Shocked Uber user quoted £82 to make short 7-minute journey from Heathrow Airport hotel to Terminal

A Heathrow Airport flyer staying at a nearby terminal hotel was shocked to be quoted over £82 to make the short 7 minute ride by ride-hailing firm Uber.
Ben Digedig shared the experience and image of the quote on social media after a previous discussion on the rising cost of ride-hailing services in the capital.
Staying at the Thistle London Heathrow Terminal 5 hotel, one of the nearest located to Heathrow’s newest terminal, Digedig looked to book an Uber for a drop off at around 11.30pm.
Due to ‘increased demand’ a standard UberX would have cost the user £82.41. A bigger UberXL vehicle, normally more expensive than a UberX, was quoted slightly less at £63.41.
Digedig instead chose to use a London black cab costing £19 on the regulated meter.
Digedig said via social media: “Black cab cost me £19 not £82 as below and didn't charge extra to pay by card or lecture me on Brexit or football.
“I'm done with Uber's games... Fair service at fair consistent price is good business.”
To solve the supply and demand issue Uber are aiming to recruit up to 20,000 new drivers to work on their platform. Transport for London (TfL) recently granted them a new 30-month operator's licence to work in the capital.
Earlier this year Jamie Heywood, Uber’s boss in northern and eastern Europe, told the Evening Standard that demand for trips was up by more than 10 per cent in London compared with pre-pandemic levels — and by far more at the weekends.