With many consumers intent on becoming more eco-conscious in 2024, UK travellers may not appreciate the environmental damage and negative consequences of their ‘kiss and fly’ lift to the airport. Kiss and Fly is the practice of dropping-off and collecting a traveller from the airport, resulting in twice as many car journeys when compared with pre-booking off-airport parking.
As well as resulting in vehicle congestion and producing double the amount of harmful emissions, lifts to the airport also include the ‘hidden costs’ of the time and money spent by the family member or friend. To encourage travellers to become more mindful of their journey to and from the airport, APH has therefore researched just the costs for kiss and fly drop-off fees at 22 of the UK’s airports, including Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Just four of the 22 airports researched allow drivers to drop-off passengers directly at the terminal for free, including London City and Cardiff. However, travellers should note that these airports may charge after a certain amount of time. For example, Cardiff Airport charges £5 for every 10 minutes parked after the initial 10 minutes. Most airports permit the drop-off of passengers at the terminal for a fee, with the cost varying widely. Friends and family should keep an eye on the time at Luton Airport since after paying £5 for the first 10 minutes at the terminal forecourt, motorists are charged an additional £1 for each minute they spend in the drop-off zone.
Holidaymakers willing to walk a short distance can save on premium charges by dropping off in short and long stay car parks, with many airports offering this for free. These include London Luton Airport, which allows up to 15 minutes for free in the mid-term car park, which is 10 – 15 minutes away by foot from the terminal building. Similarly, parking at Southampton Airport’s long stay car park is free for up to 30 minutes and the terminal can be reached in 5 minutes via a shuttle bus, which runs every 10 – 12 minutes. However, both Bournemouth and Bristol do not offer options for dropping-off passengers for free, even at short stay car parks.
For collecting loved ones from the airport, 14 airports permit collection of passengers from the terminal forecourt. Drivers at nine airports, including Bristol, must collect travellers from the short-stay car parks nearby, with the cost varying from free to £20 for up to one hour.
Alongside monetary charges, kiss and fly journeys include ‘hidden costs’ for loved ones. For example, drivers heading to Birmingham Airport from the city centre can expect to spend a total of two hours on the road and pay around £9.60* in fuel costs for two return trips. When combined with two charges of £5.10 for each hour of parking at Birmingham Airport, the total cost for a kiss and fly driver comes to £19.80.
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• Free Drop Off Car Park (10 mins)
• Premium Set-down (15 mins)
• £5.00 (15 mins)
• £10.00 (15-20 mins)
• £15.00 (20-25 mins)
• £20.00 (25-30 mins)
• £25.00 (30-35 mins)
• £50.00 (55-60 mins)
• £5.00 (each additional hour
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £8.50 (1 hour)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Drop Off car park free for up to 10 mins
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Premium Set Down – Free (30 mins)
FINE
• £100 (red route)
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £6.00 (10 mins)
• £8.00 (10-20 mins)
• £12.00 (20-40 mins)
• £25.00 (40-60 mins)
• £25.00 (each additional hour)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £6.00 (30 mins)
• £8.00 (30-45 mins)
• £12.00 (45-60 mins)
• £15.00 (1-4 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Waiting zone free for up to 1 hour
• £25 (1-2 hours)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card or cash
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Drop & Go Car park £6 (40 mins)
FINE
• £100 (red route) – reduced to £60 if paid in 2 weeks
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• Free (5 mins)
• £3.00 (every 5 mins thereafter)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £3.50 (20 mins)
• £5.50 (20-40 mins)
• £8.00 (40-60 mins)
• £10.00 (1-2 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long Stay car park for up to 20 mins
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• N/A
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Designated disabled parking
FINE
• £50 – when failure to present a ticket
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (15 mins)
• £1.00 (every minute thereafter)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £6.00 (30 mins)
• £8.00 (1 hour)
• £12.00 (2 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long Stay car park for up to 1 hour (£1 every minute over 1 hour)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card only
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Free at Short Stay car park (30 mins)
FINE
• PCN (£100) – for stopping in a no stopping zone
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (10 mins)
• £1.00 (every minute thereafter)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £6.00 (15 mins)
• £10.00 (15-30 mins)
• £12.00 (30-60 mins)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long Stay car park for up to 30 mins
• £7 (30 mins – 1 hour)
• £16.50 (1 hour – 3 hours)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card and cash
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• 1 hr free parking to any of the car parks, incl. Drop-Off zones
FINE
• £60 for turning around in Moxy Hotel
• £100 for stopping in red routes
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (30 mins)
• £7.50 (30-60 mins)
• £10.00 (1-2 hours)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £5.00 (30 mins)
• £7.50 (30-60)
• £10.00 (1-2 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long Stay car park free
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card and cash
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• £5 (up to 4 hours) in car parks 1 & 2
FINE
• £30
