Morning:
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IT'S one way of guaranteeing a ride south of the river - but you will need your passport.
London's biggest minicab firm Addison Lee today started offering private jets alongside its more conventional car service.
For an average "fare" of £12,000 for a trip to the Continent, the company said customers can book planes capable of carrying up to 16 people.
Marketing manager Alistair Laycock said the company had made the move in part because of the large number of wealthy customers booking cabs to take them to waiting jets.
"It's a nice extra to add on," he said. Addison Lee has teamed up with jet hire company PrivateFly.com to provide a choice of 7,000 jets.
PrivateFly.com chief executive Adam Twidell said a private jet could save as much as five and a half hours on a return flight to Europe.
Today the Addison Lee website had already had 1,876 searches for flights with 89 per cent from a London airport. The three most popular destinations were Paris Le Bourget, Geneva Cointrin and Milan Linate.
Reader views (14)
Just don't let First Capital Connect start running these!
- IshouldbePM, On a caravan holiday in Essex, 23/09/2011 16:44
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One minute we're being told there isn't enough airport capacity in London, next we're being offered our own aircraft by a TAXI FIRM. Funny that.
- Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher, 23/09/2011 12:05
arfur me old cockle they ARE NOT a TAXI firm
they are A MINI CAB OUTFIT
- steve, Halstead, 23/09/2011 13:41
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Reading some of the comments I gather the standard of Addison lee has detoriated.
When I lived in London they were one of the more reputable minicab firms
- Bj, Birmingham, 23/09/2011 12:17
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One minute we're being told there isn't enough airport capacity in London, next we're being offered our own aircraft by a taxi firm. Funny that.
- Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher, 23/09/2011 12:05
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'Oh sorry Boss ,you said Dublin. I thought you said Dubai. Ask that Sheik where I can fill this up, sat nav broke.'
- Ted, London, 23/09/2011 01:21
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Will John Griffin tell his pilots to land them at Heathrow like he told his drivers to use the M4 buslane. Will we see rows and rows of AL jets double parked on red routes, bus lanes, zig zags etc. I wonder how much he's paying the pilots?
- Barnet Heston, Bromley, 22/09/2011 16:15
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What if I'm sick on the back seat ? Will he chuck me out and can I pay the fare "in kind" ??
- Ada Kokatoo, Wapping, Greatslag., 22/09/2011 15:45
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will the pilot be able to TOUT at heathrow if he cant get enough passengers
- steve, Halstead, 22/09/2011 15:24
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Will he have to have the sticker on the windowscreen, copied from an orginal,? just like the minicab drivers who use their laser printers to falsefy theirs!
- Kat, London, 22/09/2011 15:00
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Will he wait while I get the fare from the ATM ?
- Mark Edwards, Notting Hill, 22/09/2011 14:39
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lol wonder where the pilot will stick his sat nav
- steve, Halstead, 22/09/2011 13:04
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How much should one tip the pilot ?
- Mark Edwards, Notting Hill, 22/09/2011 12:41
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How much should one tip the pilot ?
- Mark Edwards, Notting Hill, 22/09/2011 12:39
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One can only hope their pilots will be of the required standard, unlike their appalling mini cab drivers.
- Gideon, Brixton, 22/09/2011 12:07
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