8 airport rip-offs and how to avoid them

Travelling away from a UK airport should be exciting, but it’s often fraught with unexpected charges and costs – all eating into your holiday budget before you’ve even made it to the runway.

From extortionate drop-off charges to overpriced food, we’ve rounded up eight of the biggest airport rip-offs you can be stung by and reveal how to get around them.

Rip-off #1: Drop-off charges

Think you’re saving money by avoiding taxis and airport parking charges when getting a lift to the airport? You’ll be surprised how many airports charge just to drop-off outside.

Gatwick is the latest UK airport to increase its drop-off fee, charging £6 for 10 minutes as of January 2024. Other London airports are similarly high, with Stansted charging an eye-watering £7 for a 15-minute drop off period. Birmingham will prise £4 from you; Norwich, Edinburgh, Heathrow, Liverpool, Luton and Bristol all cost £5; while Leeds Bradford charges £6.50 for 10 minutes. Fly from Manchester, and you’ll only get a five-minute drop-off window for your fiver. Elsewhere, Teesside is more generous, offering 10 minutes for £2.50.

In fact, of the twenty UK airports we checked, only two will let you drop-off outside the terminal for free – London City and Cardiff.

Be warned, too, that hanging around in any of these ‘drop zones’ can make your parking charges rocket. Stansted’s charge escalates to £25 if you go over 15 minutes while Liverpool will take £10 once you hit twenty minutes.

However, all airports offer free alternatives with specific car parks detailed on their websites. These are usually long stay, with a bus ride or long walk to the terminal, so do your research online before arriving. It’s worth mentioning, though, that anyone who has mobility issues can still drop-off close to the terminal. You’ll find details online for each airport.

Another alternative is to drive yourself to the airport and park up. But do ensure you pre-buy your parking online in advance to get the best deal.

Rip-off #2: FastTrack fees

In a hurry? FastTrack is no longer the preserve of the business class passenger. Many airports now offer this time-saving service for a fee. Stansted charges £8 per person; at Edinburgh and Norwich it's £7. Glasgow asks for just a penny less at £6.99, while Gatwick, Bristol and Newcastle charge £6. Birmingham and Liverpool meanwhile, want a fiver. Buy directly at the airport and you’ll face even higher charges, with Gatwick jumping to £8 and Birmingham charging £7.50 when you pay at the desk.

The same goes for FastTrack passport control, too. Gatwick, Manchester, East Midlands, Birmingham, Stansted and Edinburgh all offer the service, charging between £5 (East Midlands) to £9 (Gatwick) per person to avoid those frustrating queues that can build up on arrival. But, think, is the charge actually worth it in the long run?

If this is a must for you, tickets are best bought online in advance to make the most of discounted prices. At some airports it’s possible to get FastTrack tickets as part of packaged rates with lounge access and airport parking in a mega deal. Compare prices here to find the best deal for you.

Rip-off #3: Food and drink

If you’re planning on eating at the airport, expensive food and drink costs are hard to avoid. Even if you opt for a few snacks at one of the airport’s vendors, be prepared to pay premium prices. When we did a price check at Luton Airport in May 2024, we found that a Boots Meal Deal will set you back £4.99, while a Meal Deal from WHSmith will cost you £5.50. A WHSmith ‘Simply Ham’ sandwich alone comes in at £3 – far more than you’d expect to pay at your local supermarket.

Save money by bringing food from home. Solid items including sandwiches, crisps, fruit and biscuits are all able to pass through security. Remember you can’t take liquids over 100ml through, so avoid having to fork out for an overpriced bottle of water in the departure lounge by bringing a refillable bottle with you and using the free water fountains.

Rip-off #4: Shop prices

Food and drink aren’t the only overpriced purchases you’ll encounter at the airport. If you’re after a bargain from the duty free and airport shops, do a quick search on your smart phone to check online prices before buying, as great deals might not actually be the best ones available. You’ll soon confirm if you’re getting an airport bargain or not.

