I called Fast Taxi to schedule a pick up from the Albany airport. I was told to call when I need the taxi as they are open 24 hours. I called back when my plane landed at 12:45 am. NO ONE ANSWERED . I made multiple calls in a ten minute period. NO ONE ANSWERED. I eventually got a cab elsewhere. I called the next morning to complain about the lack of service. I was told rudely by whoever answered that their taxi driver at the time I called was out driving a customer. Only one driver? Rude employee. Will never get my business. I travel often and need cab service. Will never use this business. read more

Step 1: Call fast taxi albany to schedule pick up. Step 2: Wait 15 minutes, call repeatedly with no response. Step 3: After 20 minutes of waiting, watch as a falling apart, 2000s silver sedan rolls up (private vehicle with no taxi markings) with an elderly man with a trucker cap who smells of cigarettes quickly get out and tells you to get in the car. Step 4: You ask for identification given by Fast Taxi like an ID, taxi license or anything for safety. Step 5: Get a disgruntled, agitated response, and watch as your "taxi driver" peel out of your pick up point in frustration and get stranded. Step 6: Call an Uber read more

I needed a 6 am lift to the Albany airport, so I called the day before to schedule it. The dispatcher was so abrupt and started to hang up the phone before I told him where I lived. I shouted so he didn't hang up first, then gave him my address. He slammed down the phone without any further niceties. Apparently I was bothering him by calling to do business. This left me doubting anyone would be there the following morning. Shockingly, someone did arrive, albeit 15 minutes late. The driver apologized telling me they didn't assign him the pickup until 6:05 -- 5 minutes after I was supposed to be picked up. The driver was ok, but frankly the minivan was a mess and reeked of overwhelming air freshener to cover cigarette stank. I asked if they accepted credit cards, and he told me they did NOT. Seriously?!? We had to stop off at a Stewarts so I could get cash from an ATM. The price was a shocking $55, which I later found out is more than double what it would have cost me if I had used a different service through an app on my phone. After this experience, I totally understand why taxis are a dying industry. read more

So, had a genuine emergency recently, wherein I needed to get to the hospital, sans car, and Capitaland was the only number on my speed dial list (my own damn fault) so I called them up. I explained the situation, they said "No problem, ten minutes." Short version, more than an hour later, still no cab. On my second call I told them I had to cancel and they cussed at me and hung up. If that's not a zero star review, I don't know what is. I'm cancelling them from speed dial so I never accidentally call them again. read more

Did not show up for a 4AM pickup, had not arrived by 4:12. Luckily my infirm mother-in-law was up to the task of getting us to the airpor but for F*cks sake that's why we requested a taxi. read more

I've had the displeasure of using this taxi company on multiple occasions prior to some better alternatives (it starts with "ride" and ends in "_hare".) I've called their dispatcher with plenty of time ahead--usually half an hour or more--of when I needed an actual pick up. The number of times they were on time? Zero. But, sometimes it's hard to judge time, fine. What isn't okay is charging more than they are allowed by the governed rates. I looked ahead for pricing and read the regulations that they are obligated to follow. I had to go for a doctor appointment, which is within the same zone. The taxi driver tried to charge me almost double price for travel in the same zone. When I told the driver they were wrong, they argued with me until I brought up the website showing the fare for travel within the zone and told them to explain to me why it was almost double the price. They couldn't. This company has been caught on camera by local news stations overcharging people for rides. Like many others, I've experienced this firsthand. Stay away from this cab company. read more

Left me stranded at Albany airport on a cold night at midnight after I texted them and called them many times. Will never call them again or suggest anyone else call them. Thank goodness I was able to get a ride with someone else after an hour of waiting. Awful! There are lots of taxi companies in Albany. Don't use this one if ya wanna get home at a decent hour. read more

We scheduled a taxi to the Albany airport for 8:30 am. When it hadn't shown up at 8:36, I called and was told it was 5 minutes away. At 8:44 (14 minutes late) it still hadn't arrived; when I called again the call went to voicemail. As we had a plane to catch I left a message to cancel. We had to take our own car to the airport and pay more for parking than the quoted taxi fare. I did not hear back from the company that day nor in the 5 days since. Extremely horrible customer service! read more

Call this business for a taxi tonight and they said Uber isn't working. Very unprofessional. Very disappointing.

