Airport parking could cost 300% more, holidaymakers warned
Holidaymakers who park at UK airports could be paying four times the price — or hundreds more — by not booking ahead, according to a new analysis.
Travellers could stand to save £150 on average with forward planning, consumer group Which? found after analysing prices at 16 airport car parks. It said the analysis reveals leaving it to the last minute can come with a "serious financial sting.”
The consumer group looked at the differences between the prices a traveller could expect to pay for a week’s stay in August on the day versus booking four months in advance.
In the most expensive case, Which? found travellers could pay as much as £583 on the day for a week of parking.
The biggest saving was at Manchester Airport's multi-storey car park, where paying on the day would cost you four times (327%) as much. A week's stay booked four months in advance was charged at £95, compared with a staggering £406 on the day of departure.
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At Heathrow booking four months in advance would cost £190 while paying on the day would cost £583 — an increase of 207%.
At Birmingham Airport you’d pay 161% more if booking on the day, taking the price from £150 to £392, and at Gatwick, you could pay 70% more, with the price rising from £106 when booked in advance to £180.
Alongside booking in advance to get the best possible price, Which? recommended comparing the cost of on-site and off-park parking.
Being further away and therefore less convenient, off-site parking is often assumed to be the cheapest option. However, when the consumer champion checked prices at 11 airports, it found that on four occasions the on-site option worked out cheaper.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “When you're planning a holiday, sorting out your airport parking can easily slip down your to-list, but our research found leaving it to the last minute can come with a serious financial sting.
"Take the time to shop around and compare the options on offer - comparison sites can be a great starting point - and book early wherever possible to lock in the best price. It’s also worth comparing off-site and onsite options, as further away doesn’t necessarily mean cheaper.”
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