For example, we checked the price of a 100ml bottle of Gucci perfume at Luton Airport and found the savings were significant, costing £98.90 at duty free compared to £135 at Selfridges or £110 at a high-street store, highlighting the need to check prices before you buy.

Miniature toiletries such as shower gel, toothpaste and make-up remover are also notorious for price markups. One way to beat overpriced minis, and the 100ml liquid rule if you’re travelling with hand luggage only, is by making a click and collect order into a Boots or Superdrug at the airport you’re flying from, then simply collecting it after security. Just remember that you won’t be able to take any liquids over 100ml on the flight home, so only order full-sized items you’ll likely use the majority of, like sun cream and shampoo.

Rip-off #5: Last-minute currency

There is only one thing to advise you here. Don’t buy your travel money at the airport. Ever. You will pay as much as 10% more for your cash than by organising before you go. That’s the same as throwing £10 away for every £100 you change.

If you can, compare rates for home delivery and pick-up online before your holiday – MoneySavingExpert’s TravelMoneyMax tool will help you find the best deals. And if you’ve left it too late, always pre-book your money to collect at the airport to benefit from better rates than those on the day.

Rip-off #6: Wi-Fi charges

While each of the twenty UK airports we checked offers free wi-fi, the amount of access time without a charge varies from airport to airport.

Fly from Cardiff or Liverpool and you’ll only get 30 minutes of free wi-fi access before you’ll have to pay for continued usage – £3 per hour at Cardiff and £5 per hour at Liverpool. Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester all allow one hour’s free access, charging £5 thereafter, while elsewhere, the amount of free wi-fi ranges from one and a half hours at Gatwick to four hours at Luton and Stansted.

Some airports are more generous – Heathrow, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh all offer unlimited free wi-fi for their customers. However, it’s best not to rely on the airport wi-fi where possible. Avoid heavy internet usage at the airport by having all your essential travel documents either printed or downloaded on your phone in advance. Similarly, download any entertainment such as tv episodes or podcasts to your phone or iPad before you leave home.

If you’re dependent on airport internet access for work or are a frequent flyer, some airports have flat rates for wi-fi usage which can offer better value for money. Stansted has a flat fee of £9 a day for wi-fi access (following the allowance of four free hours), while Gatwick offers a monthly rate for £9.95.

Rip-off #7: Excess baggage fees

Being hit with last-minute baggage fees because you’ve gone over your airline’s checked luggage weight limit is the last thing you want at the airport, especially when the charges can quickly add up. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, for example, both charge £65 per bag for overweight items, while Emirates can charge up to $50 for every kilo over the allocated weight limit.

The easiest way to avoid excess baggage fees is to pack sensibly and weigh your bag before you depart for the airport to make sure you’re within the specified limit. Wear any bulky items on the plane (think coats and boots) and avoid using up precious weight with heavy electricals or books.

If going over your allowance is unavoidable, book extra hold luggage online in advance – it can be up to 50% cheaper than buying at the airport.

Rip-off #8: Unexpected extras

Be aware that some airport fundamentals that you’d assume to be free can cost you at certain airports.

Only six of the twenty airports we researched provide free luggage trolleys to transport your bags. Heathrow remains free, along with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Newcastle and Norwich. Luton, Bristol and Birmingham, however, want £2 per trolley, while Manchester, Southend and Belfast International all charge £1. For many of these airports, you’ll need coins with you on arrival to use, so if you can, avoid the charge and invest in luggage with wheels.

That essential plastic liquid bag for your hand luggage toiletries can cost you, too. While most airports now provide these for free, a few airports still charge for these, such as Newcastle and Liverpool, where a bag costs £1. You can bring a clear plastic freezer bag from home as an alternative – it should be sealable and a maximum of 20cm x 20cm in size.

Travelling through Norwich airport? You have our pity – expect an additional charge of £10 for each passenger over the age of 15. It's part of an 'Airport Development Fee', and unfortunately, it’s one charge you can’t avoid unless you want to fly from elsewhere. On a brighter note, a similar fee charged at Teesside was abolished in 2021.

Please note: All prices are based on those at 20 of the most popular UK airports in May 2024. All prices were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.