A Guide to Airport Pick-ups and Drop-offs 2022
Over the last two years, the challenges for drivers doing airport pick-ups and drop-offs have risen.
First, Covid rules and regulations came along. Most have been lifted by now, but they could change again at any time. And airport pickup charges have increased.
Lastly, due to the after-effects of the pandemic, there are increasing delays. This can make it hard to plan your schedule.
So, there are many reasons why pickups can be stressful and the best way to deal with this is to be prepared and know the latest updates and regulations.
Pickup charges
Pick-up charges cost the same or even more than drop-offs at most airports. But it varies. At Birmingham, you can pay as much as £50 for under an hour. Yet at Stansted, the first hour is free. This makes a big difference if you are waiting for late arrivals.
If you drive for Uber there’s no need to worry. They pay for all pickup charges and reserve for pick-ups, so make sure you know how this works.
At Heathrow, pickups have changed to the short stay car park, T5, for private hire and taxi drivers, Level 1 Row R.
Here’s a list of some of the other main airports’ fees:
- London Heathrow – £5 if you enter the pick-up area, no waiting
- London Stansted – £7 for 15 minutes
- London Gatwick – £5 for the first 10 minutes, an extra £1 a minute after that
- Manchester – £5 for 5 minutes and £6 for 10 minutes
- London Luton – £5 for 10 minutes
- Edinburgh – £4 for 5 minutes
- Birmingham – £6 an hour but you must use car park since there’s no pick-up area
- Bristol – £5 for 10 minutes
- Glasgow – £4 for 10 minutes
- Liverpool – £4 for 10 minutes
Covid 19 – new developments
All airport restrictions were lifted from 15 March 2022 in the UK , but things might change again due to a recent surge in cases.
Also, in the coming autumn and winter months a new upturn in cases is expected due to cooler weather, people being indoors more, and doors and windows more often being shut.
Long delays – what to do?
You can do a few things to prepare for the possibility of long delays at the airport. Being flexible with your pickup schedule is the most important. We know that delays will continue all summer, so you can expect to take much longer than usual to pick up passengers.
Arrive at the airport well-prepared. Bring food, drink, and anything else you might need for a long wait.
Research all possible free waiting zones at the airports you regularly pick riders up from. Whilst Uber does pay pick-up charges, it’s important to move to free parking if it’s available and you’re waiting a long time.
With all the difficulties, delays, and changes going on with airport pickups – is there any good news?
The answer is – yes. Due to rising fuel costs, more people are ditching their cars, and this could mean an increase in taxi demand.
In fact, there’s a taxi driver shortage from the West Country to Scotland. And there is evidence to show the need for more drivers will continue to grow over the next five years.
So, when it comes to pick-ups, despite the issues, there will always be plenty of passengers.
As long as you keep up with the latest new developments in charges, plane delays, and Covid rules, this is a great time to be a driver.
And whether you’re a seasoned pro or thinking about driving part-time, make sure you’ve got the right insurance cover. It’s easy to get a quote online with INSHUR, you can get one in less than 3 minutes, here.
Sources:
INSHUR Blogs:
Airport Pick Up & Drop Off Zones UK
Image: Adobe stock
