Gatwick's Goodbye Just Got Pricier: Drop-Off Fee Hits £7

First, it was £5. Then £6. Now Gatwick’s decided that dropping someone off deserves a £7 price tag, and if you linger too long, you’ll be paying more than the flight. It’s the kind of inflation that makes even airport coffee look like a bargain. Welcome to 2025.

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Another Pound, Another Pain

London Gatwick Airport has once again raised the cost of dropping someone off because nothing says “safe flight” like a £7 goodbye.

As of 2 May 2025, the minimum charge for using the drop-off zones at both the North and South Terminals is now £7 for up to 10 minutes. That’s up from £6, following a similar £1 jump back in January 2024. Yes, that’s two hikes in five months, faster than most people clear airport security.

Gatwick first introduced drop-off charges in March 2021, claiming (as if softening the blow) that “most UK airports have done this for many years.” But the rate of increase and the cost itself have travellers grumbling louder than a delayed Ryanair flight.

How the Charges Stack Up

Here’s how your wallet takes the hit:

£7 for stays up to 10 minutes
£1 per additional minute from 11 to 20 minutes
Max daily charge: £27
Max stay: 30 minutes
Payment due by midnight the following day
Tracked via ANPR cameras (don’t get cute, they see everything)

It’s not just about time. If you spend too long fiddling with luggage or saying an emotional goodbye, you’ll suddenly be charged more than the Wetherspoons breakfast inside the terminal.

Our forecourt drop-off charge is changing from 2 May. The minimum charge to use our designated drop-off zones will increase by £1 to £7. You can pay online, over the phone, or by setting up an AutoPay account. You can still drop off for free in the Long Stay car parks. Blue Badge… pic.twitter.com/OLRLeWJxf4

— London Gatwick LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) April 29, 2025

Free Drop-Off Options Do Exist (Sort Of)

Gatwick still offers free drop-off at its long-stay car parks if you’re allergic to paying for tarmac. A shuttle bus then takes your passengers to the terminal. It’s less convenient but a lot cheaper, especially for longer goodbyes or if you’re stuck in traffic.

Or skip the faff altogether: meet at a local train station and let Thameslink or Southern do the rest.

How It Compares

Gatwick’s new rate is on par with Stansted’s and notably higher than Heathrow’s, which currently charges £5 for drop-off. Luton also charges £5–£7, depending on stay length.

Manchester? Birmingham? Edinburgh? They all charge too. But Gatwick is now among the priciest for a drop-off, and with two hikes in one year, it’s starting to feel more like a cash cow than a convenience.

Verdict

We get it, airports need revenue, and drop-off zones are high-traffic areas. But the speed of the increases and the lack of viable alternatives for short, convenient goodbyes feel like a squeeze.

This isn’t about easing congestion or saving the planet; it’s about profit. And when £7 barely buys you 10 minutes of curb time, you have to wonder: what’s next? £10 for a hug?