Eastern pickups over I-435: reserve an airport transfer from Independence to MCI

Crossing the Missouri on I-435

MCI lies on the far side of the Missouri River from all three of these places, so the car has a bridge to cross whichever one you start from. From Independence, Raytown and Lee's Summit it runs on I-435 and goes over the I-435 bridge near Claycomo, the eastern of the two I-435 crossings. At a quiet hour the table puts Independence at 30.7 road miles and about 44 minutes, Raytown at 34.2 miles and one minute longer, and Lee's Summit at 42.4 miles and 57 minutes.

Those minutes describe an open road. In the evening rush, count on roughly half as much time again, which stretches the 57 minutes from Lee's Summit toward an hour and a half. Blue Springs, Grandview, Belton and Raymore follow a different approach, and an airport transfer from Blue Springs to MCI is laid out on a page of its own.

Gate, note and bags by the front door

The car comes to the street address on your request, whether that is a house in Raytown, an apartment entrance in Independence or a cul-de-sac in Lee's Summit. Anything that helps the driver find you, such as a gate, a side entrance or a shared driveway, belongs in the note on the form. If you need a vehicle with a ramp or lift, tick the box, and the company confirms it in writing before you accept.

If you ticked the call and text box, the company and the office may phone or text the number on your request, and only about that request; whoever calls says who they are, which company or office they speak for, and a number to call back. Replying STOP ends the texts. Without the tick, replies come by email, and the driver alone uses the number, on the day of the ride. By the pickup time, have these within reach:

• Bags closed and standing by the door
• The phone whose number you gave on the form
• Your own child seat, if the written fare lists none from the company
• A line in the note if a service animal rides with you
• The written confirmation, open on a screen or printed

Home again by the Claycomo bridge

Coming back, write the flight number on the request so the car company can follow that flight; the written fare says how long the driver waits after landing and what waiting past that costs. The car meets you in the zone for pre-arranged cars, posts 3J to 3N at the Commercial Curb, and the way there from baggage claim is on the airport pickup at the arrivals curb at MCI page. A text from the company says the car is there if you ticked the call and text box, and an email says it if you did not. Then it is I-435 east and over the Claycomo bridge, with Independence about 44 minutes away at a quiet hour and Lee's Summit 57. If the flight changes, tell the office or the company as soon as you know, and the company confirms the new time in writing.

Reading the figures for these three places

Every figure in the table is for the whole car, each way, whether one passenger rides or a full sedan of three. A sedan takes up to 3 passengers and an SUV up to 6. Independence, the nearest of the three, starts from $150 for a sedan, each way. Lee's Summit, the farthest, starts from $175 for a sedan and from $210 for an SUV, each way. Raytown sits between them, from $155 for a sedan, each way.

Where this page says from $150 for a sedan each way, the word from points to Independence, whose figure is the smallest on this approach. Each printed figure is where the fare for the ride itself starts from that place, and the car company's written fare for your date and pickup time is the amount you accept. The drive, the fuel, the car for you alone and the waiting time named on the written fare sit inside the figure. No gratuity is folded into the from figure: a company that adds one shows it as a separate line on the written fare you see before agreeing. Anything beyond the ride, such as a second stop, waiting past the time named on the written fare, an airport trip fee if the company adds one or a child seat if the company charges for it, shows up as its own line.

The written fare reaches you by email with the car company's fixed rate and every line spelled out, before you say yes. Until then you may withdraw the request at any time and nothing is owed. Once you accept, the rate holds for that ride, you pay the company directly and it gives you the receipt. The figures stay the same in every week of the year, and the full list sits on the page of airport transfer rates to MCI per car.