarding house.
Ready when you are
Your chauffeur, already waiting
A named chauffeur, a fixed price and a quiet car, at every London airport.