Heathrow Airport Meet & Greet – Prices Up By £2.3m A Year
Written by Tim
Heathrow Airport adds parking levy to off-airport meet and greet operators
The charge, which adds around 12% to the typical parking costs for three days, is a flat-fee added to cover the cost of charges being levied on all off-airport Meet & Greet services for the use of forecourts at drop-off and designated collection areas within the short-term car parks. The fee has also started to be added to Stansted Meet & Greet off-airport services from December.
It means it is more important than ever for customers to get the best deal on airport parking.
You can avoid this additional charge by using the BAA Official Valet Parking service, but given this is one of the most expensive available, you would not really be saving anything. It just seems a shame that people are facing this hike in fees at a time when everyone is strapped for cash.
The fees were first added to car parking services back in the summer of last year, but have largely flown below the radar because the extra fee is usually included in the quoted prices that customers pay.
Based on our independent customer reviews on-site, BAA’s own Official Valet Parking Service has an 89% rating, behind six other providers – including the award-winning MBW Meet and Greet Parking and Heathrow Sky Super Saver both reaching a satisfaction rating of 90% or more.
These Meet & Greet services are typically used for trips of between three and eight days, so both holidaymakers, those looking for a romantic weekend away, and business travellers will be affected.
Heathrow’s figures released this month showed its retail income, which includes parking charges for both Heathrow and Stansted, had grown from £518.6m in 2011 to £541.7m in 2012.
