When booking a holiday from Luton airport the fun part is choosing the destination, booking the flights and accommodation, everything else seems like a chore. But it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the holiday and neglect important aspects which could end up costing you extra. One of these key areas is airport parking.
The huge availability of Luton parking bays early in the season means you may find your parking cheaper - you should also have more parking options available to you the earlier you book. As the holiday season approaches and airport parking bays are booked, the number of parking spaces available decreases and quite often the price increases. So it really does make sense to book your Luton parking early, and if nothing else, it’s just one less thing to panic about nearer the day.
So where do you start when booking Luton airport parking (http://www.lutonairportinformation.co.uk/luton-airport-GET-parking-price-checker.php) when there are so many options available? At Luton airport there is on-site parking, off-site parking and meet and greet parking.
With on-site parking the options are short-, mid- or long-term. Short-term parking is exactly that, short-term, designed for passenger drop-off and pick-up. An hourly-rate is usually charged for the first day of parking and daily rates thereafter. Short-term parking is suitable for parking up to four hours, any longer and it is usually cheaper to pay a daily rate in the long-term car park. A word of warning: the daily rate in the short-term car park is significantly more expensive than the long-term. There have been cases where travellers have inadvertently parked in the short-term car park and faced huge parking bills when they got back, sometimes more than the cost of their flights!
Pre-booking stays of five days or more in the short-term car park is significantly cheaper than paying the gate rate - usually savings of around 50% can be made. The short-term car park is situated within walking distance from the airport terminal and, although the parking charges are more expensive than mid- or long-term parking, some travellers may regard the convenience of parking so close to be worth the additional charge.
On-site, mid-term parking is situated a short bus journey from the terminal (about half a mile). Parking charges here are cheaper than the short-term but more expensive than the long-term parks.
On-site, long-term parking is for travellers who require parking for an extended break, parking fees are cheaper than the short- and mid-term, but generally more expensive than the off-site car parks. Car parking is charged on a daily rate, so if you are just picking up or dropping off a passenger, and will only be at the airport for a couple of hours, it is advisable to use the short-stay car park where you will be charged by the hour and not the day.
Off-site parking is organised at off-airport car parks between five and 15 minutes from the airport with shuttle buses operating to and from the airport. To park at an off-site car park, drive to the car park, leave your car, and catch a shuttle bus to the airport terminal. On your return catch a shuttle bus back to your off-site car park.
If you have large sporting equipment such as a bike, ski equipment, surf or windsurfing board, it is worth checking in advance with your off-site parking operator to ensure it can accommodated on their shuttle bus. Likewise, if you have a large vehicle or trailer check that the car park can accommodate your vehicle – an excess charge will probably be levied.
Parking fees are generally lower for off-site parking spaces, but some specify a minimum duration for parking, so it’s worth checking prior to booking.
Finally, Luton meet and greet parking, or valet parking as it is sometimes known, is parking where you are not required to park your car, you simply drive right up to the airport terminal where a meet and greet driver is waiting to meet you and take your car to the meet and greet car park. Once your baggage has been unloaded you are free to walk straight into the airport terminal. This is an ultra-convenient type of parking and particularly suitable for travellers with children, travellers with limited mobility, business travellers short on time, or travellers on activity holidays with heavy or over-sized sports equipment.
On return from your flight, travellers are requested to call the meet and greet operator from baggage reclaim so that when they exit the terminal their car will be there waiting for them, warmed up and ready to go!
Car valeting and cleaning is often available with the meet and greet option, so if you fancy coming home to a clean car check the services available with your operator.
With all the above options it really is down to you to decide which to choose, but whatever you do decide it really is better to book your parking when you book your holiday with a Luton airport parking price comparison (http://www.lutonairportinformation.co.uk/luton-airport-GET-parking-price-checker.php) site to obtain the best possible price. If you are booking off-site parking, make sure you have the directions to it and a contact number when setting out to avoid wasting valuable time driving around when you should be checking in. If parking on-site, remember where and on which level you parked your car to avoid hassle, and embarrassment, when you return.
Paula Garrett is a frequent traveller. For more information on
Luton airport parking and Luton meet and greet check out the
Luton airport information.
