Four major airports have increased drop-off charges by £1 compared to 2023 – London Gatwick (£6 for 10 minutes), Edinburgh (£5 for 10 minutes), Birmingham (£5 for 15 minutes) and Bristol (£6 for 10 minutes), with three – Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and Aberdeen – putting prices up by 50p since last year. Fortunately for drivers on drop-off duties, nine airports have frozen their prices this year.
Just three airports out of the top 20 in the UK – London City, Cardiff and Inverness – retain free drop-off zones. And while dropping off for up to 20 minutes at London Luton is currently free in its Mid Stay Car Park – after last October’s fire forced the closure of the airport’s Drop Off Zone – travellers should be aware that the terminal is a 10-minute walk or shuttle bus ride from the terminal building. Last year, Luton charged £5 for 10 minutes in its drop-off zone.
London Stansted – despite not increasing its charges this year, to the relief of drivers – remains the most expensive UK airport for dropping off, charging a whopping £7 for up to 15 minutes, the equivalent of 47p a minute.
Leeds Bradford is a close second charging £6.50 for 10 minutes, with London Gatwick and Bristol the third most expensive, both demanding drivers pay £6 for up to 10 minutes. Glasgow and Aberdeen both charge £5.50 for 15 minutes.
On a cost-per-minute basis however, it is Manchester that takes the wooden spoon for offering drivers the worst value, charging £5 for just a five-minute stay – the equivalent of £1 a minute, way ahead of the next priciest per minute, Leeds Bradford which charges the equivalent of 65p per minute (£6.50 for 10 minutes).
It is perhaps not surprising then that 81% of drivers surveyed by the RAC this summer,** who have either dropped someone off at an airport or have been dropped off themselves in the last 12 months, describe the charges as a ‘rip-off’ with 71% believing all airports should offer free drop-offs. Just one-in-10 (13%) say they understand why airports charge what they do.
Despite some airports claiming the sky-high drop-off fees encourage people to travel there using public transport, separate new RAC research*** shows the extent to which this often isn’t realistic or even possible.
Nearly four-in-10 (37%) of those who have dropped someone off say there is no feasible public transport alternative, while a further 34% say the public transport options on offer are too unreliable. But the overwhelming reason for driving and dropping off for six-in-10 drivers (59%) is the impracticality of travelling with lots of luggage on public transport.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “It’s depressing, if perhaps unsurprising given what’s happened in the past, to see seven airports have hiked their drop-off charges once again this year. To have to pay £5, £6 or even £7 for the briefest of stops to simply open the boot and take some luggage out for a friend or loved one is bordering on the ridiculous.
“Increased charges at airports that have relatively poor public transport access – for instance, no direct rail or tram link – also seems pretty unreasonable. Some airports say the reason they charge for drop-offs at all is to discourage people from driving in the first place, but if the alternatives are non-existent, expensive or unreliable then what choice do people really have?
“Our research also clearly shows that a major reason for driving and dropping off is the practical challenges of travelling with heavy and bulky luggage, especially if you have elderly or very young people in tow. If the only public transport to get to an airport is, for example, a pretty impractical double-decker bus, it’s no wonder people turn to the car.
“Fortunately, most of the country’s busiest airports have frozen their charges this year and travellers have to hope things stay that way. For anyone having to drop off this summer, we strongly urge them to keep their goodbyes extremely short so they don’t stay a moment longer than they’re paying for. Those visiting London Heathrow or Gatwick should also be aware that it’s now not possible to pay the drop-off charge in-person at either airport. Instead, they need to pay online using the official airport website or by phone – an unfortunate extra piece of admin drivers could surely do without.
“It’s also worth remembering that many airports offer free or cheaper short-term parking further away from the terminal. This might be significantly less convenient, but it does save money.”
How much does it cost to drop off passengers at UK airports
RAC top tips to avoid stress and high airport parking charges
Do your research
Check out the drop-off facilities on the airport’s website to understand fees, payment options and stay times. Terminal forecourt drop-off areas are likely to be the most expensive.
Know how to pay
Check out how to pay before you leave for the airport. Some airports no longer allow you to pay on site, instead demanding you pay online or by phone.
Keep your goodbyes short
Don’t spend too long saying your farewells – otherwise they’ll prove expensive if you go over the time limit.
Check your taxi fare includes a drop-off fee
If you’re booking a taxi to take you to the airport, check to see where it drops you off and whether the fare includes the airport’s fee.
Don’t be tempted to drop-off on a road inside the airport perimeter
Airports rigorously enforce no-stopping zones, so don’t be tempted to save money by dropping off on a road inside the perimeter. Use the dedicated drop-off zone or another car park instead.
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* Top 20 airports selected based on total passenger numbers reported to the CAA for 2023. Source: https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2023/annual-2023/. Figures based on nearest drop-off points to terminal buildings. These areas go under different names but are listed. We know that all airports offer either free or differently priced alternatives in mid or long-stay car parks with connecting bus or shuttle services. 2024 figures correct as of July 2024; last year’s figures correct as of June 2023. The RAC first recorded prices in 2016.
** Total of 1,778 drivers surveyed for the RAC in June 2024, of which 41% had driven or been driven to an airport and dropped off, or themselves been dropped off within the last 12 months
*** Total of 1,841 drivers surveyed for the RAC in May 2024, of which 72% had driven to an airport to drop someone off before a flight within the last 12 months
