Comprehensive research conducted by beach holiday specialist On the Beach, has revealed that when the costs of essential airport products are compared at the UK’s busiest airports, Newcastle offers the very best value for money.
On the Beach compared the cost of some of our top airport costs: a one-week stay at a long and short stay car park, a one-night pre-departure stay at an on-site hotel*, lounge access, fast track security and fast track passport control, to reveal which airport offers the overall best value for money.
Newcastle Airport, which carries more than five million passengers each year, is named best value, with the cost of all products totalling just £138.48. This compares to London Heathrow, the nation’s busiest airport, which costs £271.76, making it the UK’s most expensive.
Birmingham is named the second-best value airport, with the total cost of all products coming in at £140.84, with Glasgow grabbing third place at £142.45.
Edinburgh and Luton complete the top five list, both costing £144.98 for all products compared.
| Top five best value airport (parking, hotel, lounge, fast track security) | |
| Airport | Lowest Price |
| Newcastle | £138.48 |
| Birmingham | £140.84 |
| Glasgow International | £142.45 |
| London Luton | £144.98 |
| Edinburgh | £144.98 |
Short Stay Parking
Short Stay Parking is a popular choice amongst travellers looking to drop off their car close to the terminal, however it is often a slightly more expensive option.
Edinburgh offers the cheapest option, with a cost of £40.99 for a one week stay (£5.86 per day), followed by Bristol and Newcastle, which both cost less than £8 per day.
London Gatwick offers the most expensive short stay parking option, at a whopping £140.00 per week.
Long Stay Parking
Long Stay car parks are the cheaper option for travellers, but are usually located further away from the terminal.
In this category, Edinburgh came top once again with a seven day stay costing just £34.99, whilst London Luton and Glasgow, also provide cheap options at just £42.99.
Hotel only
The research also compared the average cost of a pre-departure hotel stay, with Birmingham offering the cheapest option, with a one-night stay averaging just £59.67.
The research also revealed that hotels close to the airports of Glasgow, Newcastle and London Luton, offer great value for money, with a pre-departure stay costing less than £65.
Fast Track Security
This relatively new facility gives passengers access to a dedicated lane, skipping the often-lengthy security queues, making their journey through the airport swifter.
Whilst this facility is now available at most UK airports, the cost differs dramatically from one airport to another, with Newcastle offering the lowest price at just £3 per person, whilst the same product at London Heathrow, costs £12.50.
Lounges
Once only available to the lucky few travelling First and Business Class, airport lounges – which offer complimentary food and drink and a relaxed atmosphere, away from the crowds in the terminal – are now accessible to all passengers but come at a price.
Newcastle and Glasgow offer the cheapest lounges (£23), and whilst still relatively inexpensive, the lounges at London Heathrow, London Stansted and Edinburgh are the priciest, at 26% more expensive than the cheapest options.
Fast Track Passport Control
On arrival back into the UK, Fast Track Passport Control enables tired holidaymakers to dodge the often-frustrating passport control queues, with Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester offering the facility at £5, £6 and £7 respectively.
Whilst this new facility is currently only available at a small number of airports across the UK, the cost once again differs dramatically, with the facility costing twice as much at London Stansted (£10) than Birmingham.
Alan Harding, Marketing Director at On the Beach comments:
“Our research shows that whilst many airports across the country offer inexpensive options for products such as parking and hotels, Newcastle offers all-round great value for money. For the very best prices, holidaymakers should try and book these products at the same time as their holiday in order to save money, and for those looking to beat the queues, the new fast track options are often much cheaper than expected.”