Is airport parking just obscenely expensive now?

hmm for birmingham Car Park 5 -flex plus for 3 weeks end of July 2023 - holiday season - Is £156.99.
10 minutes walk or get a transfer bus from the car park to the front door.
The longer you can book in advance the better the price normally
Valet parking is £212.

I get the same prices if booking for end of november for 3 weeks as well.

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Charlie Bravo said:
Apologies, I went digging for numbers after I wrote that and as you say, 'aviation' is indeed the biggest earner with car parking not far behind.

Looking at my employers Group Income Statement, aviation had an income of £179.9m in FY22 and car parking £126.7m.

Not a bad earner!
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Not a bad earner at all!
 
I park at Edinburgh a fair bit if I'm away for a few days with work. A taxi either way for me (from the other side of Edinburgh to the Airport) is about £30 (£60 there and back).
I can park the car in the Multi-Story next to the terminal, get Airport Security Fast-track and use the bridge straight into Security for about £70 for a few days - guess which one I choose.
 
chrismscotland said:
I park at Edinburgh a fair bit if I'm away for a few days with work. A taxi either way for me (from the other side of Edinburgh to the Airport) is about £30 (£60 there and back).
I can park the car in the Multi-Story next to the terminal, get Airport Security Fast-track and use the bridge straight into Security for about £70 for a few days - guess which one I choose.
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The fact that you knew about the details with the parking and security and bridge…kinda obvious?
 
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chrismscotland said:
I park at Edinburgh a fair bit if I'm away for a few days with work. A taxi either way for me (from the other side of Edinburgh to the Airport) is about £30 (£60 there and back).
I can park the car in the Multi-Story next to the terminal, get Airport Security Fast-track and use the bridge straight into Security for about £70 for a few days - guess which one I choose.
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I'd have taken the taxi, paid £6 or whatever it is for the fast track and took the little side door at the main entrance which takes you straight into security as well and been able to have a few drinks on the way home.
 
I don't know if it's still the case but nobody has mentioned cars being taken from the car parks and put elsewhere until you come back.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
I don't know if it's still the case but nobody has mentioned cars being taken from the car parks and put elsewhere until you come back.
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Yeah. I’ve parked in an airport car park like that. Park up next to a booth and they park your car for you and bring it back again close to when you need it. To be honest it was fine. And cheap. Cheaper than 2 of us travelling 100 miles each way without a car anyway. Even with a taxi driving neighbour.
 
OldKitMan said:
I'd have taken the taxi, paid £6 or whatever it is for the fast track and took the little side door at the main entrance which takes you straight into security as well and been able to have a few drinks on the way home.
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Yeah I know what you mean, I prefer to have a few drinks on the way back too, but not when I'm flying back into Edinburgh for 10AM!
 
Raymond Lin said:
That’s cheap…lol

I am looking at £170 for 11 days next march and I paid £132 for 3 days in August.
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Spending over £170 to park for 11 days is a lot, and I know you prefer Heathrow as you have mentioned that. Have you considered starting your flight locally and changing though?
Work out the time driving to the airport (Heathrow) and parking then getting to the airport terminal. Now look at a non-direct flight but leaving locally, obviously I have no idea where you live in the UK/world, but you'll find sometimes there are more competitive fares as well for the longer haul fights. Take your transit time to the local airport, and the extra time on a non-direct route and see how much time that adds, if any. It might work out £170 cheaper as well since no parking or fuel to pay for only the local airport transfer.
I try to fly from a local airport to a major EU hub, so CDG, FRA, AMS, MAD or ZRH etc. As a recently booked example London to Singapore was 13h direct, or 16h 20m with a change from BHX at CDG, but the flight was also £95 less, and the return leg was a similar time longer, that was a ~6am flight from BHX to CDG. So you have a 3h longer time, but no driving or parking etc.
 
Its crazy at EMA, they have to have a Parking Enforcement Camera van sat in the petrol station at the entrance to the airport, just before the barriers for the terminal, as people just end up clogging up the petrol station doing drop offs and pick ups.

It was fine when it was free for 10 mins, or even £1 for 10 mins for people doing drop offs.

Also, be careful about leaving your car in residential areas, people just dump their cars in my parents village, largely being inconsiderate muppets. Amazing the amount of times wing mirrors get clipped off when they do that.
 
Journey said:
Spending over £170 to park for 11 days is a lot, and I know you prefer Heathrow as you have mentioned that. Have you considered starting your flight locally and changing though?
Work out the time driving to the airport (Heathrow) and parking then getting to the airport terminal. Now look at a non-direct flight but leaving locally, obviously I have no idea where you live in the UK/world, but you'll find sometimes there are more competitive fares as well for the longer haul fights. Take your transit time to the local airport, and the extra time on a non-direct route and see how much time that adds, if any. It might work out £170 cheaper as well since no parking or fuel to pay for only the local airport transfer.
I try to fly from a local airport to a major EU hub, so CDG, FRA, AMS, MAD or ZRH etc. As a recently booked example London to Singapore was 13h direct, or 16h 20m with a change from BHX at CDG, but the flight was also £95 less, and the return leg was a similar time longer, that was a ~6am flight from BHX to CDG. So you have a 3h longer time, but no driving or parking etc.
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There are just more flights to the places that i go to from Heathrow.

For example, when it went to Ireland in August, I checked flights from Bristol, Birmingham and Heathrow. From Heathrow it was cheaper, with Air Lingus that has a larger carry on limit, which I need for my camera.

When I go to the Far East, there are just more flights from Heathrow too.

My next flight to Japan is actually 1 stop, in Helsinki. Direct flight cost pretty much the same but I booked a 1 stop in Prem Economy and only takes 2hrs longer. Plus mine will land before i can check into the hotel (about 11am) whereas the direct flights land in the evening, meaning i lose half a day.

Anyway, I do check flying from other hubs, for whatever reason, they never won me over.

I have been to the same car park so many times I actually have a favourite spot...before you ask, I take photos of where I park with the sign in the background to remind myself when I get back.

IN29vD9.png
 
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LHR earlier this year, 4 days in Denmark, the LHR long-term parking was more expensive than the flight!
And now there is a drop off free if you dare to get a lift to the airport. Skyway robbery!
 
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