How to save money at the airport

A little planning goes a long way if you want to save at the airport. Here we share some handy tips on everything from changing currency to car parking and bringing food through security, so read on to make sure you never pay too much again.

1. Don’t exchange money at the airport

Don’t pick up your holiday money last-minute at the airport. Exchange rates at airport bureaux de change are notoriously bad compared with the high street or online bureaux, where you’ll usually find a better deal. 

However, specialised travel debit and credit cards – such as Halifax Clarity and Starling – are often your best bet for spending overseas, as they offer competitive exchange rates without extra charges. See more on the best travel debit cards and travel credit cards to use abroad.

2. Use public transport

Now that petrol prices are astronomical, using public transport to get to the airport might prove to be cheaper.

If you’re travelling by train, even which rail line you choose can affect costs. For instance, the recently opened Elizabeth line in London is less than half the price of the Heathrow Express, albeit 17 minutes slower.

If you have a child travelling with you, however, the Heathrow Express might work out better value. You can get a free Heathrow Express ticket for children aged 15 years and under when you buy an adult ticket for yourself.

If you’re not in a rush, look at bus and coach options. A ticket on the Gatwick Express from London Victoria to Gatwick airport, for instance, is £18.50, but you can save yourself £8.50 per person by choosing National Express, but it is drastically slower.

On regular train lines, booking a ticket early will help you to save too, as you might be able to find a cheaper advance rate ticket.

Central London to Heathrow

Saving: £61 by taking National Express over taxi

London Victoria to Gatwick

Saving: £87 by taking National Express over taxi

Manchester city centre to Manchester airport

Saving: £40.40 by taking the bus over a taxi

3. Always book car parking online in advance

You’ll get much better rates for airport car parking if you book online via the airport’s website in advance, rather than just showing up.

For instance, arrive at Heathrow airport short-stay car park on departure day and you’ll pay £540 for a seven-day stay. That’s £316 more than if you’d booked six weeks in advance.* It’s the same story at the six busiest UK airports we checked.

Book as early as possible to get the best rates and choose a car park that’s further away from the terminal with a free shuttle, as it’s likely to be the cheapest. 

4. Check if shopping deals really are cheaper

There are good deals to be had at the airport. You’re not charged tax on alcohol when flying abroad from a UK airport, so it tends to be cheaper at the duty-free, or even on board the plane, when compared with supermarkets. 

However, not everything is cheaper at the airport, so check before you fly and don’t get lured in. Duty-free perfume, for example, is sometimes sold in atypical sizes, so while it might appear cheaper than your usual bottle, it might just be smaller.

See more on the best deals you can find when shopping at the airport.

5. Avoid drop-off fees

Forget expensive drop-off and pick-up zones. Be savvy and use free alternatives – just leave extra travel time, because you’ll need to walk or hop on a short shuttle bus to reach the terminal. 

Stansted airport, for instance, offers a generous hour-long wait without charge in the free set-down area within the mid-stay car park, and a free seven-minute shuttle bus to and from the terminal.

If however you do decide to use the drop-off zones, don’t get caught out by overstaying. The fee at Manchester, for example, shoots up over four-fold if you stay just a minute too long.

Drop-off charges at the airport

6. Dine for less

It can be hard to keep up with the latest guidelines on what food you can and can’t take through airport security. But in a nutshell, you can take sandwiches and fruit, so there’s no need to fork out for lunch at pricey airport restaurants.

Bring an empty water bottle to fill after security too. An increasing number of airports, including Bristol, Exeter, Gatwick and Glasgow, have water stations airside. 

If you do decide to dine at the airport, look for offers before you go. Heathrow, for instance, is great if you’re travelling with kids. It currently offers a free main meal for children when you buy an adult’s full-priced meal at various restaurants during peak times, such as October half term. Find great deals for holidays abroad in October half term.

7. Luggage and airline fees

If you can’t cope with tiny carry-ons included as standard on budget airlines, then why not plump for a large cabin bag rather than adding hold luggage? You’ll save money and minimise chances of disruption to your trip.

Some airlines – such as British Airways and Jet2 – include a big cabin bag automatically in the ticket price, but don’t assume it will cut overall costs. For a flight to Palma de Mallorca earlier this year, both were charging more for their tickets than easyJet, Ryanair and WizzAir. Even after we added large cabin bags, these three airlines were still cheaper. On other journeys, the numbers might work in BA or Jet2’s favour, so do the maths to get the best deal and check our best and worst rated airline survey results to help you decide which ticket to buy.

How you pack is important, too. If you go over airline dimensions or weight allowance, it will sting – especially with Ryanair. The budget carrier charges £70 each way if you exceed the limits. 

Discover the airlines with the most generous hand luggage allowances

8. Don’t buy miniatures

While conveniently sized for security-gate liquid limits (100ml), a recent analysis by Which? Money demonstrated just how pricey miniatures are and how you can save money on your travel toiletries. For example, Tresemmé Moisture Rich Conditioner costs £1.50 for a 100ml bottle, but only £2.95 for 900ml. Find out the worst miniature travel toiletry rip offs.

Before you leave home, decant your shampoos and creams into reusable mini bottles that are 100ml or less, or use non-liquid alternatives such as shampoo bars, deodorant sticks and toothpaste tablets

9. Save money by searching for insider discounts

There are lots of airport discounts out there. Gatwick, for example, has a rewards account called myGatwick. After signing up for free, we were given 10% off airport parking. And with a 20% discount on fast-track security, the cost came down from £5 to £4, which is useful if queuing problems rumble on.

Other airports offer discount codes in their newsletters, so it’s worth signing up. Bristol and Stansted sent codes to reduce parking costs. Bristol offers a 15% reduction, while Stansted offers up to 25% off, although after checking different dates, it was more like 10%.

Manchester airport has separate pages on its website offering parking and lounge discounts – use a search engine to find them and you’ll benefit from 10% discount codes for each. 

*Prices collected on 8 July 2022