The worst!!!...I called cab it never came and I know it didn't because I was standing outside the whole time. I called back after letting about 10 minutes over the 15 minutes he said they would be there and dispatched lied and said they came and was honking their horn for 15 minutes and no one came out.and that they're not sending another cab to me...which was a lie cause again I was outside the whole time on porch....then he hung up on me when I told him that wasn't true....RUDE!!!!.....Don't Call read more

I'd like to urge women to NOT use this cab company. The dispatcher at the airport was incredibly creepy. He throws his weight around in a harassing manner. Then if you do take a cab with them, at the last minute they claim to not take cards. Total lie. They do take cards. They just want to avoid paying taxes. read more

See all

I live in Albany & I see these taxi drivers all the time. They are terrible drivers. I always witness them driving through red lights. Their cars sound like they're barely legal & sounds like major work needs to be done to them. Please value your safety & others by not using their services. read more

I had to rate one star but really would give a Zero score. All the reviews are accurate. I have lived in Albany for over 60 years and experienced the corrupt, disgusting , unsafe , rude , etc service from this company. The taxis are UNSAFE. Be especially careful if you arrive in Albany Airport late at night . If a snow storm or ice storm ( black ice ) hits ... make sure the taxis have snow tires ! I would suggest LIFT or UBER . You know exactly what you will be charged . American Express Platinum card gives you a credit ($15) every month . Lyft also has some deals if you download their App.The cars are really nice . The drivers are polite, interesting , professional. Bottom line ... don't use this company read more

This is not ok to me. I've seen this a few times and shut my mouth. Well I can't anymore. I'm also sending this to the APD. We used to take them all over. Never again. read more

Capitaland Taxi - Is this ok Capitaland? Because I've seen this many times. This is disgusting!! Someone could not get in their car because of this driver. - Taxis Near Me

I really can't wait for Uber to get approved in Albany so they can run these cab companies out of business because they don't deserve to be in business what so ever. This company is one example of the many terrible cab service provided in the capital region. Having taken multiple cabs, they charge ridiculous prices, starting at 20$ if you're riding by yourself. Please, a NYC cab doesn't even cost that much to get around. When I take these cabs for Thursday nights to go to the bars with my college buddies, I feel that the cab drivers take full advantage of us, forcing us to pay up upfront or he'll pull aside of the road 5 min into the drive. These cab drivers apparently "don't have change" so if you need to split the cab fares, you'll end up paying more than what he asks for, what a great scam. Overall, terrible service, the drivers are douchebags, you'll constantly be ripped off or scammed, the vehicles are filthy and disgusting. read more

I've been in Albany for almost 6 years now and I have NEVER gotten a cab on time. They will tell you to come outside "right now" because the cab is "pulling up." You'll be outside for 30 minutes before you see a cab. The more you call back, the more the dispatcher gets annoyed with you, as if you're the one lying about the cab arriving. This cab company is crap and I do not recommend it. Call 1 hour in advance and then walk to your destination. You'll get there faster... Seriously, do not waste your time with this company. read more

Coming in from a flight that landed around 2 AM, the only Taxi service asking people if they need a ride was Capital land. What is really disappointing is that for a .3 mile taxi ride from the airport I was charge $14.50, I repeat and I am not embellishing, $14.50 for traveling one third of a mile. Being that is was late, I didn't have the energy to contest it, but that price was not justifiable by any means. If and when companies like Uber and Lyft are allowed to operate in Upstate NY, there is no real reason to contest it because it is better service for more reasonable prices. read more

Abusive drivers, dispatcher couldn't care less. The driver shouted at my friend, "Hurry up, faggot," as my friend was waiting for the light to change so he could cross the street to get to the cab. This was reported to the dispatcher, Jerry, who brushed it off. I will boycott this company, and would urge others who find this unacceptable, to do the same, until and unless the owner takes action to ensure nobody is subjected to hateful, bigoted treatment again. read more

This taxi company is the worst I have ever experienced. I called to request a cab to drive me 10 minutes from a job interview to my current internship. I was told a cab would arrive within 15 minutes. After 20 minutes had passed, I called back to check on the status of my ride. The woman I spoke with, Tina, told me that the cab would come "when she sent it" and that I should sit and wait. She then hung up on me. I found alternative transportation and gave her a call to complain about her customer service. She was extremely rude and combative on the phone. Overall, I am happy the cab company never showed up. The level of operation in this company is deplorable. I will never use them again and will be sure to warn my friends and family as well. read more

