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UK airport drop-off charges
Nearly every UK airport now charges to stop at the terminal. The average is £6.59 and it has climbed steeply since 2021. Here is what each one costs — and why none of it reaches your BluePick invoice.
On a booked transfer you do not pay any of this. The airport charge is built into the fixed fare we quote. No barrier, no app, no charge appearing days later.
Heathrow: the one people get caught by
Heathrow charges £7 per entry and has no barriers, with a 10-minute maximum stay now enforced in the drop-off zone. Nothing stops you driving out, so it is easy to forget — but payment is due by midnight the next day, and missing it brings an £80 parking charge. Heathrow also does not allow pick-ups in its drop-off zones at all. A car meeting an arrival has to use a car park, which is why "my friend will collect me" is rarely the saving it looks like once you count the parking and the waiting.
Every UK airport compared
| Airport | Fee | Time | Free alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| London GatwickLGW | £10 | 10 min | Long Stay car parks |
| London StanstedSTN | £10 | 15 min | Mid Stay car park |
| London LutonLTN | £9 | 12 min | Long Stay car park |
| EdinburghEDI | £8.5 | 10 min | Long Stay free zone |
| BristolBRS | £8.5 | 10 min | Waiting Zone |
| London CityLCY | £8 | 5 min | — |
| Leeds BradfordLBA | £8 | 10 min | One Hour Free Zone |
| BournemouthBOH | £8 | 30 min | — |
| London SouthendSEN | £8 | 10 min | — |
| ExeterEXT | £8 | 15 min | Car Park P4 |
| NorwichNWI | £8 | 20 min | — |
| London HeathrowLHR | £7 | 10 min max | Park & Ride car parks |
| BirminghamBHX | £7 | 15 min | Standard Drop Off car park |
| GlasgowGLA | £7 | 15 min | Long Stay car park |
| AberdeenABZ | £7 | 15 min | Long Stay car park |
| Liverpool John LennonLPL | £7 | 10 min | Drop-Off 2 |
| SouthamptonSOU | £7 | 20 min | — |
| NewcastleNCL | £6 | 10 min | Callerton Parkway |
| ManchesterMAN | £5.5 | 5 min | JetParks 1 free drop-off |
| East MidlandsEMA | £5 | 15 min | Long Stay 2 |
| Belfast InternationalBFS | £5 | 10 min | Long Stay car park |
| Cardiff WalesCWL | £4.5 | 10 min | Car Park 2 |
| Glasgow PrestwickPIK | £4.5 | 60 min | — |
| Belfast CityBHD | £4 | 10 min | Long Stay car park |
| InvernessINV | £3.9 | 30 min | Free Drop Off area |
| TeessideMME | £2.5 | 10 min | Café validation |
| City of DerryLDY | £1 | 20 min | — |
| Cornwall NewquayNQY | FREE | 10 min | West Car Park |
| HumbersideHUY | FREE | 15 min | Short Stay Car Park 1 |
Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton figures verified directly against each airport's own site on 2026-09-18. Gatwick, Stansted and Luton charge more if you stay past the bracket shown here (Gatwick: +£1/min to 20 min, £30 daily cap, 30 min hard limit; Stansted: £28 for 15–30 min, 30 min hard limit; Luton: +£1/min after 12 min, 30 min hard limit). Heathrow now enforces a 10-minute hard limit as well as the £7 charge. Remaining airports from Airport Drop-Off Charges, verified 2026-09-11, reused under CC BY 4.0. Airports change these without notice — confirm before you travel.
Common questions
Does BluePick charge me the airport drop-off fee?
No. The car park or drop-off charge is inside the fare we quote you. There is nothing to pay at a barrier and nothing added to your invoice afterwards.
Can someone pick me up in the Heathrow drop-off zone?
No. Heathrow does not permit pick-ups in its drop-off zones at all — a car meeting you has to use a car park. That is one reason a friend collecting you often costs more in time and parking than it first appears.
What happens if you forget to pay a Heathrow charge?
Heathrow is barrier-free, so there is nothing to stop you driving out. Payment is due by midnight the following day, and missing it brings an £80 parking charge, halved to £40 if paid within 14 days. On a booked transfer this is our problem, not yours.
Which UK airports are free to drop off at?
Only Cornwall Newquay and Humberside are genuinely free at the terminal. Birmingham keeps a free Standard Drop Off car park alongside its paid premium zone. Everywhere else, free means the long-stay car park and a shuttle.
Which airport is most expensive?
Gatwick and Stansted at £10. Per minute, London City is the worst in Britain — £8 buys five minutes, which works out at £1.60 a minute.