Stansted Airport Pick Up & Drop Off NOT FREE!!!

[panchis]

I went to pick upa friend at Stansted last Friday and he was waiting for me just outside the airport, a bunch a parking staff with the usual antimidating look were telling off drivers to go to the lower area " 15mins FREE ". Don't be fooled, you will have to pay £1 at the barrier.

 

Its only £1 but the tactics of sending every car to this part which is signaled several times as free in not.

 

Want to complain but to who?? they are making thousands and noone will claim back £1.

[pin1onu]

I went to pick upa friend at Stansted last Friday and he was waiting for me just outside the airport, a bunch a parking staff with the usual antimidating look were telling off drivers to go to the lower area " 15mins FREE ". Don't be fooled, you will have to pay £1 at the barrier.

 

Its only £1 but the tactics of sending every car to this part which is signaled several times as free in not.

 

Want to complain but to who?? they are making thousands and noone will claim back £1.

I would suggest notifying the airport owner - BAA - initially and also trading standards. This amounts to obtaining money by deception.

[green_and_mean]

London Stansted Airport is conveniently situated just off the M11 - from London use Junction 8a or from Cambridge use Junction 8 and simply follow the signs on the roundabout for Stansted.

Drop off/pick up

 

For security reasons, private cars may not stop on the terminal forecourt for any purpose other than to set down passengers. Cars left unattended are liable to be towed away and a retrieval charge levied.

For parking duration of less than 15 minutes, please use the pick up area located opposite the terminal at 15 Minute Pick Up Car Park when meeting or collecting passengers.

Please note: a minimum £1 charge applies for stays of up to 15 minutes in the 15 Minute Pick Up Car Park. Penalty charges apply after 15 Minutes. If you believe your stay may be longer, please use one of the other short stay car parks at Stansted

[Tony P]

Stanstead was built and marketed as a convenient, cheaper 3rd airport for London because it was further away from the Capital. Land values were lower etc. etc.

 

Heathrow still allows free dropping off despite having a smaller landside public area to 'play with'. It also costs more to park longer term on what was fields at Stanstead than the far more metropolitan Heathrow.

 

And there is THAT speed camera on the M11.

[green_and_mean]

Stanstead was built and marketed as a convenient, cheaper 3rd airport for London because it was further away from the Capital. Land values were lower etc. etc.

 

Heathrow still allows free dropping off despite having a smaller landside public area to 'play with'. It also costs more to park longer term on what was fields at Stanstead than the far more metropolitan Heathrow.

 

And there is THAT speed camera on the M11.

 

Stanstead offers free dropping off, it's waiting to pick up that is charged for.

[Tony P]

I take the correction.

 

At my local airport, Heathrow, I usually collect friends in the drop off area. No waiting is involved as they phone when emerging from Customs. I am there in 10 minutes and they get straight into the car after loading bags in the boot.

Never had any hint of a problem about picking up like this at Terminals 1, 2 and 4 (Not used 3).

[Stang]

I am a taxi driver local to Stansted airport. There used to be a 15 minute free period but that disappeared with the car park revamp about a year ago. I spend about 800 Pounds a year in the car park at Stansted, never stay over an hour – it’s a tax on my business.

 

Twice I have been offered a ‘parking ticket’ from a red-faced, irate wardens and twice accepted the option of it being posted to me. Tickets were never received by me, and there has been no follow up. I recon that the forecourt is private land and the wardens are employed by the airport and cannot issue ‘real tickets’ only ‘McDonalds’ type invoices.

 

Furthermore, the airport owner routinely closes the forecourt late at night to all traffic other that Checker Cars (incumbent, monopoly holding private hire firm) and car park busses. There is never a notice published by the local authority warning of the same – which I think is required if any public road is to be closed or restricted.

 

Other observations. Checker Cars pick up their passengers from the forecourt, and I have yet to find an exemption for them in the highway code. Valet parking accept cars on the forecourt and sometimes leave them un-attended for ages; It is physically impossible to park in the pickup zone, walk to DOMESTIC arrivals to collect disoriented passengers, get back to the car and leave the car park within 15 minutes – so that cost 3 Pounds. Stay over 30 mins and that’ll cost you a fiver. Over 1 hour is 25 Pounds.

