The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
The airports where you’ll pay most for hidden extras
From speedy security to plastic bags, UK airports are finding new ways to make some extra money, says Greg Dickinson
Airlines are known for charging for add-ons, from extra luggage to in-flight entertainment. A certain Irish carrier was once rumoured to be considering a charge to use the bathroom (an add-on which, thankfully, never surfaced). Now the UK’s airports are at it, too.
The most common airport add-ons include a fast-lane ticket at security, access to a speedy lane at passport control, a plastic bag for liquids at the X-ray security scanners, and the privilege of being dropped off by car at the airport.
After crunching the numbers, we can see that London City is the only UK airport that doesn’t charge for any of the above add-ons, relying instead on its overall service.
It seems to be paying off. In an investigation run by Telegraph Travel in 2022, London City came out as the best airport when assessed across 16 categories including delays, Wi-Fi access, distance to city centre, and punctuality.
Stansted is the airport that charges the most for add-ons. If you include things like fast-track security, plastic bags and parking charges, a passenger would have to pay £23 to pass through the airport with the least possible stress. Gatwick is hot on Stansted’s heels, charging £20 for its add-on services. So how do the add-ons work, and are they worth it?
Fast-track security
Of the UK’s 15 biggest airports, 13 offer the ability to pay for fast-track security. This is nothing new. Some airports, such as Stansted, have offered such a service for more than 20 years. The price of speedy security ranges from £5 (Aberdeen, Liverpool, Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester, Gatwick) to £8 (Stansted).
However, consumer magazine Which? questions whether the service is worth it: “Not only is fast-track usually not worth the money, but when we looked at the terms and conditions of using the lane, many airports don’t even guarantee that fast-track queues will be quicker,” said Trevor Baker of Which?.
On October 3, Heathrow Airport launched a six-month trial which allows passengers flying with American Airlines, Delta, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic through Terminal 3 to book a free slot at security for additional peace of mind.
Mark Powell, the operational planning director at Heathrow, said: “This new trial will give passengers that extra added bit of certainty and reassurance ahead of their journey and we think it will be particularly popular for those with families, or nervous travellers who may want a bit more confidence in their journeys.”
Luton Airport said it is planning a similar trial later this month, whereby passengers can book a slot at security, to run alongside their existing fast-track security lane (£6). Some major international airports, including JFK and Frankfurt, also offer the ability to book a slot at security free of charge.
The only airport of the UK’s top 15 that does not offer a speedy security service is London City Airport. In April 2023, City became the first major UK airport to deploy next-generation CT security scanners, meaning that passengers no longer need to remove liquids from their bags. The scanners allow the airport to process 30 per cent more passengers per hour, due to the reduction in trays used.
A spokesperson said: “Since the new CT security scanners have been introduced at London City Airport, we’ve seen a 50 per cent reduction in average security journey times and improved passenger feedback.”
Speedy passport control
A chance to jump the queue at passport control is offered at six of the UK’s 15 biggest airports. The measure was controversial when it was first mooted, back in 2016, with unions calling it a “gimmick” and evidence of the Government’s failure to adequately fund border control.
East Midlands has the cheapest speedy passport queue, at £5, while Stansted charges £8 and Gatwick sells spots in the fast lane for £10. But the majority of airports do not operate a fast lane for arrivals at passport control.
Since the introduction of electronic passport gates (eGates), the passport control process has sped up across UK airports. There are 270 eGates across 15 air and rail ports in the UK, which are available to all British and EU passengers who have a biometric passport and are aged 10 or over.
Plastic bags
There was a backlash when airports began charging for plastic bags at security. “It’s not that it’s much money, it’s the principle,” one Janine Martin told the Daily Mail, way back in 2007, when Luton Airport started charging passengers £1 for four plastic bags.
Luton no longer charges passengers for these essential items, and indeed the heyday of paying for plastic bags at airports is now over. But some do still charge.
Of the UK’s 15 biggest airports, Liverpool and Newcastle airports charge £1 for a plastic bag at security. The others offer these for nothing, except for London City Airport which no longer requires passengers to remove liquids from their bags at all. By June 2024, all UK airports will have the new CT scanners which should spell an end for the need for plastic bags at security (although you may well need bags for your return flight from an overseas airport).
Airport drop-off
Of the UK’s 15 biggest airports, only two let passengers hop out at a drop-off area free of charge within a short walk of the terminal: these are London City Airport and Birmingham. London City allows this on the grounds that cars are not left unattended, and Birmingham Airport has a 10-minute limit at its drop-off area, after which you pay £3 for up to 15 minutes, rising to £40 for an hour. Luton Airport also has a free drop-off zone for up to 15 minutes, although it is in the mid-stay car park, which is a 10-minute walk away from the terminal.
All of the other airports charge for drop-off, ranging from £4 at Edinburgh and Newcastle to £7 for 15 minutes at Stansted Airport.
A note on airport lounges
While we did not include airport lounges in our price analysis (given that it is not, really, an “add-on” but a luxury), we did take a look at the starting price of lounge access at the UK’s 15 biggest airports.
Newcastle’s is the most expensive, charging £39.99 for access to its Aspire Lounge. Glasgow’s Upper Deck Lounge (£29) and Bristol’s Escape Lounge (£29.99) are two of the cheaper options. Note that the prices vary, depending on the time and day of access.
The only airport in our study that does not offer a lounge is London City Airport, which is currently investing in the overall quality of its departures terminal: “LCY is almost close to completing a £12million investment programme to modernise the airport’s departure lounge, which will see more seating, two new stylish dining experiences, a duty-free expansion, new retail space, more washrooms and a brand-new look and feel throughout,” a spokesperson said.