The freaky economics of a ride to Sea-Tac Airport
Because of fuel prices and out-of-sync regulatory bodies, it's actually cheaper right now to take a taxicab to or from Sea-Tac Airport than a shared van, which until recently was always the cheaper choice. But cab fares, too, will be going up, on Oct. 1. Here's how airport transportation pricing works.
Not so long ago, air travelers could save a few pennies by booking a van instead of taking a cab to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. No more. Shuttle Express, with an exclusive Port of Seattle contract to provide door-to-door van service, now charges $38 for pickups in many Seattle neighborhoods, from Green Lake to Rainier Valley.
By contrast, a typical metered fare to Sea-Tac Airport in a Seattle-licensed cab costs about $35.
The topsy turvy pricing reflects differing regulatory worlds. Shuttle Express has ratcheted up rates by petitioning the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, which has granted base-rate increases four times since 2002 and has agreed to extend or raise fuel surcharges 53 times in the past several years, records show.
Seattle cabs, meanwhile, have been stalled at the same meter rate since 2005, though a new pricing scheme is set to take effect Oct. 1. Even then, though, cabs could remain the cheaper choice, particularly if there is more than one person traveling, because additional fares for extra passengers can add up with Shuttle Express.
Meantime, Shuttle Express president Jim Sherrell recently expressed surprise at the relative pricing, saying, "We really watch cab prices and try to stay below that."
He reckoned that about 80 percent of the roughly 700,000 passengers Shuttle Express carries each year are heading to or coming from Sea-Tac. Last year, the Port of Seattle tallied nearly 172,000 outbound trips by Shuttle Express vans, which typically can carry up to 10 passengers.
The Seattle-Tacoma International Taxi Association (STITA), which has an exclusive contract to pick up passengers at Sea-Tac, made more than 730,000 outbound trips last year. Another 158,000 were made my "belled-in" taxis, meaning the Port called in other cab companies when there weren't enough STITA cabs to handle demand.
| Outbound trips | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Courtesy vans | 1,324,005 | 1,260,094 | 1,140,101 |
| STITA taxis | 639,751 | 648,275 | 732,694 |
| Door-to-door service | 156,013 | 168,151 | 171,668 |
| Belled-in taxis | 114,354 | 139,355 | 158,342 |
| Pre-arranged limo | 53,506 | 53,853 | 62,050 |
| Scheduled airporters | 36,279 | 28,050 | 31,657 |
| On-call limo | 32,263 | 34,455 | 27,165 |
| Charter bus dispatch | 6,526 | 6,258 | 6,687 |
| TOTAL | 2,362,697 | 2,338,491 | 2,330,364 |
One advantage to riding Shuttle Express, said Sherrell, is that his company guarantees to pay the difference between your airfare and a replacement ticket should you miss your flight "because we messed up." The guarantee is contingent on passengers agreeing to board a Shuttle Express van that aims to get them to the airport 2 hours before their flight.
Cab rides can be risky, of course, in the sense that you can't always count on a taxi to show up. In addition, the vicissitudes of Puget Sound traffic and taxi meter math mean you could be standing still while the fare runs up.
A downside to Shuttle Express is the extra cost for additional passengers traveling in the same party. The same Shuttle Express to Sea-Tac that costs $38 for one person can cost $55 for four, though kids 12 and under ride free with a paying adult. By contrast, Yellow Cab charges nothing extra for a second passenger and only 50 cents extra per additional passenger after the first two, according to Craig Leisy, a consumer affairs manager with the city.
Passengers pay less to Sea-Tac to ride cabs or vans if they board within defined areas, such as certain hotels that Shuttle Express serves, or a downtown "flat rate" zone for cabs. For that matter, one can ride Grayline's Downtown Airporter bus, which leaves every half hour from major hotels, for $11.
Four years ago, a Shuttle Express ride to Sea-Tac from Queen Anne, Renton Highlands, Eastlake, West Seattle, Georgetown, Madison Park, Rainier Beach, Mount Baker, and Capitol Hill cost $23 for a solo passenger. This year the same ride costs $38, a 65 percent increase.