[darklemon]

I found the same thing the other day - what an outrage! If you leave your wallet at home then basically your passenger in stranded at the airport? Where can you collect them for free? What does anyone get for their 'extra' £1 spent?!

 

If someone knows of who to write too (BAA?) then post the address here and we should all write/call and complain.

[green_and_mean]

Looking at it from BAs point of view they do state on their website there is a charge. There is also the point of how long would they allow free to pick up? Airports are notorious for delays and if they allowed people to park free it would soon be jammed packed with cars. It would also be very unlikely you could arrive just as your passenger cleared baggage collection. Leaving your wallet at home is not really BAs problem, what would you do if you ran out of petrol or any other emmergency needing money?

[Bernie_the_Bolt]

Looking at it from BAs point of view they do state on their website there is a charge. There is also the point of how long would they allow free to pick up? Airports are notorious for delays and if they allowed people to park free it would soon be jammed packed with cars. It would also be very unlikely you could arrive just as your passenger cleared baggage collection. Leaving your wallet at home is not really BAs problem, what would you do if you ran out of petrol or any other emmergency needing money?

 

What's it go to do with BA?

[green_and_mean]

What's it go to do with BA?

 

I meant BAA forgot an A lol

[Bookworm]

There is also the point of how long would they allow free to pick up? Airports are notorious for delays and if they allowed people to park free it would soon be jammed packed with cars.

Stansted did it for years, and never seemed to find it a major problem before. You got in, you got a ticket with your time of arrival on it, if you were out before the 15 mns, free, if after 15 mns, pay.

It would also be very unlikely you could arrive just as your passenger cleared baggage collection.

Wrong. Checking with Teletext/Internet, you can find out the latest arrival information. Allow 1/2 hour from actual arrival time for disembarkment/luggage/customs etc and you'll usually be spot on, with very rare exceptions. People should NEVER make it for the actual flight arrival time, it's just a waste of time and money. ;-) And if by any chance, they have cleared faster, even better, they can meet you instead of you meeting them!

[green_and_mean]

Stansted did it for years, and never seemed to find it a major problem before. You got in, you got a ticket with your time of arrival on it, if you were out before the 15 mns, free, if after 15 mns, pay.

Wrong. Checking with Teletext/Internet, you can find out the latest arrival information. Allow 1/2 hour from actual arrival time for disembarkment/luggage/customs etc and you'll usually be spot on, with very rare exceptions. People should NEVER make it for the actual flight arrival time, it's just a waste of time and money. ;-) And if by any chance, they have cleared faster, even better, they can meet you instead of you meeting them!

 

I would think the point is that the 15 min pick up area is close by the terminal, if you allowed people to overstay 15 mins and then just pay everyone would park there out of convenience and not use the short stay car park, making the point of it being a pick up area pointless.

[Bookworm]

Actually, no, they're just next to one another. In fact, I suspect the short stay is actually marginally closer than the pick-up one. (which does make you wonder as to who can get in and out within 15 mns these days, but that's another story.)

[Alex Miles]

Apart from dashing in to the drop-off ramp and bundling in your passengers before some "jobsworth parking Gestapo" see's you there is no other way but to pay the £1.

 

BAA is now owned by The Spanish Company Grupo Ferrovial which had a profit in 2007 of Euro 800 million. They are laughing at us. If they dared try and do this is Spain (or anywhere else in the world) they would be an outcry. Being passive law abiding UK citizens we are easy targets.

 

You can complain to their website :

 

BAA Stansted airport

 

Any ideas to get round this tax please let me know

[Oslo9163]

My information is that Stansted Airport is private property. The roads outside have not been adopted by the local authority and the "traffic wardens" patrolling outside have no power to issue tickets. The double yellow lines have asolutely no meaning, and they do not allow the differentiation between dropping off and picking up.

