It’s meant to be one of travel’s tender moments – a last hug, a lingering wave – but readers say the UK’s airports are pricing the emotional goodbye out of existence.

Independent readers reacted with fury after analysis from the RAC found drop-off fees at Britain’s busiest airports have risen by a third on average since last summer, with a “farewell fee” at some terminals now costing more per minute than a black cab.

Many readers pointed out that kiss-and-fly zones, dedicated terminal-side drop-off and pick-up lanes at airports designed for very quick passenger transfers, are free or far cheaper in Brussels, Spain and Paris, and questioned why the UK is virtually alone among major economies in charging for the privilege of dropping someone off.

Others called for the government to cap the charges outright, while several said the fees hit hardest the people who most need to pull up at the door – those with mobility issues, heavy luggage or young children – after finding the “free” alternatives isolated, unsafe or a long way from the terminal.

Here’s what you had to say:

A stealth tax dressed up as a fee

Airport drop-off charges are exploitative and just plain ‘wrong’.

Morally wrong, because they are a stealth tax on a basic necessity. People with heavy luggage, mobility issues or young children often need a private car drop-off right at the door.

Economically wrong – passengers already pay Air Passenger Duty, and airport development fees are often embedded in ticket prices. Adding a separate charge for the kerbside means being taxed twice to access a public transport hub.

Practically wrong – airports often have aggressive enforcement (camera fines, no-stopping zones), but that just shifts the problem rather than solving it, causing congestion and risking accidents.

Environmentally wrong – public transport often isn’t viable at flight times, so the charge doesn’t change behaviour. It just extracts money from the traveller.

Fined for a fee I never incurred

I think it’s morally wrong and just plain fleecing the public, to be honest – actually quite extortionate. I had to drop a rental car off a few years ago and missed the turn-off, so the only route back to the slip lane was through the drop-off zone. I didn’t even drop anybody off – I simply passed through. A month later I got a fine in the post. I explained the situation and they refused to budge; they said I’d better pay or I’d get a summons.

British airports stink of capitalism

Free here in Spain for the first 15 minutes. British airports stink of capitalism. Bristol airport is the worst – £2 for a luggage trolley that everywhere else gives you for free, and £10 to drop someone off.

The rot of rotten Little Britain

I used to live on a direct bus route to Heathrow, and the journey took 70 minutes with no provision for luggage on the service. A taxi took 15 minutes. For Gatwick, it was a mile’s walk to the railway station, two trains, and then arrival at the airport. The other ‘London’ airports weren’t worth considering.

Airport drop-off charges are a symptom of the rot of rotten Little Britain. Exploit all to maximum profit wherever you can is the way it works.

Every passenger has already paid (heavily) for the ‘use’ of the airport as part of the price of their ticket, and yet they have to pay more to actually get there.

Airports, like many businesses (the water industry), have lost sight of what they are there for, which is to provide a service to their customers – instead they exist purely to generate profit and pay dividends to shareholders and obscene bonuses to those already on excessive salaries.

Can Burnham stop the rot?

Plan ahead and say goodbye at home

I find it more understandable for people to get upset about this somewhere like Belfast, where public transport to the airport isn’t as good as elsewhere. London airports I’ve never had a problem with (Gatwick aside). A little forward planning is all – why drive? It’s not as if you can take your car on the plane anyway. Say your goodbyes at home, take the train or bus, and save money.

Charged for a delay that wasn't my fault

I had to pay a heavy charge when picking up a relative at Newcastle airport: the plane was late but no one seemed to know why (it was delayed two hours at Bristol). As no one knew when the plane would arrive, I couldn’t go away and come back later. This is a rip-off.

A different perspective

Here’s a different perspective. Travel is an expensive hassle from the moment of decision till the moment of return. The internet now allows you to find out about most costs in advance. If you need to take a car to the pay-for drop-off zone, find out about it beforehand. Buy one less new garment for your holiday and drink one less unit of alcohol a day during it. And don’t perform a movie farewell in public if possible: either your relationship is strong or it isn’t. Stay safe.

Liverpool's a fiver just to drop and go

I may have missed it, but Liverpool is one of the worst. It’s a fiver to drive into their drop-off, kick out and then drive straight out. And that’s on top of £2 each way over the Mersey Flow.

Paris does it better

Drop-off charges at Paris airports (Charles de Gaulle and Orly) are free for the first ten minutes in designated express zones, followed by steep penalty fees if you stay longer.

Unlawful and exploitative

I am glad someone wrote about it. These drop-off charges are unlawful and exploitative. Airports charge people who don’t even take a flight or use their loo. And these prices keep going up and up, and it looks like no one controls those hikes.

No alternative if you live outside a city

Living in East Anglia, driving isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity; the privatised public transport is unreliable and expensive. For two of us, it’s cheaper and three hours quicker to drive to Luton and stay overnight, with parking and breakfast, than two return train tickets – and that includes getting to Stansted as well. Plus with flight delays and train cancellations, it’s a genuinely risky option – might be fine for people in London or Manchester, but not where I live.

The 'free' option isn't safe after dark

At my local airport, the only free drop-off point is – and has been for a long time – the medium-stay car park. It’s no great distance from the terminal building, but it’s along a short, isolated and overgrown footpath – not great for female passengers on their own, and especially not for those of us arriving in the dark for an early flight.

Burnham should turn his fire on this too

Good this has been raised. Burnham is criticising lots of things, and these need it too. Forget the romantic side – it’s the exploitative impossibility of it. You do have the option to leave passengers at the usual car parks to catch the free bus service, and park free for 20 minutes, but this can be remote from the airport terminus. Just bring back the free drop-off facility, which was largely respected.

A Covid-era charge that never came down

I seem to recall the Heathrow drop-off charge was introduced to help the recovery after Covid – it was recently put up. They are now saying charges to passengers will go up to cover the airport expansion – in what universe do new projects get added to old businesses? How about the expansion funds itself, and private companies actually take a risk for a change?

Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.

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