Airport Drop-Off Charges

[Glassman]

I took a friend to Luton Airport. It's a fiver to drop off; the same on pick-up. Taking my friend to the airport - and subsequently picking up on their return - cost a tenner.

Luton used to be £3.00 IIRC. As much as I didn't like paying, I assumed it was to stop cabbies clogging up the zones. Recently Heathrow has added a charge for dropping off and picking up too. Why? What is it for? In terms of me dropping off a friend or member of my family, this might happen once of twice a year, so why am I being hit with a charge, given I'm in and out in several minutes?

Looking at the bigger picture, they want flyers to use park and ride? Or is it to prepare for a long term plan where electric cars become the overwhelming norm?

As I approached the terminal, I even humored the idea of dropping my friend off before the roundabout to avoid paying, but the people behind the scheme have gone to great lengths to make sure that you don't get away without paying.

The formula appears to be: pay a fiver the easy way, or 80-quid the hard way as they [the airports] attempt to recover their pandemic losses.

[x5tuu]

Or to force more people onto public transport for getting to/from the airport.

In fairness if people are going on holiday the few extra £'s for drop off/collection should barely factor into the cost equation.

[abzmike]

Part encouraging people to use public transport, part revenue raising.
Seems to be a largely UK feature, can't recall paying elsewhere to drop off.

[matrignano]

The cynical in me thinks it's a new revenue stream to make up for the lost business in the last two years.
Otherwise it's not really justified IMHO.

Do Ubers have to pay it too by the way?

[silobass]

Bugs me as well. You have to pay to drop their customers off, seems a bit of a piss take. I know the airlines are actually the customer but it's almost the same thing.

FWIW, it's only 10p more to park up at Heathrow for half an hour. If dropping a friend/loved one off you can unload them easier and walk to the terminal with them if you'd like too.

[bristolracer]

abzmike said:

Part encouraging people to use public transport, part revenue raising.
Seems to be a largely UK feature, can't recall paying elsewhere to drop off.

Is a taxi public transport? At Bristol airport even hackney licenced cabs have to pay
(Unless you use the airport's own private taxi contractor of course)

[Glassman]

matrignano said:

Do Ubers have to pay it too by the way?

Only Black Cabs are exempt I think.

[abzmike]

bristolracer said:

abzmike said:

Part encouraging people to use public transport, part revenue raising.
Seems to be a largely UK feature, can't recall paying elsewhere to drop off.

Is a taxi public transport? At Bristol airport even hackney licenced cabs have to pay
(Unless you use the airport's own private taxi contractor of course)

Taxis get charged the same as cars up here, so it's passed on to passengers... much to the chagrin of the drivers.
Of course the airport operators helpfully provide a drop off area at the long term car park, so you can wait in the cold for the shuttle bus, or the normal service bus that goes into town - Which is great if youre going to the bus station, but pretty rubbish for anything else.

Edited by abzmike on Monday 10th January 13:58

[J4CKO]

You get this at Manchester to avoid the charge,

https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-chesh...

[cml24]

Gatwick recently introduced a £5 charge, having been free before. I was even more annoyed as the charge started when the terminal was actually closed, but i still had to pay it when dropping someone off for the station.

[2 GKC]

Same in Bristol. They have an affiliated cad service who drop off outside the terminal, all the others get fleeced

They make the majority of their profits from car parking charges.

[Glassman]

x5tuu said:

Or to force more people onto public transport for getting to/from the airport.

In fairness if people are going on holiday the few extra £'s for drop off/collection should barely factor into the cost equation.

I don't see how that can be justified.

'Oh, you're going on holiday? Chuck us a fiver; it won't make a difference to your budget. You're about to get spun by the locals when you get there so might as well get used to the idea now... cough up'

[2 GKC]

It doesn’t need to be justified though. It’s an opportunity for a business to make money

[Glassman]

2 GKC said:

It doesn’t need to be justified though. It’s an opportunity for a business to make money

Somewhere between extortion and profiteering.

[PF62]

brickwall said:

Yup it’s a shameless money grab.

Gatwick admit it - https://www.gatwickairport.com/to-and-from/picking...

"Why we are charging for Drop-offs?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the aviation industry and as an airport we need to look at new revenue streams to help us continue to protect jobs and income while we rebuild. Therefore, Gatwick is introducing a charge for vehicles dropping off passengers on the forecourt directly outside our terminals from the 8 March 2021."

[rfsteel]

cml24 said:

Gatwick recently introduced a £5 charge, having been free before. I was even more annoyed as the charge started when the terminal was actually closed, but i still had to pay it when dropping someone off for the station.

Gatwick local cabbies get charged £5 for terminal pickups and £100 if trying to use Atlantic House round the back of the South Terminal, it's now cheaper to get the train to either Horley or Three Bridges than pay LGW £5.

Cabbie also mentioned they are currently extending the cameras to the Shell Petrol station by the North Terminal, so Long stay car parks will be the only free option going forward.

[Wombat3]

Its just symptomatic of the "robbing barsteward" mentality that exists so widely across the UK.

In a nutshell, if somebody can take you for a few quid then they probably will. Apparently, that's an acceptable way to carry on

Needs legislation IMO although in truth that would probably just result in a "balloon squashing" exercise.

Robbing barstewards will always find a way to be robbing barstewards.

[Zumbruk]

Discouraging cars at airports is all very well, but the last time I caught the Heathrow "Express", it was delayed 45 minutes. Fortunately I always allow at least an hour "panic time".

[Wombat3]

Zumbruk said:

Discouraging cars at airports is all very well, but the last time I caught the Heathrow "Express", it was delayed 45 minutes. Fortunately I always allow at least an hour "panic time".

"Discouraging cars" at the airport for drop-off is just bks. People going there have (often heavy) luggage to manage & they need to get to the door.

The argument about parking for 30 minutes at Heathrow for 10p more is correct but be careful, the clock starts ticking the moment you enter the carpark

Got caught by that dropping my son off for a Bus at Heathrow outside T5 over Xmas 31 minutes was £8.50

[gazza285]

matrignano said:

The cynical in me thinks it's a new revenue stream to make up for the lost business in the last two years.
Otherwise it's not really justified IMHO.

Do Ubers have to pay it too by the way?

Their roads, their terminal. If you want the convenience of a short walk, then you have to pay. Some airports had this charge before Covid.