Driving to Gatwick

JNugent <not.telling@noparticularplacetogo.com> wrote:

> Steve Firth wrote:
> > Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Is there still as much as half an hour free at Stansted? I thought it
> >>was down to about ten minutes since they rearranged the short stay
> >>parking area about a year ago.
> >
> >
> > There was in January, haven't been back there since then.
>
> I haven't been to Stansted since Sept last year. The half-hour free
> still applied then. Don't know about these January changes.

Sorry, I meant that there was still half an hour free parking in
January, but I've had no reason to go there since January so I cannot
give more recent information. Not that there were changes in January.

In message <1i14zy3.vxozash1ll52N%%steve%@malloc.co.uk>, at 12:06:15 on
Thu, 12 Jul 2007, Steve Firth <%steve%@malloc.co.uk> remarked:
>> >>Is there still as much as half an hour free at Stansted? I thought it
>> >>was down to about ten minutes since they rearranged the short stay
>> >>parking area about a year ago.
>> >
>> >
>> > There was in January, haven't been back there since then.
>>
>> I haven't been to Stansted since Sept last year. The half-hour free
>> still applied then. Don't know about these January changes.
>
>Sorry, I meant that there was still half an hour free parking in
>January, but I've had no reason to go there since January so I cannot
>give more recent information. Not that there were changes in January.

The changes to the carpark geography were longer ago than January, I
think. I just remember dropping someone off (probably just before Xmas)
and thinking that the free time I was allowed wasn't enough to help them
with their baggage to checkin, as well as just being a taxi driver.
--
Roland Perry

In message <GYqdnY08R5AMtwvbnZ2dnUVZ8tXinZ2d@pipex.net>, at 14:20:36 on
Thu, 12 Jul 2007, JNugent <not.telling@noparticularplacetogo.com>
remarked:
>>I just remember dropping someone off (probably just before Xmas)

[at Stansted]

>> and thinking that the free time I was allowed wasn't enough to help
>>them with their baggage to checkin, as well as just being a taxi
>>driver.
>
>My thoughts exactly (when dropping off some Italian friends there last
>year).
>
>Glad to see that it is likely that the free half-hour still applies
>there (an hour - or even 45 minutes - would be more reasonable).

East Midlands is as little as 10 minutes (which at some times of day is
the time it will take to queue at the exit barriers!) I'm sure it was
longer a year ago (half an hour, perhaps). Enough time to park the car
and go inside and wait for someone whose flight just landed, while they
clear immigration and customs - you just can't do that in 10 minutes. I
have no idea how they expect people to do pickups.

I also have a bone to pick with them over mid-term parking (I often do
day trips which involve parking for 13-14 hrs). Short term charges are:

up to 12 hours £18.00
up to 24 hours £25.00
up to 2 days £50.00

While Mid-term is a minimum of £20 for two days.

There's no such thing as a one-day mid-term tariff at (say) £10, and £25
for 14hrs obviously exceeds the 2-day charge in mid stay.
--
Roland Perry

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:41:22 +0100, Roland Perry
<roland@perry.co.uk> mangled uncounted electrons thus:

>In message <GYqdnY08R5AMtwvbnZ2dnUVZ8tXinZ2d@pipex.net>, at 14:20:36 on
>Thu, 12 Jul 2007, JNugent <not.telling@noparticularplacetogo.com>
>remarked:
>>>I just remember dropping someone off (probably just before Xmas)
>
>[at Stansted]
>
>>> and thinking that the free time I was allowed wasn't enough to help
>>>them with their baggage to checkin, as well as just being a taxi
>>>driver.
>>
>>My thoughts exactly (when dropping off some Italian friends there last
>>year).
>>
>>Glad to see that it is likely that the free half-hour still applies
>>there (an hour - or even 45 minutes - would be more reasonable).
>
>East Midlands is as little as 10 minutes (which at some times of day is
>the time it will take to queue at the exit barriers!) I'm sure it was
>longer a year ago (half an hour, perhaps). Enough time to park the car
>and go inside and wait for someone whose flight just landed, while they
>clear immigration and customs - you just can't do that in 10 minutes. I
>have no idea how they expect people to do pickups.

