Manchester Airport, now charging to drop off / pick up passengers

[Justin Smith 10]

We went through Manchester airport today and saw loads of newly installed barriers on the exits to the terminals. On asking the driver of our car park shuttle bus what they were for he said that everyone picking up or dropping off passengers "will now be charged three or four pounds". I was incredulous, but the remembered that Manchester airport have form about brazenly extracting money from passengers, they charge £1 (non refundable) for the use of their luggage trollies....

 

Aren`t Manchester airport playing a but of a dangerous game here ?

Leeds Bradford airport allows an hour free parking.

Now the Rossington relief road is finished Doncaster airport is significantly more convenient for everyone living in Sheffield. All they need is more flights and we`d rather not use Manchester ever again, particularly as it`d mean we`d no longer have to drive through Mottram, one of the worst stretches of road for (stressful) traffic queues anywhere.

 

Hopefully Manchester Airport will pay for their greed....

Edited April 14, 2019 by Justin Smith

[taxman 12]

Lots of airports do this. Doncaster charges £2. Anything to make money.

[Vannguard 10]

Manchester airport have been charging for quite a while. for dropping off and picking up.  made dropping off people easier now though. but most airports do it, Leeds Bradford charge as well and they have been doing it longer than Manchester. 

[ECCOnoob 1,020]

What greed?    They are a business.  

 

People can either use the free drop off facility provided or if they CHOOSE the convenience of dropping off at the terminal door they pay for it.

 

Airports costs money to run.   Operations and Security staff dont work for brass washers.  Large numbers of vehicles flooding the road systems costs time and expense to control.     Not exactly some great conspiracy.   

 

Its exactly the same with baggage trolleys.  They cost money to buy, repair, collect and distribute.   Given increasing numbers of people have rolling baggage these days, its not surprising that they put increases on their charges.     I cant remember the last time I had to use a baggage trolley. 

 

Given Manchester already has a range of far flung destinations which Doncaster and Leeds are decades away from obtaining - I dont think they will be too worried.     Besides, tick tock tick tock before the others follow suit.     As Taxman says Doncaster and many others are already doing this. 

[Mossway 15]

As ECCOnoob says, there’s a free drop off and it’s on Thorley Lane for cheapskates.

It means a bit of a wait for the free bus ....but the bus is free.

Used it recently -no problem.

 

[Vannguard 10]

8 hours ago, Mossway said:

As ECCOnoob says, there’s a free drop off and it’s on Thorley Lane for cheapskates.

It means a bit of a wait for the free bus ....but the bus is free.

Used it recently -no problem.

 

how long is the bus ride from the car park to the terminal?

[Cyclone 10]

16 hours ago, Justin Smith said:

We went through Manchester airport today and saw loads of newly installed barriers on the exits to the terminals. On asking the driver of our car park shuttle bus what they were for he said that everyone picking up or dropping off passengers "will now be charged three or four pounds". I was incredulous, but the remembered that Manchester airport have form about brazenly extracting money from passengers, they charge £1 (non refundable) for the use of their luggage trollies....

 

Aren`t Manchester airport playing a but of a dangerous game here ?

Leeds Bradford airport allows an hour free parking.

Now the Rossington relief road is finished Doncaster airport is significantly more convenient for everyone living in Sheffield. All they need is more flights and we`d rather not use Manchester ever again, particularly as it`d mean we`d no longer have to drive through Mottram, one of the worst stretches of road for (stressful) traffic queues anywhere.

 

Hopefully Manchester Airport will pay for their greed....

This was in the national news a year or so ago.  It's fairly outrageous IMO to charge £3 minimum to just drop someone off.

10 hours ago, Mossway said:

As ECCOnoob says, there’s a free drop off and it’s on Thorley Lane for cheapskates.

It means a bit of a wait for the free bus ....but the bus is free.

Used it recently -no problem.

 

Is it sign posted at all?  I've never heard of it before.

