Sixteen of the UK’s 20 busiest airports have increased the charges drivers face for dropping off passengers, with the average cost increasing by a third since last summer, new RAC analysis has found.
But Cardiff-Wales Airport is one of the cheapest and still offers free parking for 20 mins in car park 2 a short walk from the terminal.
In what is now a common annual ritual, the price of dropping off close to airport terminals – in so-called ‘kiss-and-fly’ zones – rose by an average of £1.70, to £7, compared to this time last year. London Gatwick and London Stansted charge the highest fees (£10 for 10 minutes and 15 minutes respectively), followed by Edinburgh and Bristol (£8.50 for 10 minutes), and Leeds, London City and Bournemouth (each £8 for 10, five and 30 minutes respectively).
On a per-minute basis, London City is the most expensive, charging the equivalent of £1.60 a minute (£8 for up to five minutes). Like at many any other airports, anyone stopping for longer than permitted faces a huge charge which can be as high as £100.
But unlike others, London City has good accessible public transport access with a dedicated DLR station and trains running every few minutes during the day, providing a realistic alternative to driving for many passengers.
Manchester Airport, which costs £5.50 for five minutes (which equates to £1.10 a minute), is the next priciest place to drop off on a per-minute basis, followed by London Gatwick (£1 a minute), Edinburgh and Bristol (85p a minute) and Leeds Bradford (80p a minute).
Drivers might be surprised to learn that a £1 per minute drop-off rate is slightly more expensive on a per-minute basis than the cost of a return flight in August for two people from London Gatwick to Zaknythos (Zante), Greece.
Four airports have not increased their charges this year, namely Liverpool John Lennon (£6 for 10 minutes), East Midlands (£5 for 15 minutes), Belfast City (£4 for 10 minutes) and Southampton (£7 for 20 minutes).
But with London City now charging for drop-offs for the first time, all the UK’s top 20 busiest airports now levy a fee – whereas before Covid in 2019, six airports including London Heathrow and Gatwick still offered free convenient drop-offs.
The decision by airports to charge drivers for dropping off – a task that can take just moments – is at complete odds with what’s normal at other major airports around the world. None of the top 10 airports in the EU charge for drop-offs, and neither do many other major international airports including Atlanta (the world’s busiest), Dubai, Shanghai and Istanbul.
This year the RAC is warning drivers to be especially careful when dropping off friends and family members at airports that no longer have entry and exit barriers nor provide physical facilities for paying the fee – as there’s a risk they could forget to pay and be hit with a sizeable penalty.
The five busiest – London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted and Luton – insist drivers pay online or by phone before midnight the day after using the drop-off zone, which relies on them spotting the signage and acting on it quickly when back at home. A parking charge notice of £100 is sent to drivers that accidentally, or deliberately, don’t pay.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said, “It’s disappointing to see so many airports charging so much for what many regard as a simple act of kindness in dropping off family and friends.
“Having a captive audience should be no excuse for these ‘farewell fees’ – especially when they’re completely at odds with how major airports around the world operate. Of course, airports need to manage the limited space they have carefully, but if free, convenient drop-off zones work at so many other international airports then why not here?
“The growing number of airports that operate barrierless ‘park now, pay later’ drop-off zones is also something drivers need to be extremely careful of. Those that drop off but miss the signage, or forget to go online or phone the airport to pay soon afterwards, can face a parking charge notice as high as £100 – a fee that feels distinctly disproportionate to the contravention.
“We certainly recommend drivers explore the free short-term parking options many airports offer but make themselves aware of just how long they’re permitted to park for. Those that plan on accompanying their passengers to the terminal and then coming back to their cars will almost certainly outstay the free period, which can end up being extremely costly.”
The RAC advice is for drivers to check drop-off and pick-up terms before they arrive, how to pay, allowed duration and where they can temporarily stop.
