Urgent taxi to the airport: what to do if you are short of time

If you need an urgent taxi to Madrid airport, phone 911 76 00 81 rather than sending a message or booking online: in a single call you give your exact address, the terminal and the flight time, and it is dealt with straight away. The service runs 24 hours a day, including the early hours, and the price is your zone's fixed fare, with no surcharge for urgency. While the taxi is on its way, use the time to check in online and have your boarding pass on your phone.

An alarm that does not go off, a meeting that overruns, a schedule change by the airline or a transport breakdown: we have all been short of time at some point. This is what to do.

In an emergency, every missing detail is one more question. Have this ready before you dial:

• Exact address: street, number and entrance, not just the neighbourhood or town. If you are at a hotel, its name and the street.
• Departure terminal: T1, T2, T3 or T4. If you do not know, look at your boarding pass or check which Barajas terminal you need.
• Flight time and whether you need to check in a suitcase.
• Passengers and luggage, in case a larger vehicle is needed.
• Your phone number, so the driver can reach you.

The price does not change because it is urgent: it is the same fixed fare for your zone, which does not depend on traffic. You can check it in our airport fares. We tell you more about this way of ordering a taxi in why call the dispatch centre instead of looking for a taxi in the street.

The taxi takes you to the terminal door; from there, these decisions can save you a lot of time:

Go to the right terminal

T4 is in a separate building from the one shared by T1, T2 and T3. If you get it wrong, there is a free bus between terminals, but in an emergency that is time you do not have. Confirm the terminal before getting in the taxi and tell the driver.

If you are not checking a bag, skip the desk

With your boarding pass on your phone and only hand luggage, go straight to security.

Get ready for security

Have your ID card or passport to hand, take your laptop and liquids out of your bag before you reach the belt and empty your pockets.

Check the closing times

Each airline sets when check-in and boarding close; they appear on your boarding pass or in its app. If you see you will not make it to check in, contact the airline as soon as possible.

Go to your airline's desk or customer service, or contact them through their app, to find out your options for changing. The conditions depend on your ticket. If in the end you have to go home or to a hotel, you can take a taxi from the terminal's taxi rank or call us to pick you up.

Almost every emergency can be avoided with two habits: booking the taxi as soon as you have the flight and working out the pickup time properly. We explain how in how far in advance to book your airport taxi and in our tips for avoiding delays on the way to the airport. And for bookings with time to spare, our WhatsApp taxi service lets you put everything in writing in one message.