There are so many things to think about before travelling, that competition for airport parking will be low down on the list, if not overlooked completely. In fact, many people don’t think much about it until the day when they are often harassed and driving to the airport.
However, neglecting to research airport parking before you travel could end up costing you both time and money. You may factor in extra time in case of dreaded traffic delays, but you also have to account for time to find a free car parking space if you have not pre-booked. Furthermore, the fees to park your car at the airport can be ridiculously high and this can take a considerable amount out of your holiday budget.
A study by UK travel insurance provider Staysure was carried out in order to advise their customers on when is best to book your airport parking.
A surprising result for the UK’s quieter airports
You might assume that the quieter airports for parking are away from the high volume of travellers flying from capital cities and so choose to book your flight from a smaller airport for ease of parking. In fact, the study found that passengers are likely to face three times more competition for parking spaces at non-London airports, with three times more passengers looking for parking in comparison to those flying from a London airport.
If you are planning on flying from Bristol for example and looking to park your car, you will have to prepare for much more competition for a space - in fact, 1 in 10 flyers from Bristol airport are looking for parking - the highest frequency as compared to other top ten UK airports.
You might assume that Heathrow has a high level of competition for spaces as it is famously the second busiest airport in the world. However, while 3 out of every 5 people from 2017 flew from a London airport, it was found that not even 1 in 100 people flying at Heathrow are looking for airport parking. According to Google search data, Heathrow has the lowest percentage of flyers looking for parking in comparison to its passenger volume at just 0.83%.
If you are planning on travelling from Manchester airport and are researching car parking on the internet before you go, you are in good company. Manchester was found to have far more people searching for car parking than any other airport. The study estimates that 1 in 20 passengers flying through Manchester will be looking for airport parking and potentially competing for a space, whereas not even 1 in 100 people flying at Heathrow are looking for airport parking.
So what is the most popular airport to leave your car while you jump on your plane? In terms of popularity, Heathrow airport parking comes in as the sixth most popular location - a far cry from passenger numbers that pass through the airport. It comes in after airports such as Birmingham and Stansted.
How to save money on your airport parking
Alongside car parking competition, by comparing the cost of pre-booked airport parking across the UK, the study found London airports to be £15 more expensive than non-London airports to park at per week. If you have a choice of where you can fly from, you might want to take this into consideration.
On average, the study found that it's £3.70 more expensive per day to choose your airport car park last minute than pre-booking for a week. If you go away on a two week holiday, this all adds up to a substantial amount.
In reality, if you leave parking till the last minute and are booking on the day, then you should expect to pay an extra £30 on average as compared to on-the-day prices for non-London airports. When you translate these amounts into tangible things you could spend the savings on - a meal out, tickets to attractions in your holiday destination, or a treat from duty free - then you can see how worthwhile pre-booking your airport parking really is.
Researching and pre-booking your airport parking before you travel can lower car parking costs so that you will have more money to spend on your trip. Not only this, but reserving a space before you go will also avoid competition from other drivers and will provide you with more time to make your flight in good time.
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