Seven airports increase airport terminal drop-off prices
21 August 2023
The summer holidays are almost upon us, which means many families will be flooding to the airport and setting off on trips abroad.
But before you volunteer to chauffeur your friends and loved ones to the airport, you should prepare yourself for record-high terminal drop-off prices.
According to the RAC, seven of the busiest airports in the UK have increased their prices and an additional one has introduced them for the first time.
The biggest change comes from Southampton Airport, which has increased its minimum terminal drop-off prices to £6 for twenty minutes (up from £4 last year).
Other increased minimum prices include:
- Aberdeen Airport - £5 for 15 minutes
- Belfast City Airport - £3 for 10 minutes (a brand-new charge)
- Belfast International - £3 for 10 minutes
- Birmingham Airport - £4 for 15 minutes
- Glasgow Airport - £5 for 15 minutes
- Leeds Bradford - £6 for 10 minutes
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport - £5 for 10 minutes
London Stansted (£7 for 15 minutes), London Heathrow (£5 for 15 minutes), London Gatwick (£5 for 15 minutes), London Luton (£5 for 10 minutes), Manchester Airport (£5 for 5 minutes) and Edinburgh Airport (£4 for 10 minutes) have all maintained the same charge rate as last year.
Cardiff, London City and Inverness airports have all retained free terminal drop-off options.
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said. “Having tracked airport drop-off fees since 2016, we can see putting up charges has now become something of an annual ritual. This year is no different with seven out of 21 increasing their fees and one introducing them for the first time. Drivers should brace themselves for jaw-dropping prices when they drop their loved-ones off at the terminal.
“Thankfully the proportion of airports hiking fees this year is lower than last year, but that will be little consolation as charges across the board have never been so high.
“Doing your research ahead of travelling has never been more important. Many airports offer a free or reduced-rate drop-off area away from the terminal in long-stay car parks where travellers can hop on a shuttle bus connection, saving their driver incurring more expensive charges nearer the departures building.
“Drivers tempted to drop loved-ones on the roads inside the boundaries of the airport should beware as many enforce no-stopping areas with cameras could lead to hefty penalty charges.”
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