If you’re fed up having to out fork out cash simply to drop someone off at the airport, an expert from Which? may have just the cost-cutting solution you need. “Airport drop-off charges can sneak up on you, but there are ways to avoid paying more than you need to,” she explained in a TikTok video.
A five-minute stay at Manchester Airport’s Terminals 1-3 will set you back £5, for 10 minutes it’s £6.40, while up to half an hour results in a hefty £25 bill. At London Gatwick, meanwhile, there is a minimum £10 charge to use the designated drop-off zones in the North and South Terminals. Most airports require these charges to be paid before midnight the following day.
The Which? expert continued in in her clip: “Something I never knew before I worked at Which? is that you don’t actually have to pay to drop off someone at the airport, because most of them have free options.” She also acknowledged that certain airports “don’t even have barriers”, making it remarkably easy to forget that a charge has been incurred – potentially landing you with a penalty notice as a result.
“Doing so, you could face up to a £100 charge,” the expert warned, which is indeed the case at Manchester and Gatwick. Fortunately, all major UK airports offer free alternatives, she advised.
“Sometimes they may be a quick bus ride, other times it’s just a five-minute walk,” the said. “But please make sure you plan in that extra time for your travel so you can get your loved ones to their flight without the stress or the extra charges.”
Writing in response, one TikTok user raged: “Why should you ever have to pay to drop or pick up someone off at the airport? It is not a thing in any other country I have ever visited.”
One UK airport to introduce a barrierless system is Manchester. In operation since March 2025, it is described by airport chiefs as “just one of the many ways we are working to improve your travel experience”.
The airport’s website states: “The barrierless system will streamline the drop-off and pick-up process, making it quicker, more convenient, and stress-free. You will no longer need to stop at a barrier.
“Instead, you can drive straight through a Drop Off or Pick Up area and pay your charges remotely. This change will significantly reduce waiting times, improve traffic flow, and enhance the overall passenger experience at Manchester Airport. The system is similar to those in operation at other airports and in settings like tunnels, toll roads, and bridges you may have used.”
Like Manchester, Gatwick, East Midlands and Birmingham (BHX) are also now using barrierless system, incorporating Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) for faster drop-offs.
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