I called Capitaland to get to HANNAFORD PLAZA ON WOLF ROAD and was told it would cost $5.50. My driver brought me to the closest Hannaford, NOT the one I said I had to go to. This made the trip longer and when I got there I was told I had to pay $14.30! The driver said it wasn't his fault and that it was between me and the company and if I didn't pay what he wanted me to he would call the police. My driver refused to call his manager because he said he would get mad so I called him and I was screamed and cursed at until I ended the call. I want to make sure EVERYONE knows what they are getting into if they use this taxi company - degrading, dishonest people who do not care at all about their customers. read more

I lived in Saratoga Springs, NY for four years, and had to rely on Capitaland on more than one occasion. This is a unique cab service that didn't quite fit into what I was looking for. Maybe it wasn't right for me, though, so let me detail some of their more unique features: 1) They will show up at least an hour late (even if a reservation was made earlier that day) in order to leave you more time to spend at your place of departure. 2) They operate cabs that are at least 15 years old and spill oil out the back. Along with that, the urine smell in the back adds to the quaint charm of it. 3) They change prices every time you use them. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less (usually the former). It makes for a fun game of chance! 4) They'll pick up other rides no matter where you're going and no matter how quickly you need to get to your destination. Sometimes, these people are drunks; other times they have bags of smelly and mysterious contents. Either way, it's a good way to meet strangers. 5) They offer unsolicited romantic advice...but only if you're lucky! These are some clever tips. FYI, this review is a duplicate of my review of Capitaland in Albany. They're the same company, and I really don't want to deprive others of knowing what a fun experience they can be. read more

You can't just get a cab, to go somewhere, from an airport with these guys!!! You get herded into a filthy vehicle with other random passengers, who are allegedly going somewhere "nearby," and all have to pay the full fare, while suffering through an elongated, frightening trip. It's almost surreal having this kind of public transportation experience at a State capital. I have experienced them driving obscenely fast, and taking corners like a formula one driver, but lacking a sense of direction. The upmost denigrating part of the experience is the fact that they force you in the cab with another party. It's not the other passenger that's the problem, as you will likely be commiserating. The problem is that whomever gets dropped off second has to endure a much longer trip than if just given a ride to his destination. It is preposterous to pair up passengers going to different addresses without their consent. Their pricing structure, wherein they charge all "sharing" passengers a full fare is thievery. This is by far the worst cab service I have had the displeasure of taking in my entire life. read more

Capitaland Taxi operates a Boss Tweed-like style trust racket at the Albany Airport. They overcharge and routinely, as a matter of practice, try to coerce passengers to share taxis without offering a discount so they can reap massive profits. By doing so, Capitaland Taxi grossly violates Albany City Code Chapter 353 art. 7 Fares. For example, according to the Albany Taxi Code, rides initiating from Albany Airport start at the maximum rate of $1.85 mile. (§ 353-7(A)(4)). The distance from the airport to my house is 8.31 miles which should cost me $15.37. Yet, my trip cost $23.90 w/out tip. Originally, the dispatcher tried to get me to share a taxi with another guy "going to a place near me in Albany" at a cost of $25.50/EACH. The worst part is that Albany allows Capitaland to operate this monopoly and fleece tired travelers who have no other choice but to resort to this Tweed-like style racket. read more

I thought I wrote a review, but no matter. Be aware that LFYT and UBER have just come to the Capital district and the dispatcher is not inclined to give them any'business or tell you where to wiait. That being said, I think they have a good service and since I have been coming to Troy since l958 and have used the taxies for YEARS, i would say that Capitaland is a vast improvement. Not cheap, however. read more

They will not take your desired route. They will take the route that has greater mileage even if other routes will cause you to arrive within 2-3 minutes of the amount of time the route they'd like to choose. Thus, they like to rip you off. They also apparently don't have a flat rate from the airport to anywhere within the city of Albany. Straight BS compared to other companies. Won't use them again and definitely will tell my friends to do the same. read more

If I could give 0 I would. I called for a cab from Schenectady to Johnstown- they quoted me 45 dollars I got in the cab they called in the ride and charged me 80 they are crooks. read more

