My DC have never asked for a lift to the Airport..

[Pebblepoppy]

We live within 1.5 hours of several major airports. When I go, I either drive (and pay extortionate parking charges) or go by public transport, which is also pretty straightforward, and cheaper if I'm travelling alone.

Most of my friends seem to be regularly doing airport runs for their adult children, often in the early hours.

I'm not saying I wouldn't do it, if I was asked, or it was necessary, but it's occurred to me mine have never asked.

Hopefully that's because they prefer to be independent, rather than they don't feel they could...?

Doesn't that rather depend on how far from the airport you live?

And I hate these 'if you can't afford (x) then you can't afford a holiday' posts. Back in the day, us having a holiday required skimping all year round, just to afford the basics of a holiday and minimal spending money. £50 on a taxi (£100 return) would wipe out much of the spending money.

People who can comfortably afford holidays and taxis, telling other people that they shouldn't go on holiday because they're too poor, is pretty damn rude and unkind.

Not everywhere they don’t.

Where on earth do you live that you can't book a taxi ahead of time to go to an airport. Taxi go everywhere.

🤣🤣

I'm so surprised at the number of people who don't offer or who don't take up the offer with family to go to the airport.

My adult son and his wife live half an hour from me, I'm a widow. They fly a couple of times a year and I always offer to drop off and collect at the airport which is an hour and a half away, I wouldn't dream of not doing it. It saves them a fortune in parking, and there is no public transport where they live.

Occasionally when holidaying with friends they've gone from an airport much further away and have sorted out their own transport there, but for the more local trips I'd always offer. I've often had to get up extremely early or pick up at midnight but because it's my son it's no problem at all, I thought that's what families do.
The situation of them asking would never occur because I'd always offer.

Because its selfish to ask somebody to be driving around for hours at 2 in the morning when they have work the next day and or kids to look after

I’m sure I asked my parents for airport lifts when I was a late teen / early 20s. Or maybe they just offered. I can remember them being there with the car. I am sure it’s pretty normal to ask family for help with this. I don’t any more as I’m in my 30s and there’s a train not too far away. But when young it was nice to be dropped off / collected. One reason I guess was taxis would be been £60+ and public transport would have been very indirect, expensive and added quite a bit of time to the journey.

They’re not always reliable.
DH was seconded to the US for a couple of years. Fortunately his parents came up and stayed in a hotel before we left to say goodbye and also look after a few last minute things we weren’t taking, help with last minute errands as by that point we had no cars. We had a taxi booked to the airport (no viable public transport options) … it didn’t show up. DH's dad was delighted to be the hero of the hour and drive us.
So, even when you’re fully independent adults well used to international business travel - sometimes you may need help.

Very rural Cumbria. They do exist but won’t do airport runs in the middle of the night. They stop around 11 and start again around 5am unless it’s New Years or similar.

But then that would be seen more as an emergency as he would of missed his flight thats very different to booking flights for a holiday in the early hours of the morning and not factoring in the cost of getting to an airport and being like its alright mum will do it. Doesn't matter that she has work the next day she doesn't need sleep she will be alright

Depends on circumstances. Parents of young adults generally won’t have kids who need too much looking after, and quite a lot may be ‘downshifted’ .
if you’re the offspring of a brain surgeon then yeah, her job would take priority.

But you then book a taxi from the area your flying from you don't need to book a local taxi. For e.g. if your flying from Manchester you would call Manchester taxi companies.

I’d assume that parents providing chauffeuring services are adults themselves who can decide on their schedule, sleep needs and priorities.
One size does doesn’t fit all.

All jobs should take priority

My dad would always offer to take us to the airport, whatever time of the day or night. I’ve never once asked. He is retired, no kids at home, and wants to help.
If someone has work the next day or young kids to look after then I agree, it would made sense for them to either not offer a lift or say ‘sorry, that’s not convenient for me’ if asked. The OP didn’t actually indicate that this was the case for her friends, though.

We live about 20 to 30 minutes from two north west airports. Until recently we have always dropped off and picked up various family members at these airports. The problem now is the parking charges. Last month my DD waited until her brothers plane had landed and then set off for the airport. For some reason she had a longer wait than usual , she wasn’t then allowed to pay the parking charge and would be given a parking fine instead . She is now refusing to do the airport run saying a taxi is under £40 and people can just pay it . By the way , brother will pay the fine when it eventually arrives.

But its still selfish to ask. Nobody wants to be driving around for a couple of hours in the middle of the night. Most people will agree to it through guilt not because they actually want to

We don’t know that anyone has asked.

I think what happens is that a parent offers and the child accepts and then it just becomes the routine.

I always liked my dad dropping me off to the airport, he was retired and liked doing it and it was just something we liked doing together. He loved airports and the buzz and has a deep hatred for taxis 😁 He would crawl on his hands and knees rather than give money for a taxi. Even now, we are all terrified to get taxis as if we are doing something illegal.

Well, I have an airport very close by and definitely drop and collect, but certainly not 90 minutes away.
Public transport is taken by my adult children if necessary.
I do a huge amount for them but not long airport trips when public transport is directly available.

Not all flights are at inconvenient times and most people who are taking adult children to the airport won't have young children to look after.
Of course people shouldn't be out in the early hours if they have work the next day, in which case they presumably wouldn't offer.
I retired very early so was always available to take my son but my own father used to take me when he was still working.
It's once or twice a year, not weekly, it would of course be different if it was.

My dad offers, I accept, he’s retired, doesn’t always sleep brilliantly and is happy to do it. I reciprocate when able to as I work full time. I don’t think any of us are less adults than others because we accept lifts on occasion 🤷🏼‍♀️

Should say I also take DD and her mates to the airport when needed to save them the cost of a taxi. Why wouldn’t I if I could? If I couldn’t I’m sure she’d sort herself out.

If it's practical and sensible, I offer to my adult kids, but they virtually never take me up on it.

They won’t come this far as it ends up as a five hour+ round trip, unless you’re happy to pay £500 or so, which I’m sure you’ll tell me is just part of the holiday.