Airports make a fortune from parking charges but you can usually save money if you book early. With most travellers opting to drive to the airport, those who ‘pay on the day’ are needlessly eating into their holiday spending money. In this article, we share some tips on how to get cheap airport parking.
How to cut the cost of airport parking
1. Pre-book
Pre-booking online is simple and can help you save money. The earlier you book, the cheaper it should be.
2. Shop around
You don’t have to park at the official airport car park as there are lots of independent off-site car parks offering good deals. Fortunately, there are a number of websites which will search for the best airport parking deals for you (both on-site and off-site). It’s best to try a couple of these as there may be the odd exclusive deal. Two to try are travelsupermarket.com and holidayextras.co.uk. When booking, be mindful of the bus transfer time to the terminal as well as the security level of your car park. Sometimes the official onsite car parks are only a few pounds more expensive than the off-site car parks but are much more convenient.
3. Consider staying in a hotel with free parking
Your holiday can start a day earlier by staying overnight at a hotel the day before your flight. As strange as it may seem, staying overnight before your flight in a hotel on-site or nearby, can work out cheaper as some include parking for the length of your holiday. I often do this. You can search for these deals again on travelsupermarket.com and holidayextras.co.uk. It is also worth checking directly with the onsite hotels to see if there are any special deals.
4. Park on someone’s drive
JustPark.com can help you find people who have a space on their drive for you to park while you are away. This is the ultimate way to save money as some homeowners only charge small amounts, and some even include airport transfers. You will of course need to price up your travel to the airport from the parking space (and back) and we recommend doing this before booking to ensure the total is cheaper than parking at the airport.
5. Make sure you are happy with the cancellation policy before booking
"Non-flexible" deals where you can't amend or cancel the booking are generally the cheapest. If you are booking a more flexible deal, while saving money may be a priority, make sure you are happy with the cancellation policy of the car park. Often it will cost you to cancel your booking at short notice but some car parks may offer a ‘cancellation waiver’ for a small fee, added on to the original cost, which will give you the right to cancel at short notice.
6. Look out for discounts and promo codes
Airport parking providers such as Purple Parking and APH offers discounts to Blue Light Card holders and students can also benefit from discounted parking with providers such as Holiday Extras as well as Purple Parking. If you are a member of a frequent flyer scheme there may be exclusive promotions on offer, for example British Airways Executive Club Members can earn 5 Avios points per £1 spent when booking their airport parking with ParkVia.
How to avoid terminal drop-off fees
Many UK airports now charge a fee for dropping passengers directly outside the terminal buildings. For instance, a brief drop-off currently costs £5.50 at Manchester Airport and £10 at London Gatwick. To bypass these fees, look for the airports' designated free drop-off area which will generally be off-site or in a Long Stay car park. These alternative facilities typically offer a complimentary parking period for short stays and provide a free shuttle bus service directly to the terminal. For example, there is an Airport Waiting Zone at Newcastle airport which offers 90 minutes free parking and Bristol airport has an off-site waiting zone with free parking for an hour.
(You can browse all of our other travel money tips by clicking here).
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