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•N/A
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £3.00 (10 mins)
• £6.00 (10-20 mins)
• £18.00 (20-45 mins)
• £24.00 (45-60 mins)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £3.00 (0-60 mins)
• £13.00 (1-2 hours)
• £15.00 (2-3 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long Stay car park free for up to 10 mins
• £4 (10-60 mins)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card and cash
• Mobile phone cashless parking system (8p added)
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Short Stay car park free up to 10 mins
FINE
• N/A
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•N/A
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (15 mins)
• £10.00 (20 mins)
• £15.00 (30 mins)
• £45.00 (60 mins)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £6.00 (20 mins)
• £12.00 (1 hour)
• £24.00 (2 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long Stay car park free for up to 30 mins
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card only
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Short Stay car park free up to 30mins
FINE
• N/A
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•N/A
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £6.00 (10 mins)
• £8.00 (20 mins)
• £11.00 (20-30 mins)
• £14.00 (30-60 mins)
• £14.00 (each hour thereafter)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £13.00 (60 mins)
• £17.00 (1-2 hours)
• £20.00 (2-3 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• One hour free car park
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card or cash
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• £6 (60 mins) in Drop off car park
FINE
• £100 for stopping in red routes
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (10 mins)
• £10.00 (20 mins)
• £25.00 (60 mins)
• £50.00 (over 60 mins)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £6.00 (30 mins)
• £10.00 (1 hour)
• £15.00 (2 hours)
• £25.00 (4 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Drop off free for 40 mins
• £8 (40 mins – 60 mins)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card only
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Free (40 mins) in Drop off car park
FINE
• £100 for stopping in red routes
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £6.00 (10 mins)
• £1.00 (each additional minute)
• £25.00 (30 mins max stay)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £6.00 (30 mins)
• £10.00 (31 -60 mins)
• £15.50 (1-2 hours)
• £19.50 (2-3 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long stay free for up to 2 hours
• £38 (2-4 hours)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Pay online
• Phone
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Free (30 mins) at Drop-off up to 3 hours of chosen start time.
• Have to pre register number plate
FINE
• £100 PCN (£60 if paid within 14 days)
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (10 mins)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £7.50 (30 mins)
• £11.00 (30 – 44 mins)
• £13.50 (45-59 mins)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long stay free for up to 30 mins
• £9.40 (30 mins – 4 hours)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Pay online
• Auto-pay
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Free Drop-Off
• Free for 2 hours at Long Stay
FINE
• £80 PCN (£40 if paid within 14 days)
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (10 mins)
• £1.00 (each additional minute)
MID STAY CAR PARK
• Free for 30 mins
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long stay free for up to 60 mins
• £5.00 (1 hour – 2 hours)
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Free (30 mins) for terminal 1 car park
FINE
• £95 PCN (£55 if paid within 14 days)
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £7.00 (15 mins)
• £25.00 (over 15 mins)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £10 (30 mins)
• £18 (60 mins)
• £22 (2 hours)
• £35 (3 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Long stay free for up to 60 mins at Mid Stay car park
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Free at Long Stay car park
FINE
• £100 for Red Routes
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (5 mins)
• £6.00 (10 mins)
• £25.00 (10+ mins)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £6.00 (30 mins)
• £12.00 (60 mins)
• £20.00 (2 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• JetParks 1 up to 30 mins
• £25 over 1 hour
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card or cash
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Free Drop-Off
FINE
• £100 for attempted pick up in the Drop-Off zone
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £4.00 (10 mins)
• £7.00 (30 mins)
• £10.00 (45 mins)
• £11.00 (1 hour)
• £22.00 (2 hours)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• Free (15 mins)
• £8.00 (30 mins)
• £13.00 (1 hour)
• £15.00 (2 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Short Stay car park free for up to 15 mins
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card
• Coin hoppers
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Only disabled parking bays
FINE
• Red route fine
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•28 days
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £5.00 (30 mins)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £5.00 (30 mins)
• £7.50 (30-60 mins)
• £10.00 (1-2 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Free 5 mins drop off at Short Stay car park
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card and cash
• Pre-book
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Stay in Drop-Off spaces for £5 up to 4 hours
FINE
• N/A
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•N/A
DROP-OFF FEE (ALLOCATED TIME)
• £6.00 (20 mins)
SHORT STAY CAR PARK
• £12.00 (60 mins)
• £20.00 (90 mins)
• £30.00 4 hours)
FREE DROP-OFF OPTIONS
• Free 30 mins drop off at Long Stay car park
PAYMENT OPTIONS
• Card
BLUE BADGE PARKING
• Free 30 mins in Short Stay car park
FINE
• £80
TIME TO PAY THE FINE
•N/A