Asked for a breakdown of the current typical $38 fare from Seattle, the company cited a base rate of $31, a $2 fuel surcharge, and a "Port charge" of $5. However, Port spokesman Perry Cooper said Shuttle Express is obliged to pay the Port only a $2.78 fee per outgoing trip, not per passenger. Shuttle Express officials later acknowledged that the $5 "Port charge" is also used to cover other expenses.
| Revenue | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| STITA taxis | $2,052,151 | $2,065,701 | $2,324,418 |
| Courtesy vans | $1,203,918 | $1,262,990 | $1,250,760 |
| Door-to-door service | $250,835 | $246,520 | $225,960 |
| Pre-arranged limo | $170,220 | $193,430 | $211,094 |
| Scheduled airporters | $143,858 | $149,779 | $159,852 |
| Charter bus dispatch | $101,837 | $98,771 | $98,412 |
| On-call limo | $101,694 | $108,306 | $70,794 |
| Belled-in taxis | $16,380 | $29,520 | $33,571 |
| Parcel carriers | $9,200 | $8,000 | $200 |
| TOTAL | $4,050,093 | $4,163,017 | $4,375,061 |
Still, cabs are about to become more expensive. As of Oct. 1, new rates will take effect for the 643 taxis licensed by the City of Seattle.
Another 199 cabs are licensed by King County (including 166 STITA taxis). The county is in the process of passing an ordinance to make its rates the same as the city's, Leisy said.
The city's new rates will raise the distance charge portion of the taxi meter rate from $2 to $2.50 per mile.
The hike means that the roughly 15-mile journey from Seattle to the airport will cost about $7 more. Also, the city-authorized "fuel surcharge" — which has always been unwieldy because it rested on placards displayed in the cab instead of being built into the rate — has been recalibrated.
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Comments:
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 9 a.m. inappropriate
One-Way Rides: Taxi and limo fares to and from Sea-Tac continue to increase, but the Port of Seattle enforces a policy that badly increases traffic and costs, wastes fuel, and unnecessarily worsens congestion.
Of the roughly 2 million trips to the airport, almost every one is a one-way fare.
Every Stita cab leaves the airport full, then returns to the airport empty. The same is true for the other cab companies that carry passengers to the airport. They arrive occupied from Seattle, Bellevue, or Tacoma, and are required by the Port to return to their home city without passengers or revenue. Although there are perceived regulatory and jurisdictional problems, one could imagine every cab and limo at Sea-Tac both delivering and picking up passengers. In theory, the number of vehicles involved would be halved. Fuel would be saved, a million empty vehicles would be removed from the roads, emissions would be significantly reduced, and pressure to increase fares would be lessened.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 9:03 a.m. inappropriate
Crosscut Doesn't Ride the Bus: Please, if you're going to have a reporter like Peter Lewis write about getting to the airport by public transit, maybe he should do a little research. Like actually riding the 194 from downtown to SeaTac. He'll find it takes 30 minutes (using the freeway's HOV lane) and costs less than $3. Not even light rail can beat that.
If anything, the route is too popular. Drivers on the SeaTac-to-downtown run are frequently delayed by all the newbies getting on the bus with incorrect change and asinine questions. Metro should put an information booth out there to deal with incoming visitors and first-time-rider locals.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 10:05 a.m. inappropriate
RE: Crosscut Doesn't Ride the Bus: First, Peter Lewis is a helluva reporter, and has been for decades. You're the one who should do some research before criticizing someone whose skills you don't even know.
Second, the story explicitly details Metro's pricing. Was the story modified, or did you just miss that part?
Third, while I'm a proud Metro pass-holder, it's not hard to see the shortcomings of taking it to the airport. First, as you point out, the 194 is often crowded, which can be a real problem when you're traveling with luggage. Plus, relatively few people live on that line, so they have to make one or more transfers, which can greatly increase the travel time (particularly given Metro's in-city reliability) -- and again, if you have luggage that can be difficult. Finally, buses run far less frequently on nights and weekends (and on some routes not at all), when a lot of people are traveling. If you have to make a transfer it can be difficult or impossible in off hours.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 10:12 a.m. inappropriate
Can't wait: I can't wait for Link to start up. The best way to the airport is by public transportation. But the bus is far too inconsistent to be used to connect with important flights (unless you really get there 2 hours early). I recently used the bus to get to the airport and it took nearly 2 full hours from Queen Anne (luckily, I knew the bus wasn't reliable and assumed over an hour for travel time). Much of that was sitting in traffic on the freeway. Waiting for the overfull bus to collect change didn't help either.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 10:26 a.m. inappropriate
RE: Crosscut Doesn't Ride the Bus: I'm really proud of Peter Lewis' "helluva" career. (I've never heard of him, actually.) But I agree with Cornichon, Lewis should try riding the bus some time. I've always wondered why we were building light rail to the airport when we already had a really good alternative. I took the 194 from the airport about three weeks ago when I had to return a rental car there. It was quick and easy. Yes, it was full. Buses are these days.
I haven't taken the bus to the airport (though have taken it home a number of times) and I can see how it might be a bit dicey. But won't you still have the same problems with light rail? At least, unless ST doesn't require the driver to collect fares?