14 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

What greed?    They are a business.  

 

Businesses run the railways as well, but you can drop off and pick up for free.

Businesses run meadowhall, but you can park for hours for free.

 

It's weird how people are okay paying for something like a flight, and upset at paying for using a bit of tarmac for 30 seconds to unload customers who ARE ALREADY PAYING for a flight.

[Justin Smith 10]

15 hours ago, Vannguard said:

Manchester airport have been charging for quite a while. for dropping off and picking up.  made dropping off people easier now though. but most airports do it, Leeds Bradford charge as well and they have been doing it longer than Manchester. 

I`m talking about just picking up a passenger, not actually parking and leaving your car. But, on that point, Leeds Bradford airport give an hours free parking, which we used when we called in there to recce it before using the airport the following month. I`ve not actually picked up a passenger at Donny, but have visited it recently, and, as far as I could tell, there`s nothing to stop you parking briefly to pick up a passenger (as opposed to getting out and leaving your car parked up).

Most people have mobiles these days so it`d be quite easy to just briefly stop to pick up a passenger without leaving ones car unoccupied.

Edited April 15, 2019 by Justin Smith

[willman 10]

2 hours ago, Justin Smith said:

I`m talking about just picking up a passenger, not actually parking and leaving your car. But, on that point, Leeds Bradford airport give an hours free parking, which we used when we called in there to recce it before using the airport the following month. I`ve not actually picked up a passenger at Donny, but have visited it recently, and, as far as I could tell, there`s nothing to stop you parking briefly to pick up a passenger (as opposed to getting out and leaving your car parked up).

Most people have mobiles these days so it`d be quite easy to just briefly stop to pick up a passenger without leaving ones car unoccupied.

I'm sure thats the point - people don't just pick someone up. They have historically turned up 10 minutes or so early and sat with the engine running, i've done it in the dim and distant past and i've seen it loads of times when i'm collecting work colleagues. Manchester had free parking the last time i collected someone, may only have been 30 minutes i think  and it meant walking across to the terminal but hey ho it isn't meant to be convenient just for me.

[Chez2 10]

2 hours ago, Justin Smith said:

I`m talking about just picking up a passenger, not actually parking and leaving your car. But, on that point, Leeds Bradford airport give an hours free parking, which we used when we called in there to recce it before using the airport the following month. I`ve not actually picked up a passenger at Donny, but have visited it recently, and, as far as I could tell, there`s nothing to stop you parking briefly to pick up a passenger (as opposed to getting out and leaving your car parked up).

Most people have mobiles these days so it`d be quite easy to just briefly stop to pick up a passenger without leaving ones car unoccupied.

You can drive in at Doncaster but the barrier may not open to exit for the same low fee if you stay a while in the drop off bay. We haven't been dropped off at Machester for quite a few years, not since the taxi driver fell asleep at the wheel. I never thought we were going to make it there alive!

 

We fly twice a year; usually once from Manchester, once from Doncaster but price, dates and times of flights means sometimes one is favoured over the other. If we have a really early flight from Manchester we prefer to stay in the Radisson Blu, check the cases in the night before £5 charge per bag.  You can walk over the covered walk way in the morning.  It adds to the price but if the flight is cheaper than from Doncaster it comes down to flight times.

 

Charging for drop off and pick up isn't new. I remember it coming in at East Midlands many years ago.

[Horror 10]

11 hours ago, Vannguard said:

how long is the bus ride from the car park to the terminal?

about every 15 mins

[Cyclone 10]

6 hours ago, willman said:

I'm sure thats the point - people don't just pick someone up. They have historically turned up 10 minutes or so early and sat with the engine running, i've done it in the dim and distant past and i've seen it loads of times when i'm collecting work colleagues. Manchester had free parking the last time i collected someone, may only have been 30 minutes i think  and it meant walking across to the terminal but hey ho it isn't meant to be convenient just for me.

It doesn't now.