Drivers hit with ‘rip-off’ parking prices as some airports demand £1 per minute - 'It's depressing'
London Gatwick charged £6 for just 10 minutes of parking
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Prices for parking at major UK airports have rapidly increased in the past year with drivers left dealing with unfair costs.
Across four major airports, prices for drop-offs have increased by roughly £1 for the 10-minute window, according to new research from the RAC.
London Gatwick now charges £6 for 10 minutes, Edinburgh £5 for 10 minutes, Birmingham £5 for 15 minutes and Bristol £6 for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prices in Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and Aberdeen have increased by 50p since last year.
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Some airports do not charge people to drop others offPADespite the price rises for drop-offs, nine airports have frozen costs for drivers this year while London City, Cardiff and Inverness still have free drop-off zones.
Passengers being dropped off for up to 20 minutes at London Luton is currently free in its Mid Stay Car Park. This is due to last October’s fire which forced the closure of the airport’s Drop Off Zone.
Last year, Luton charged £5 for 10 minutes at its drop-off zone but put the charges on hold after the fire.
London Stansted, however, remains the most expensive UK airport for dropping off, charging £7 for up to 15 minutes.
Leeds Bradford is the next most expensive,charging £6.50 for 10 minutes, with London Gatwick and Bristol the third most expensive.
Glasgow and Aberdeen both charge £5.50 for 15 minutes while Manchester Airport charges £5 for a five-minute stay.
Data from the RAC found that 81 per cent of drivers thought the fees were a “rip-off” with 71 per cent of them wanting free drop-offs.
Only one in 10 drivers (13 per cent) stated they understood why airports charge for drop-offs.
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.
“Increased charges at airports that have relatively poor public transport access – for instance, no direct rail or tram link – also seems pretty unreasonable.”
He added that some airports charge more to discourage people from driving to the airport in the first place, placing an emphasis on public transport options, like coaches and trains.
RAC research also showed that a major reason for driving and dropping off is the practical challenges of travelling with heavy and bulky luggage.
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Airport parking fees are rising dramatically PA Dennis explained that 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, drivers need to pay online using the official airport website or by phone to avoid being fined.
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