Back in 2001, a reporter at the PI or Times pursued the question of "deadheading" -- the one-way drives to or from the airport by STITA and non-STITA taxis. (It wasn't Peter Lewis, though that guy was also a "helluva reporter." I think. Aren't they all?) It was an issue worth investigating but then got dropped after the events of seven years ago today.
I understand that taxis from the airport were really bad before STITA was formed. But what if STITA were converted to some type of 'licensing' agency, whereby any authorized taxicab from any municipality in the state were able to apply for the right to return someone from Sea-Tac? They'd have to match the cleanliness requirements that STITA was created to enforce.
So, for example, an individual Seattle cab would apply, be approved, and then could drop someone off and pick them up. If a cabbie wasn't approved, s/he could take someone to the airport, but couldn't bring someone back. Obviously, they'd all see the benefits of being approved. (I once tried to pick up a Seattle cab on the 'departures' level, knowing it was going back empty. I tried to get a ride to Green Lake for about $15; the guy passed. Maybe he thought I was an inspector, or maybe it just wasn't worth it to him.)
Sounds like a win-win to me.
Oh, and I'm a "helluva" guy, too.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 10:59 a.m. inappropriate
Metro bus to the airport: Bus #194 is thwe best deal in town! Only $1.50 to Sea-Tac from downtown. Tales 30 minutes. The #174 local is the same price, takes only 15 minutes longer and is often less crowded with airplane passangers. The light rail boondoggle is a very expensive alternative and no faster than the express bus.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 11:37 a.m. inappropriate
RE: Crosscut Doesn't Ride the Bus: That reporter working on the STITA dead-heading story was indeed Peter Lewis.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 11:38 a.m. inappropriate
RE: Crosscut Doesn't Ride the Bus: The story was indeed modified to clarify the fare and transfer to ride the 194.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 11:53 a.m. inappropriate
RE: Metro bus to the airport: (psst... despite what you've heard Link is not meant to just replace the 194. If that's all we do with it then we've wasted our time and money.)
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 1:54 p.m. inappropriate
Peter Lewis IS a damn good reporter... but Metro is not always convienient...: Should be noted that along with Metro's 194, there is the "milk run" that takes about an hour, the 174... Assuming I can make USE of the 194 schedule for my flight, along with the 20 minute run into town, and needed curb time to make SURE I get to my transfer point in time, you are looking at an hour plus the joy of lugging your bag or bags first to the first stop, off one coach, onto the next, then airport... IF your needs fall PRIOR to 5:00 AM, or after, 10 PM, good luck. Yes, the 174 starts 15 minutes earlier, and runs as late as 3:30 AM, but your after hours transfer probably does not. And you get to meet some of Seattle's finest citizens, too.
I have had the "experience" of using Metro to get out to Sea Tac at all hours the last few years, thankfully as part of my job, so no luggage. Some rides have been downright scarry after hours. I have been offered all manner of substances, been puked on, sworn at, got to listen to a lovely fight get started, overheard more swearing than I heard working the dock, and so on. Being a rather big guy, they leave me alone or cool down if I show my displeasure. But I would never allow the rest of my family to have to deal with some of what late night on the 174 brings, and I would nominate the drivers for combat pay.
Not saying it is always like that after hours, but I would feel uncomfortable if new to the town, or loaded with luggage after hours on some of those 174s.
The 194 does work well, but again luggage would make me think twice, and I concour that newbies slow it down a lot. Marketing idea for Metro: Pre Sell the Airport run at the Baggage claim or ground desks, even if automated. (half the fares might not even use the return, so possible revenue in, too)
Gray Line Service is awesome, but sometimes can get overwhelmed by it's success... Many times I have Metroed into the city, then used Gray Line's Airporter to get to Sea Tac. Their busses are built to handle luggage. Nice ride, and their drivers are great. During cruise season, they, too, should get combat pay. And you can purchase a ticket on line ahead of the ride.
In short both are good services IF you are flying at decent hours. After hours, good luck.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 2:24 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Crosscut Doesn't Ride the Bus: Oh, and I'm a "helluva" guy, too.
Really? Because you sound like a sarcastic ass.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 3:29 p.m. inappropriate
Story was modified: Chuck Taylor emailed me to say they'd clarified the "transfer" thing, that it referred to neighborhoods, not downtown. But Taylor maintained that this transfer required another payment. It doesn't. Buy a two=zone ticket when you board (outside the Ride Free Zone) and that's it. Or show your one-zone transfer when you get off, just pay 50 cents or whatever for the two-zone upgrade.
Posted Thu, Sep 11, 6:09 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Crosscut Doesn't Ride the Bus: " If anything, the route is too popular."
