Horrendous airport drop off charges

[Cardhey]

AIBU to be pleased that the UK consumer watchdog is investigation the ridiculous drop off fees at airports and the increases over the past few years. It’s just a con. Hope they get banned.

Interestingly, there’s a legal loophole at Stansted that means they can’t even lawfully fine you for not paying if the driver wasn’t the registered keeper of the vehicle.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6642156/stansted-drop-off-charge-appeal

I have used this once successfully when I forgot to pay by the deadline (my husband was the registered keeper of the vehicle). Of course, making it ANPR rather than paying via a barrier as you exit means many more people will forget and so get fined unless they can avail themselves of the loophole.

I disagree at our local airport, it's awful now - people walking along the roads, queues to get in because people are dropping off at the last fre spot and then I turning, awful.

🤣🤣 You’ve obviously not visited many small local airports

I remember my local airport used to charge £1 for drop off. It’s now £8

There's no free option at the airport I'm thinking of. Even if you use the park and ride, the bus fare for a family could come to more than the £8 drop-off fee.

So you're running a car and indulging in air travel yet still moaning about a poxy tenner, when if they didn't have a charge the drop-off area would be carnage and you'd moan about that instead. Who cares.

If you're being dropped off, it's not you running the car. And it applies to taxis too.

It's partly revenue related, but I bet it's also partly that a lot of these places don't have the space for too many people to drop off as close to the entrance as they'd like to be, at least not without long queues. If places are providing a free alternative then they obviously aren't only concerned about money, they just don't want everyone competing for the same limited space.

Outside London trains are not necessarily frequent or reliable. I wouldn’t rely on the train service to get me to the airport for a flight. Fortunately I’m not too far so it’s about £35 in a taxi.

Fair enough. So you're paying for taxis and indulging in air travel yet still moaning about a poxy tenner, when if they didn't have a charge the drop-off area would be carnage and you'd moan about that instead. Who cares.

Not moaning, just pointing out that your moan is incorrect.

People who think this is fair enough have incredibly low expectations. It doesn't have to be this shit.

Tourist tax is another one that will creep in everywhere soon as well especially in places that don’t currently charge it. Again, all part of the bigger plan to restrict traveling and holidays. The only weapon is money and charging more for it to price people out.

That sounds like where I live! There used to be a ten minute or so free drop off car park a couple of years ago but that’s now gone and there are cameras everywhere by the McDonalds/retail park to photograph anyone carrying a rucksack! Dropping off or collecting anywhere near the train station there as well has always been a nightmare.

We now drop off at the road opposite and walk up.

Stansted is great-has a free drop off area with a shuttle bus to the terminal but I’d rather use the local one.

Never been to Bristol airport have you? It's 7 miles from the nearest train station

I think we live in the same place 😂

Agree that they are unreasonable. Should be a time limit for free.

Charge airlines higher landing fees so you pay for air travel to meet the costs of airports. Not things like this and charging double the high street amount for food and drinks.

UK APD is already some of, if not the, highest in the world.

It hasn't stopped people from flying and if it did HMRC would lose a lot of revenue.

Also those working in the UK aviation industry contribute a lot in tax and NI..

It's certainly not in HMGs interest to really disuade people from flying or downsize the industry..

I live near Nice airport(france).They have "Kiss and fly" You can drop people off and pick them up( 5mins tolérance)After that you pay(à lot) I think uk airports are à rip off.Bristol airport being my expérience.

The south terminal at Gatwick has a long stay car park where you get 2 hours free and it’s only a short walk to the terminal.

What makes me seethe is that any way around not paying the charge is quickly closed off. Why loopholes for people not paying taxes isn’t as well organized I’m not sure , but once someone discovers a way of not paying its quickly vetoed and made so hard to avoid.
Probably why big businesses always win in the end when it comes to making sure it’s the punters that pay up. Same goes for the higher prices in the airports , years of the 100ml rule some still have and so on and on. We are being exploited at every opportunity and we all put up with it.

This.

But if they don't control it the congestion is so inconvenient. My only gripe is the car horw return at Heathrow is so diabolically signposted and once you get on the dropnoff road you are fucked, I regularly end up going through the bastard drop off and being charged for nothing. But otherwise I am glad. If you want to use it, do. If you don't, don't. And having children actually doesnt exempt anyone.

Not sure how Nice works financially but it's similar where I am in Europe.

However our local airport is in part at least supported by the taxpayer through national and local taxes...

Once you start really introducing the free market and the maths changes.

Nice is an absolute car crash of an airport though.

A few years ago, pre drop off charges, I had to pick DD up from Manchester. It was horrendous. All the roads leading to the terminals were totally gridlocked and it took forever to get in and out. Yes, the charges are a pita but, we now park up 10 minutes or so away, she messages as soon as she goes through passport control, and we drive in just to pick up and away in as little time as possible. I would much rather pay a few £ than sit in a jam for an hour or so. I do agree that they need a cap on charges. I would say a fiver just to pick up and then rapidly increase after 15, and 30 minutes to deter people clogging up the parking area.