Gatwick Drop Off Charges

[bruncher]

Train strikes today, so I drove my partner to Gatwick for her flight. I was aware that we would be charged £5 for the privilege of arriving at the airport. What I wasn't prepared for was being charged extra because the airport was so congested, and the extra time getting through being charged for. I suppose I'll pay and claim a refund, but technically are they within their rights to charge me more because of the congestion on their property? Maybe a legal rather than motoring question. The system is run by NCP.

We couldn't even pull over. 'Mrs Bruncher' had to disembark from the car whilst it was stationary in the driving lane. Needless to say, NCP don't offer a phone number, and emails are answered in 7 - 14 days, whereas the fee needs to be paid by midnight tomorrow.

Found a central customer service number we'll see. Grrrr!

[Lootman]

Given that Gatwick charges by the minute of overstay, I think it is fairly certain that they know this happens a lot and want to profit from their own lack of traffic management.

There was the strategy of dropping off at the nearby Shell garage, which works if you do not have heavy bags. But I am guessing that your missus would not be impressed and anyway, I think Shell have got wise and have started issuing tickets unless you also buy some chewing gum at the shop.

I am guessing that you cannot even access the hotels like the Premier Inn at the North terminal?

[bruncher]

Given that Gatwick charges by the minute of overstay, I think it is fairly certain that they know this happens a lot and want to profit from their own lack of traffic management.

There was the strategy of dropping off at the nearby Shell garage, which works if you do not have heavy bags. But I am guessing that your missus would not be impressed and anyway, I think Shell have got wise and have started issuing tickets unless you also buy some chewing gum at the shop.

I am guessing that you cannot even access the hotels like the Premier Inn at the North terminal?

I didn't try any of the possible alternatives. I understand discouraging cars at airports, but if I'm trying to leave the airport and being charged extra because the congestion isn't allowing me to, then there's a problem.

Their payment system doesn't allow me to reduce the payment to the minimum. The amount to pay field is automatically filled and can't be edited. Waiting on the phone now for 20 minutes. Fully expecting an automated message after an hour, telling me to call between 9 - 5 Monday to Friday.

[bruncher]

I take it all back, NCP are lovely people After 23 minutes on the phone a polite lady adjusted the charge downwards. Probably not worth 23 minutes of my life, but ....

[AF62]

I am guessing that you cannot even access the hotels like the Premier Inn at the North terminal?

Correct. Even if you stay there (which I have done many times) you have to pay.

Although slightly oddly you don’t pay if you use the official ’meet & greet’ service where you drop the car off at the short stay car park, but then it is just built into the price of the whole service.

The only free ways to drop off or pick up at Gatwick are -

- Use the long stay car parks where you can park for two hours and the person flying uses the shuttle bus.

- Have a Blue Badge, but even then you need to register it in advance.

- Or just don’t pay and rely on the fact that that the airport uses the airport bylaws in a dubious way to ‘enfocrce’ these charges but as those bylaws don’t follow the same legal process as the England and Wales private parking penalties it is damn difficult for them to take any action if you refuse to identify the driver - although obviously this isn’t a recommended route!

[Dicky99]

I take it all back, NCP are lovely people After 23 minutes on the phone a polite lady adjusted the charge downwards. Probably not worth 23 minutes of my life, but ....

Faith in human nature restored

[Leothebear]

Next will be a charge if you are thinking of going to the airport.

[bruncher]

Next will be a charge if you are thinking of going to the airport.

Or checkpoints (Just Stop Oil and XR) preventing you getting there.

[1nvest]

I'd previously done a couple of drive through drop-offs, paying the £5 amount via internet when I had returned home, but then figured that I'd rather pay the £8 short term car park charge where you get more time. Share the walk into departures and say your goodbye's in there, touch pay at the machines on the way out and not having to bother with doing the internet payment upon returning home.

For arrivals last time I incurred a £13 parking fee, over an hour wait time.

For the extra few-quid (£8 instead of £5) I'm happy to avoid the drive-through, if not only for it being/seeming a much more rushed farewell when using the drive-through.

[production100]

I take it all back, NCP are lovely people After 23 minutes on the phone a polite lady adjusted the charge downwards.

Of course this could just be their 'business model'.

Try it on and hope people do not complain. If they do complain be very polite and adjust the charge downwards. They probably do quite well with this system.