How much does it cost to drop-off your friends and family at UK airports?
How much does it cost to drop-off your friends and family at UK airports?
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Travelling can be expensive – but even if you’re not the one going away, you can end up spending a pretty penny. You’ve tried to do a good deed, and help a friend/your mum/the kids out by taking them to the airport, only to be slapped with hefty airport drop-off charges.
![[Passengers passing and walking along the conveyor belt at an airport.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-928407442_600867.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
And this is more than just a few quid – at some airports, you could be look at £25 for 15 minutes. While it’s not just the UK with strict drop-off system – Dunedin Airport in New Zealand introduced a three minute ‘hug limit’ – the fees have been called ‘absoloutely disgusting’ and a ‘rip-off’ by disgruntled motorists.
![[Strictly no parking airport sign drop off zone only]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1142590048.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Earlier this year the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) described airport drop-off charges as ‘bordering on the ridiculous’. An analysis by the company from July 2024 found that charges at the UK’s major airports have increased by £1 since summer 2023.
![[Girl walking towards the large Edinburgh lettering sign outside Edinburgh airport, Scotland]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-880844868.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=509)
So, if you’re heading to an airport soon, here’s how much should you expect to pay at the drop-off zones of the UK’s major airports. London Heathrow’s terminal drop-off charge will increase from £5 to £6 on January 1, 2025 – an expensive way to kick off the new year. However, unlike some UK airports, there is no time limit. Customers can pay for a single drop-off or pre-pay for multiple drop-offs online or by phone.
The airport also offers a long-stay car park which passengers can use free of charge for 30 minutes. For Blue Badge holders parking is free for two hours. The minimum drop-off charge at Gatwick is £6 for up to 10 minutes and then an additional £1 for each additional minute for up to 20 minutes.