That *was* a rhetorical question, wasn't it? (But in case it
wasn't - they expect you to pay...)

Anything to raise a bit more cash from the hapless traveling
public... :(

Martin D. Pay
Currently avoiding flying due to silly 'security' measures...

In message <370d939fqpkcgh0q6mr89s07msk5jnbnlm@>, at 20:32:19 on
Thu, 12 Jul 2007, Martin D. Pay <martin@starship-excalibur.co.uk>
remarked:
>>Enough time to park the car and go inside and wait for someone whose
>>flight just landed, while they clear immigration and customs - you
>>just can't do that in 10 minutes. I have no idea how they expect
>>people to do pickups.
>
>That *was* a rhetorical question, wasn't it? (But in case it
>wasn't - they expect you to pay...)

Heh :)
--
Roland Perry

JNugent <not.telling@noparticularplacetogo.com> wrote:

> Gatwick seems to be something of a bargain, then: £56 for eight days
> (or portion thereof).

It is, last time I used Stansted it cost me £85 for eight days. In fact
Gatwick was a real bargain last time I used it, because they let me park
in short stay for less than the cost of parking in long stay, which
meant I only had to walk a few hundred yards to departures.

In message <1i15vr3.1hmujw31r0z6baN%%steve%@malloc.co.uk>, at 23:28:03
on Thu, 12 Jul 2007, Steve Firth <%steve%@malloc.co.uk> remarked:
>> Gatwick seems to be something of a bargain, then: £56 for eight days
>> (or portion thereof).
>
>It is, last time I used Stansted it cost me £85 for eight days. In fact
>Gatwick was a real bargain last time I used it, because they let me park
>in short stay for less than the cost of parking in long stay, which
>meant I only had to walk a few hundred yards to departures.

Birmingham's mid-stay is expensive, at £16 a day; and Luton' mid-stay is
£15 a day but Luton Airport Parkway station car park is just under £5 a
day for as long as you want.
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MsAIVZ58O1lGFApM@perry.co.uk...
> In message <1i15vr3.1hmujw31r0z6baN%%steve%@malloc.co.uk>, at 23:28:03 on
> Thu, 12 Jul 2007, Steve Firth <%steve%@malloc.co.uk> remarked:
>>> Gatwick seems to be something of a bargain, then: £56 for eight days
>>> (or portion thereof).
>>
>>It is, last time I used Stansted it cost me £85 for eight days. In fact
>>Gatwick was a real bargain last time I used it, because they let me park
>>in short stay for less than the cost of parking in long stay, which
>>meant I only had to walk a few hundred yards to departures.
>
Even better - stay at the hotel at J10a (Balcombe Road/ M23) for one night,
and get free parking for two weeks plus free transfers to/ from Gatwick.....

In message <I9bmi.29779$3j1.13664@newsfe6-gui.ntli.net>, at 21:23:52 on
Sat, 14 Jul 2007, ian henden <ian@henden.co.uk> remarked:
>>>> Gatwick seems to be something of a bargain, then: £56 for eight days
>>>> (or portion thereof).
>>>
>>>It is, last time I used Stansted it cost me £85 for eight days. In fact
>>>Gatwick was a real bargain last time I used it, because they let me park
>>>in short stay for less than the cost of parking in long stay, which
>>>meant I only had to walk a few hundred yards to departures.
>>
>Even better - stay at the hotel at J10a (Balcombe Road/ M23) for one night,
>and get free parking for two weeks plus free transfers to/ from Gatwick.....

I think one of the reasons why Gatwick's parking is cheaper is the
existence of this market in alternative B&B+parking.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:

> I think one of the reasons why Gatwick's parking is cheaper is the
> existence of this market in alternative B&B+parking.

It exists elsewhere. I make use of hotel parking at Bristol and
Stansted. Both cheaper for room+parking than either airport's long stay.