I think that people don't understand that each area has its own Capitaland with different dispatchers, different drivers, different management, etc. There are distinct differences between each branch. All of the 1-star reviews about Capitaland should be moved to the proper Capitaland branch page.. The airport cabs are (I believe) part of the Colonie branch and Saratoga is also a separate branch. One of the things I like about Albany cabs is that they are zoned instead of metered. I don't know of very many other areas that do that, but Capitaland studied it and found that it benefits both the riders and the drivers. I know that Schenectady Captialand is metered within the city of Schenectady, but zoned outside of the city limits. My dad was a cab driver for a lot of years, so I understand that things like late cab drivers or sharing a cab are not choices that the driver makes, but come from the dispatcher and that shift change happens at 6am and 6pm, so it's next to impossible to get a cab for an hour or so around 6 on either side. Knowing some of what goes on behind the scenes has made me a lot more patient and understanding when things do go wrong. Capitaland doesn't get a lot wrong, especially in comparison to the other local cab companies. The few drivers I've had who were less-than-professional, if I call or write and complained, they take me seriously and look into my claims instead of blindly defending a cab driver who may be dangerous on the road or treating passengers so badly that they won't use Capitaland anymore. They're the largest cab company in Albany. If you can't get through to them on the phone, you won't be able to get through to anyone. But why even try? No other cab company in Albany offers better service than Capitaland, unless you have a personal in with a dispatcher. read more

5 minute drive = $15.00 Driver was 20 minutes late and had the nerve to ask for a tip. read more

I have to agree with Sebastien, but I believe this is a common thing for all of the Taxi services in Albany, NY. The people in the office are rude and hang up on you, and the drivers show up whenever they please, oh yeah.. and they also over charge whenever they feel like it. So.. yeah, I dont ride the cab in Albany unless its imperative read more

I waited over an hour for a cab when the man told Me 20 minutes and then 5 minutes when I called back. And then when we called to cancel because they took to long they never answered the phone. The cab finally came just as we were about to drive. read more

THIS COMPANY WILL SCAM YOU HARD. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY'S TAXIS. If you have more than 1 person riding in the cab, the driver will attempt to collect the entire fare allowed under the zone designation PER PASSENGER. We took the train from near downtown to the Amtrak station, and the driver attempted to charge $60.00 for 4 people to cross the river in 9-10 minutes. We later called dispatch, and they played the same game. Apparently, unless you're RELATED, sharing a cab will not save you any money. In what other city do you need to prove your relation to your passengers in order to pay a single fare? its absurd! The driver of cab #62 is extremely rude and WILL try to make you pay individual fares to your location. The fare map clearly says it is $1.50 per additional passenger - but this is not how it "works" in Albany. The way it apparently "works" is unrelated passengers pay the entire full fare each, no matter how many people are in the cab. Thus, a driver may make $15.00 for 1 passenger, or $60.00 for 4 - come on -t his is not how cabs work! You pay a base rate + additional per passenger, not the entire fare PER PASSENGER. STAY AWAY. read more

Be aware, I took this taxi company at Albany airport. The driver charged us 30$ for a 5 minutes drive. We asked how come and wanted to see the meter, he was rude to us and no meters working!!! read more

First Taxi cab at the airport is who runs this racket, all the other drivers seem to be afraid of doing anything. Took taxi this morning from airport to the Hilton garden in which is 2 miles away, carved 10.50, fine, but no meter no prices posted. Albany airport needs a better taxi service. read more

Stay Away I have never written a yelp review, but my experience with Fast Taxi was so bad I feel compelled to warn other people to stay far, far away. Generally, I don't expect perfect service. I feel most of the time people do the best they can under the circumstances. Things happen that you can't control. That was not the case with this company, which was extremely disorganized. I called the night before to arrange an early morning pick up at 4 AM to Albany airport. No one shows at 4. After I wait and try to figure out other options, at 4:25 I call and they say they're on their way, and that they had thought I wanted a 4:15 pick up. So even though they had gotten the time wrong, they are still 10 minutes later than the time they even thought they were supposed to be there. They don't arrive until 4:35. So now I am 35 minutes behind schedule for a cross country flight. When the driver comes to pick me up, the cab has a different name than the service I called the night before, which I think is odd. What is more odd is that there is another passenger. No one had told me this was a shared ride. As a small young woman, this made me feel a bit disconcerted to say the least. It was probably sketchy in a totally benign way, but I would have felt really differently if the extra passenger had been a man. I probably would not have gotten in. Even now I am not sure who this person was (customer, wife, friend?) or where she was headed. She didn't get out at the airport. It was the lack of communication that made me feel disconcerted. The driver also told me the reason he was late was because he had to pick her up. Also, while I usually don't care all that much about smoking (my cleanliness standards aren't exactly through the roof) the van truly reeked of smoke. We arrive at ALB at 4:55. My flight boards at 5:20. This is the moment the driver tells me he only takes cash--not in the phone call last night or the two previous ones that morning. So now I have to drag him into the airport and go to the ATM and get charged a fee to take out cash instead of proceeding directly in line, which is where I need to be as I am incredibly late due to this company's disorganization. At this point I was using some colorful language. I will say to the driver's credit that he was apologetic. By some stroke of good luck, the flight boards 10 minutes later than it was supposed to, so I make it to the gate 4 minutes before boarding. If there had been ten more people in line, I would have missed it. And if the flight had boarded at the time it was supposed to, I would have been SOL. Basically, do not waste your time or money at this place. The whole experience was incredibly unprofessional. They don't deserve your money. read more

