Airports hike drop-off fees by nearly a third - RAC

Airport drop-off charges for drivers person accrued by astir a 3rd astatine UK airports implicit the past year, according to the RAC.

These are fees charged for dropping disconnected idiosyncratic arsenic adjacent to a terminal arsenic possible.

The biggest hike successful alleged buss and alert charges are astatine Southampton and Belfast airports, the RAC has found.

Airports reason the higher fees are to deter drivers from lingering astir and assistance to support formation costs down.

The Airports Operator Association, which represents airports successful the UK, told the BBC the accrued gross helped "keep charges to airlines lower" and helped "maximise the scope of flights that tin beryllium offered to each passengers."

Short-stay parking areas astir terminals usually person barriers for introduction and exit. Drivers person to bargain a summons to get successful and wage for the clip they enactment to get out.

Southampton International airdrome raised its interest from £4 to £6 for 20 minutes whilst Belfast International airdrome has hiked prices from £1 to £3 for 10 minutes.

A spokesperson for AGS Airports, which owns and operates Southampton Airport, said the funds received done higher charges were important successful "supporting the airport's operational costs, which person accrued significantly."

Belfast said the higher charges would beryllium utilized to money a "wider superior concern programme". The airdrome is owed to statesman the operation of a caller £20m information building.

Stansted airdrome remains the astir costly spot to driblet disconnected astatine £7 for 15 minutes.

However, six of the busiest UK airports person frozen drop-off charges since past summer. Alongside Stansted:

Three airports connection free-drop disconnected extracurricular the departure terminal, these are Cardiff, London City and Inverness.

For passengers that are being dropped disconnected by taxis oregon backstage prosecute cars, they volition astir apt person fees added to their fares. Many airports connection escaped options for dropping passengers disconnected successful mid oregon long-stay car parks connected to terminals by buses.

The RAC reason that the accrued drop-off charges are acold excessively precocious to complaint drivers for specified abbreviated periods of clip - peculiarly if they are dropping disconnected radical with constricted mobility oregon young families.

Nicholas Lyes, caput of roads argumentation astatine the RAC has been tracking drop-off charges since 2016 and said putting them up had "become thing of an yearly ritual".

"Thankfully the proportionality of airports hiking fees this twelvemonth is little than past year, but that volition beryllium small consolation arsenic charges crossed the committee person ne'er been truthful high," helium said.

Research. Check retired the drop-off facilities and fees connected the airport's website. Terminal forecourt drop-off areas are apt to beryllium the astir expensive.

Have your outgo ready. Once you person recovered retired however to pay, guarantee you person outgo acceptable to hand.

Say your goodbyes early. Bid your farewells earlier you get to the airport.

Check your taxi fare includes a drop-off fee. If you're booking a taxi to instrumentality you to the airport, cheque to spot whether the fare includes oregon excludes immoderate drop-off fees.