Travel News · 4 min read · October 15, 2026

Drop-off Charges Are Under Review, but the Costliest Mistake Is Not the Headline Fee

Holiday Extras launches a free calculator showing the real cost of drop-off and pick-up, including what happens if you overstay, at every major UK airport.

Short on time? Let us summarise this release for you.

Holiday Extras has built a free drop-off and pick-up cost calculator covering every major UK airport, a day after the government confirmed it will review airport drop-off charges. RAC analysis shows average fees have risen by around a third since summer 2025, but Holiday Extras' analysis of airports' own published tariffs suggests the bigger risk is overstaying. At Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, a charge of £27 to £30 at the 30-minute mark becomes a Parking Charge Notice of £95 to £100 if a driver goes a minute over. Southend's cut-off is 10 minutes, and Manchester's Express Pick Up jumps from £6.60 to a flat £60 after 15 minutes. Other airports have no fine but an uncapped tariff, including Birmingham and Edinburgh, where a two-hour pick-up wait could cost roughly £120. At several airports, a single bad five minutes can cost as much as a week's pre-booked parking.

Holiday Extras has built a free drop-off and pick-up cost calculator covering every major UK airport, a day after the government confirmed it will review airport drop-off charges. Drivers choose an airport, enter how long they expect to be, and see the real cost, including what happens if things overrun, set against what the same trip would cost with pre-booked parking. The calculator is available now at holidayextras.com/drop-off-fees.html.

The Department for Transport confirmed the review on 14 October, saying it is "vital to ensure travel remains accessible and that passengers are treated fairly". It follows RAC analysis showing average drop-off fees at the UK's busiest airports have risen by around a third since summer 2025, with Gatwick and Stansted going from £7 to £10. The scope and timetable of the review have not yet been published.

Holiday Extras' analysis of airports' own published tariffs suggests the headline fee is only part of the story. At several airports, a short delay at drop-off or pick-up can turn a modest charge into a penalty that costs as much as a week's pre-booked parking.

Where the cliff edges are

• Gatwick, Stansted and Luton: a drop-off charge of £27 to £30 at the 30-minute mark is replaced by a Parking Charge Notice of £95 to £100 if a driver goes even a minute over.
• Southend: the cut-off is just 10 minutes, after which an £8 charge becomes a £100 fine.
• Manchester: Express Pick Up has a 15-minute limit, after which a £6.60 charge becomes a flat £60 overstay charge.
• Birmingham and Edinburgh: no fine, but an uncapped tariff that climbs quickly. Birmingham's Premium Set Down rises from £8 for 15 minutes to £61 by the one-hour mark, while at Edinburgh a two-hour pick-up wait could cost roughly £120 through the ordinary tariff alone.

At Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Leeds Bradford, Holiday Extras' typical price for a full week of pre-booked parking can come in at, or below, the cost of a single bad five minutes at the barrier.

Oliver Ashford, Holiday Extras, said: "We welcome the government's review and hope it brings more clarity for drivers. But the headline fee is only part of the picture. Most people know roughly what a drop-off costs when everything goes to plan. Far fewer know where the cliff edge sits if a flight is late or the goodbye runs long. We built the calculator so nobody has to find out at the barrier."

Drop-off remains the cheapest option for a genuinely quick goodbye at almost every UK airport, and Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Luton all offer a free alternative in their long-stay car parks for drivers willing to take a short shuttle transfer. Holiday Extras' advice is to treat any hard time limit as the absolute maximum, not the target, and to check the cost for your airport before you set off.

Notes to editors

• The Holiday Extras drop-off and pick-up calculator is free to use, needs no login and covers every major UK airport: holidayextras.com/drop-off-fees.html
• A companion guide with the full analysis is available at holidayextras.com/tips-and-advice/how-to-avoid-airport-drop-off-fees.html
• Tariff figures are taken from airports' own published drop-off and pick-up charges. [Confirm date tariffs were last checked before publishing.] Pre-booked parking comparisons use Holiday Extras' typical prices for a full week.
• Government review and RAC figures are from BBC News and the RAC, 14 October 2026.
• Airport-by-airport data, calculator screenshots and spokesperson interviews are available on request.

About Holiday Extras

Holiday Extras is the European market leader in airport parking, airport hotels, worldwide airport lounges, destination car hire, airport transfers and holiday insurance. Established in 1983, Holiday Extras helps more than 11 million travellers have a better holiday every year. Flextras ensures it is easy and free to cancel or change bookings. The company has been listed eleven times in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For.