I understand that most of the poor reviews were for service from hotels/homes/office to another location. This review is for the airport cabs. There was one person that shuffled passengers based on location at the airport. I appreciated that because I've heard stories of people being put with other passengers and making stops along the way-- no thanks! Luckily, we had a cab to ourselves. Our driver was very professional, double checked our location, and ignored incoming calls. He had at least 3 phone calls, but he ignored them every time. We felt safe while he was driving. All we needed was a prompt and polite driver, and we got one! Kinda frustrated that there wasn't a reference to see what the average rate for cabs were in the Capitol, but that's okay. I'm just grateful my first taxi ride here was pleasant given most of the locals' feedback on the cab drivers. So all in all, if I needed a taxi from the airport back to my house, I could rely on these guys without having to call a different cab company. read more

I do everything in my power not to have to use this company but I need to get to the train station on short notice sometimes to catch the train to NYC for meetings in our corporate office. I've never really had a bad experience with my actual drivers but the dispatchers are probably the worst human beings on earth. Not only do they disrespect and berate their own drivers but they straight up disrespect their customers. I've let my other past horrible experiences with their dispatchers go but I was completed insulted and shocked with what happened today. I know that these cabs always prefer cash and I do my best to have cash for them. However, I live in the year 2016 and often use my credit card when I don't have cash on hand. When I got in the car I told the driver that I would need to go to the ATM once we got to the train station. He let the dispatcher know who responded with, "Make sure you follow her in so she doesn't disappear without paying." Already insulted I replied with, "That's fine. He can also take my credit card numbers now if he wants so I don't have to use the ATM." His response was, "No, I'm not taking her credit card and now I want the money up front so bring her to an ATM now." How rude and insulting is that knowing that your customer can hear you?? The driver was doing what he was told and was a very respectful man. But if I missed the train because of this very insulting stop at the ATM, I would've been enraged. I encourage all Yelpers to find a better cab company to use. I will never again use this company. I wish I could give a ZERO star rating. read more

Horrible service. Late pickup, horrible drive, cabbie didn't know where to go (had us bring up Google maps... to go to Troy), overcharged us by about 4x what the cost should have been. Avoid at all costs. read more

I thought I would balance with my happy experience today. Broken down by the side of the road, giving a friend a ride home, on the way to pick up son from work in the other direction. I called them, they came before the tow truck, and took my friend home (via post office with husband's package). Rescued. Happy. read more

GOOD RIDDANCE to this public menace and their virtual monopoly on the region, which was a real hindrance to business in the area. No more filthy unsafe cars and reckless drivers and abusive, lying, sadistic dispatcher leaving people waiting or just stranding them entirely at their whim. Bye bye! read more

Rude, doesn't show up when you book, Not accommodating. DONT USE THEM, BOOK SOMEONE ELSE. I was a regular and took Albany taxi once a week and never had many problems. I always call the night before and book the taxi for 5:30am the next day. This morning the dispatcher called to tell me the car was outside, when I got outside no one was there. I called dispatch back 15 times and NO ONE answered. I ended up missing my Amtrak train, had to pay a $45 upcharge to take the next train, woke up my new neighbor and had to ask him take me. When I called tonight to ask what happened dispatch told me I was lying, didn't apologize and refused to even offer a comped ride. I was really disappointed to see their lack of appreciation for customer loyalty. read more