A frequent flyer is saving up to £70 per year in airport parking fees by taking advantage of an under-the-radar hack. Rosie Canale, a regular traveller from Leeds, has revealed her simple tip to save on car park fees at UK airports, with every passenger able to save.
Airport parking is one of the biggest hidden fees, with passengers expecting to pay as much as £35 to ££40 per day, driving an extra £200 plus onto a one-week holiday. The fees are a massive blow for holidaymakers, with frequent travellers most affected.
Rosie, who admits to getting away up to seven times per year, revealed that pre-booking parking as soon as possible was crucial to saving money.
Rosie said: “Airport parking is part of the total cost of the trip for me. It’s not just the flight anymore – it’s seats, luggage and parking as well.
If parking is free to cancel, I don’t see the harm in locking in a price early. Sometimes I know when I’m going away before I’ve fully decided where I’m going, so getting the parking sorted helps me understand the full cost of the trip. The flight might look cheap, but once you add luggage, seats and parking, the real price can look very different.”
Experts at YourParkingSpace told Express.co.uk that pre-booking a parking space can help road users save £10 per stay. Over the course of seven trips, the saving means individuals such as Rosie would save up to £70 per annum.
A recent study by the RAC found that drop-off fees at some of the UK’s biggest airports had increased by up to one third when compared with last summer. Some terminals had increased costs by up to £3, with 16 of the 20 parking zones checked by the RAC affected by price hikes.
New research conducted by YourParkingSpace has revealed that almost half (46%) of travellers have left a parking booking until the final 24 hours at least once. Just one in three (30%) check how long it takes to walk from the car park to the terminal, with some bays located up to half an hour or more away.
Larne O’Donoghue, spokesperson for experts at YourParkingSpace, added: “Airport parking is one of those jobs that can seem small until the day itself.
“If you are driving around looking for a space, trying to find the right entrance or working out how long it will take to reach the terminal, it can quickly set the wrong tone for the start of a holiday.
“I would encourage flyers to sort the details before you leave home, and airport parking becomes one less thing to think about when you should be getting excited for the trip.”