Yeah, Cornichon. But not with people headed for the airport. The vast majority of riders can't stand airport patrons - because they are headed for Des Moines and Federal Way.
"I took the 194 from the airport about three weeks ago when I had to return a rental car there. It was quick and easy. "
Somebody finally identified a good airport use for the 194. Returning a rental car. Try taking hauling some luggage with you up on to a packed bus. Then get back to us with your "on the ground" reporting.
Bus-only advocates seem to be living in a permanent state of unreality. You can find a couple third world countries where mono-modalism works. But 90% of the population in those countries is transit dependent...and at least one is looking to build a high capacity rail system to help ease over-crowding.
Posted Fri, Sep 12, 12:27 p.m. inappropriate
I love the 194 - And I'm a busy person with a tight schedule: I positively love the 194 and have *never* had any of the bad experiences some describe (fear) in comments here. It is hysterically, blissfully enjoyable for me to walk right past all of the expensive transportation options, as a long time local, to go right on up to the 194 stop, pop on, and get downtown quickly. (When I leave from downtown and head to SeaTac, it is even faster and less crowded.)
Posted Sat, Sep 13, 1:54 a.m. inappropriate
194 is great, just needs more service: I recently took the 194 to and from the airport (originating in Ballard with a transfer downtown.) It worked fine. I know that link rail is coming soon to Seatac, but honestly the 194 is quicker than the rail (with its many stops down Rainier Valley) will be, all it needs to be a really great service is an acknowledgement by Metro that it is indeed an airport transportation service, and cater to that with a few more buses per day, removal of some seats to make luggage space, and a customer service kiosk out at the airport. Light Rail to and from an airport is nice, as in Portland, but moreso when it goes directly to the main terminal, which Link will not. And from my time living in Portland (and 2 years working for TriMet) believe me when I say that light rail is no panacea. When a train breaks down (and they surely do) there is no getting around it. Everyone behind it is SOL until buses show up to save the day and ferry the stranded passengers onward. Oh, and if you think that light rail trains won't be populated by strange and sketchy characters, dream on. Or ask a Portlander.
Posted Sat, Sep 13, 8:43 a.m. inappropriate
194 is the way to go: I almost always use the #194 to get to/from the airport. It's only $1.50 off peak or $2.25 peak hours. I transfer from the #2, so the whole trip takes about an hour.
A taxi takes half an hour and costs $40+, so I only use a cab if I arrive back at SeaTac after the 194 stops running or if I have large, bulky luggage (e.g., a bike box).
The Port of Seattle and Metro need to make a few changes for improved bus service:
1) Extend the hours of the 194 to at laast 11pm (currently the last #194 leaves Seatac at 9:14pm--and the 174 takes almost an hour to get from SeaTac to downtown)
2) Post more (and better) signs directing people to the Metro bus stop at the airport
3) Move the bus stop closer to the center of the Terminal--so folks don't have to walk as far to/from the bus stop
Posted Thu, Sep 18, 10:33 a.m. inappropriate
560 another great option: For those who live on Vashon or Kitsap County, Sound Transit's 560 from Fauntleroy to Sea-Tac does an admirable job of getting riders to the airport within 30 minutes for about $2.75. And there's no extra charge for a tour of White Center and Burien.
Posted Sun, Oct 5, 10:11 p.m. inappropriate
NOW YOU HAVE AN OPTION NOT TAKE A TAXI!SEATTLE TO SEATAC $25 BEAT THAT: Finding a Cab in Kirkland Just Got Easier
Images1 Attention Kirkland party crowd! Or maybe those that occasionally have one too many. Have you ever tried calling for a cab in this town? They aren't just floating around when you need them and you'd better have a Red Bull in your hand if you are planning on calling for one and waiting.
But one smarty pants group of taxi drivers have noticed the need for service on the eastside and started a flat rate service called Eastside for Hire. They've been around since October and have 40 cars in operation serving mostly the eastside (but of course they will take you anywhere!). Wait times are typically 10-15 mins. The cool thing is it's a flat rate- no surcharges for waiting or for extra passengers. So, if you've tied one on down at Tiki Joe's, you can call 425-453-9000 and stuff yourself and 3 of your friends in the car for $7 to all crash at your 98033 address. There is a handy rate calculator on their website- it's $35 to go from 98033 to the airport, for example.
So stay safe and smart, Kirkland. I don't want to see your swervin' ass on the road (and neither do the plentiful DUI taskforce officers) and now you have no reason not to make the right choice. It's that easy. Please leave your feedback here if you have the chance to use this service. The old has-been partiers like myself are curious :-) ~j