 

The reason stated above by Green_and_mean quotes security. What nonsense. What are the security aspects that allow drop off but not pick up?

 

Now, I understand they do not want people turning up & parking for long periods whilst waiting for a flyer to come out of the terminal. But I have been harrassed by the traffic wardens while standing outside waiting for my lift to arrive. Which, frankly is not on. If there was a queue of cars waiting to fight their way in, and my collection was causing drop off delays or an obstruction I would understand. But I have never seen a queue.

 

By the way, if the traffic wardens were to enforce this rule on the Police (who, armed or otherwise, are not exempt from parking regulations) or the Checker Cars cabs that also stand in the same area then this would be a different story. But they don't.

 

My advice: If you are collecting a passenger who you know is going to be outside when you arrive, pick them up from the "drop off zone". If the passenger's arrival doesn't coincide with yours, expect to pay. (By the way, the traffic system around Stansted means you can circulate through the forecourt area for as long as your patience can stand it.)

 

Oh, and by the way, closure of a private road is one of those things you have to do to keep it private. Keeping it open all the time means that after a while there's an implied right of way and then you have to keep it open.

Edited April 29, 2009 by Oslo9163
addition of last para

[critical_thought]

Manchester also has a rip off GBP2 charge for 20 minutes and makes it extremely difficult to collect passengers. Write to the airport and complain, and also to your MP telling them you are being ripped off.

 

BAA seem to have a policy of fobbing passengers off - see this site for some examples listen to the people complaints and complaining get your voice heard

[Al27]

Yep, Manchester is a pain. They have barriers though, so you have no choice.

[Consumer001]

Guys just wanted to bring your attention to a company called

www.stanstedmeetandgreetparking.co.uk

who offer 'meet and greet' at Stansted Airport.

The meet and greet service was going well until I returned from holiday to find they had travelled 67 miles in my car.

When I asked them why this amount of mileage had been done they said it should have done 37 miles only but would not tell me where it had been parked for the weeks holiday.

37 miles is still an outrageous distance for someone to drive the car when's it supposed to be in a 'secure' storage facility.

Quite obvious that it had been used by the firm for the pleasure of driving the car.

They have offered no refund and the car only had a small amount of petrol when I got it back.

When I dug deeper into the company it's a 2 man operation and this behaviour is common practise by them.

Steer clear of this firm of cowboys.

[Towermouse]

Seems to be pa for the course with out of London Airports with Luton being one of the worst. Inadequate signposting at these air ports is also a problem.

[my-spirit-soars-free]

Birmingham airport has just done the same, free drop off/pick up has been quietly taken away and they now charge.

[hightail]

I got caught out at Birmingham. Fully understood the charge and had my £1 coin at the ready but foolishly thought using a drop off zone to drop off a single adult with only hand luggage would not necessitate me leaving my car. I'll apologise now to the 20+ cars which I held up as I couldn't pay on exit and was completely blocked at the barrier. I now know that dropping off means parking and leaving the car to find a payment machine. When I went to pick up the passenger a week later I got into conversation at a paying point and found others had made exactly the same mistake so at least I'm not the only one.

[dcx45]

New petition against the drop off charges as of 11 Nov 2012.

 

Look on the epetitions government website - petition 41499

[MrDampy]

Yes its all changed again!

The Terminal forecourt is now closed to vehicles, unless authorised, and there is now the Express Set Down, for a fee of £2.00 for 10 mins or £3.00 for 15 mins, Ive noticed there are Camera Cars going around at peak times, and a Tow-away truck in the area to tow your car away! release fee over £150 !

 

What is not well signposted is the Freed drop off at the Midstay carpark, which is 5 mins away by bus, Cost for this is First hour Free, then next Hour a £1, if everyone was to use that parking they would lose a lot of the revenue from the Parking Fines, and the Parking Fees!

 

I believe that Stansted is up for sale, just a suggestion, lets all chip in and buy it, then we can srap the Parking Fees!

[crem]

and a Tow-away truck in the area to tow your car away! release fee over £150 !

 

Surely the tow truck is illegal now since the freedoms bill came into law?