2

I need to prepay for a taxi from Boston airport to Hyatt hotel. So far I cannot find a company that will do this.

Improve this question
4
  • 2
    What do you mean by prepay ?
    – blackbird
    Jan 27, 2016 at 13:50
  • 1
    @blackbird57 I assume alison wants to avoid having to pay anything to the cab driver on arrival
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Jan 27, 2016 at 13:53
  • @blackbird57 or perhaps alison wants to prepay the taxi because it's for someone else, and she wants to relieve that person of the need to worryspur paying for it.
    – phoog
    Jan 27, 2016 at 15:14
  • "...worry about paying for it" (blasted auto-"correct"!)
    – phoog
    Jan 27, 2016 at 18:31

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
11

You cannot prepay for a taxi per se, as a taxi is a specific type of regulated class of transportation in Boston (as elsewhere). Taxis must display a medallion, must affiliate with a radio dispatcher, must have specially licensed drivers, and must meter or otherwise charge fares according to a fixed schedule among other restrictions.

But not every vehicle-for-hire is a taxi. You can arrange for a ride with an airport limousine service (which may be known in various parts of the U.S. as a car service, livery service, or black car service, with the distinctions and overlaps between these terms varying somewhat by jurisdiction). A limousine or livery car, unlike a taxi, is privately hired, arranged in advance, and costs a negotiated price. Many airport ground transportation companies offer a private car service along with shared vans and shuttle buses, and a web search will turn up dozens of other possibilities.

As another answer notes, there are also services like Uber, Lyft, or Wingz. These are generally referred to as transportation network companies (TCNs), as they reside in a legal grey area where they are neither considered taxis nor livery vehicles, though many local governments have sued to declare them as such. In any case, they also operate on a model of fixed, prenegotiated prices.

Improve this answer
4
  • Whether they are considered taxis or livery vehicles depends on who is doing the considering. More pertinently, it depends on local laws and regulations. In New York City, for example, Uber cars must be livery vehicles.
    – phoog
    Jan 27, 2016 at 18:29
  • @phoog Right, plus New York also has "boro taxis" (for livery cabs that can be hailed from the street), for a further complication. I'm just trying to point out that alternative terminology exists and may be useful when doing web searches.
    – choster
    Jan 27, 2016 at 19:36
  • To add to the confusion, boro taxis have medallions and meters, but are associated with livery dispatch bases, and the fare structure depends on whether the ride was initiated by a street hail or a phone call.
    – phoog
    Jan 27, 2016 at 19:48
  • There are also shared-ride services like SuperShuttle...
    – gparyani
    Aug 9, 2018 at 5:34
8

Not a direct answer, but worth considering: Depends a bit on which Hyatt. There are three in the Boston area.

Hyatt Regency Downtown: BOS has free bus rides with the Silver Line to South Station. From there it's a 7 minute walk to the Hyatt Regency downtown. This would not only be free, but at most times of the day also faster than a taxi, limo or Uber.

Hyatt Boston Harbor: This hotel is directly at the airport. For this hotel you don't need a taxi (and they probably would not accept the ride anyway). The hotel has free pickup service. See http://bostonharbor.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/our-hotel/transportation.html

Hyatt Regency Cambridge (MIT): Take a limo, Uber or taxi. If you need prepaid, Uber or a limo are the only choices. While it's only 5 miles, during rush hour it can take easily an hour to get from the airport over there. Plan accordingly.

Improve this answer
0

Use Uber. It's an app for mobile phones which allows one to order taxis and pay online using a credit card. All international credit cards are accepted.

Online reviews confirm that Uber is available at Logan airport. According to the fare estimator the price for a ride downtown should be under $30:

enter image description here

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    Not only does Uber not allow pre-payments, Uber won't even let you make a reservation in advance.
    – DJClayworth
    Jan 27, 2016 at 18:25
  • @DJClayworth Uber doesn't allow pre-payments per-se, but you can enter your credit card details and phone number way in advanced. Reservations aren't really necessary - you just order the cab when your plane touches the ground and it'll be there when you get out of the terminal.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Jan 27, 2016 at 18:29

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .