I love my friends and family, I really do, but I am not a taxi driver. My daughter was born in the middle of winter and the Kansas City metro had just been hit with a fairly substantial amount of snow and ice. To say that the roads were bad is an understatement and as much as I appreciated the number of friends and family who flew in from across the country to meet our incredible addition, the expectation that we would provide free taxi service to and from the airport was overwhelming. Our home is more than an hour away from the Kansas City International Airport when the roads are good and the thought of my husband being out on the treacherous roads for hours while I waited in the hospital was a lot to handle.
Perhaps the postpartum hormones played a role in my memory of the events but now that the time has passed, I have something to say. Contrary to popular belief, I do not offer shuttle service from the airport to my home, to your hotel, or anywhere else. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to help out every once in awhile but, for the love of all that is holy, stop taking advantage of my generosity. I can't tell you the number of times I've gotten a phone call in the last year and a half practically begging me to pick someone up and take them to insert location of choice (I've been asked to provide transportation to the Country Club Plaza, Chiefs games at Arrowhead Stadium, and even so far as hotels that I know provide complimentary service to and from the airport). And so I decided that I would do a little research on transportation rates from the airport to the Plaza, a pretty popular destination in our area.
1. Taxicab
Let's face it: Kansas City is no New York but that doesn't mean that cabs are in short supply here either. In fact, according to my research, there are plenty of them to select from, many of which offer special rates to popular destinations downtown (like the Plaza). According to Taxifarefiner.com, which compares taxi rates to and from various destinations across the United States, the average cost for a taxi from the airport to the Country Club Plaza runs consumers just under $60 with taxes but Atlas runs a special that offers travelers a flat rate of $40 for service from the airport to the downtown metro area. I understand that a cab just isn't as comfortable as my nice, warm, gas guzzling SUV so I've also compared the rates for more comfortable modes of transportation.
2. Van
Van services are an excellent way to get from the airport to just about any location and there are plenty of options available throughout the metro for anyone looking to take advantage of that service. It seems that the prices range anywhere from the $40 range for shared vans to $65 for exclusive, non-stop services. Many hotels offer complimentary airport shuttle service (in the form of vans) to and from the airport providing that you decide to foot the bill for a hotel during your vacation instead bumming it on my couch.
3. Sedan and Town Car
There are several organizations that offer more luxurious travel options that don't inconvenience your friends and family so if you're looking for a town car, sedan, or SUV to transport you from the airport to the country club plaza, expect to pay anywhere from $60 to $90 for the trip.
4.Limousine
If nothing else seems appealing, perhaps a luxury limo trip will. There are a handful of limousine services throughout the Kansas City metro area that offer special rates for one way airport transportation. The average cost, according to the limited research I've done, hovers around one hundred dollars. It's not a bad option if you're in town for a wedding or a special event.
Before any of my friends or family get their panties in a wad thinking that I'm suddenly unwilling to provide transportation, relax. I'm not saying that I'll never make myself available to you when you're in town just that if your plans don't include seeing me or spending time with my family, or if I'm not available to take you to and from there airport- there are plenty of other options to choose from in the area.
Ellison lives in Kansas City, Missouri and consults for a variety of small business in the area. This article was inspired by the services of Regal Ride, a company that offers airport shuttle services in Kansas City.
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