DO not go into the pickup drop off point until they are there.

If they get the free bus out to the medium term car parks there is a place you can wait free for 1 hour. £1 for up to 2 hours. daily rates after.

www.stanstedairport.com/parking/pick-up-and-drop-o.../

have used it very good!

ORB

Edited by oldroverboy. on 06/09/2016 at 19:26

Late ebening flights have a tendency to be late and it can be ages before people appear. Go and park up at one of the local hotels and have a quiet coffee (or whatever) until they ring ... then toddle round.

Just done this,but you are going to get ripped for at least £3.60 for an in/pick up and out in short stay.www.stanstedairport.com/parking/turn-up-and-park/

You can't pick up from terminal concourse.

There is a max 1 hour wait period in the local Mcdonalds,just off the main approach road.This is where you will find all the cab drivers waiting to pounce before pick -up.

Edited by elekie&a/c doctor on 06/09/2016 at 19:26

"it's odd that some of these obvious( legal) options are not visible on the website."

Not so - as parking off airport is likely to result in less revenue for the airport operator.

Motorway service area is off the same junction as the airport. So why not drive through the airport to familiarise yourself with area, then wait at services with a cup of coffee until your family calls you to say they are ready for pickup.

Note in the past Stansted has been notorious for overcrowding in the passport arrivals hall, unless it's changed recently don't expect them to get through quickly.

Good idea Smiley, I have done that previously at other airports too. Only got caught out once when they changed the system so that even a drive through was clocked and had to pay! b***** cheeck.

Cheers Concrete

You can also track their plane using www.flightradar24.com

You can see the flight all the way from take off (in fact all planes in the sky at that minute - just filter the airline) to landing. In Manchester, I do not leave for the airport until the flight is about 20 minutes from landing. That way I arrive about the time hand luggage only passengers are coming out of customs.

Useful tool, I did this when my parents returned from TA last year. The only problem with this is when there is a problem such as when there is no stand free or the busses / luggage guys take forever to deal with flight.

If I were being picked up at an airport, I would offer - indeed expect - to pay the cost of parking.

But I'd be very appreciative if they were there to meet me in Arrivals and their car was within walking distance in the short-stay car park, rather than having to catch a bus from one of 27 stops outside the terminal, or wait for ages while they arrive from somewhere off site and then fail to find me in the drop-off area.

Except for the occasion ( I posted it a couple of years ago) where our friend (no longer) was unfit to drive, having had a few while waiting for us!

we used to mutually drive each other to the airports.

I shall be shortly taking youngrovergirl to Heathrow and with baggage it will be into the short term parking at T3. Expect her to take her baggage in herself?

Collecting 2 weeks later will wait on Sipson Road till the flight lands and luggage in arrivals hall then go in. No pick up any more at T3 Heathrow only allows dropoffs in T2 and 3 now. collections must use short term parking.

I concur with Avant who has summed it all up nicely here! My directions were given along these lines, to allow quick and easy assess for a pick up, without getting penalised for overstaying.

Edited by Fernando P on 10/09/2016 at 11:04

I agree with this too!--I don't go that often to do pickups-but when I do-once or twice a year, usually to collect family etc,, it is something to keep stress free, if not enjoyable...just go with the flow and pay the car park