Passengers using hotels for pick-up and drop-off services have shared their reasons for refusing to pay Aberdeen Airport’s entrance fee.
A new sign was recently erected outside the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express on International Drive, near the airport, prohibiting parking, picking up, or dropping off.
The sign, managed by Sheffield-based Vehicle Control Services Limited, states “entry for hotel customers only,” with a clear warning that violators will face a £100 fine.
It went live today and if culprits fail to pay within 28 days, an additional £70 charge fine will apply, with blue badge holders not being exempt from the fines.
Earlier this week, The Press & Journal went to Dyce to speak to people using the hotels as a pick up/drop off point.
‘Long waits can rack up ridiculous amounts
Ed Thorogood was picking up his son, who was arriving on the early afternoon flight from London Heathrow to the Granite City.
“The reason I’m here is because it’s very uncertain how long things take with picking up the bags,” he said.
“So my worry is, if I go into the short stay, it just racks up ridiculous amounts.
Admitting he “doesn’t mind paying the entry fee”, Mr Thorogood feels people picking people up from the Dyce hub are being punished for “inefficiency” in the airport.
He added: “The baggage used to be really fast, and Aberdeen was known for how quickly they delivered bags. But now it’s just ridiculous.
“It’s supposed to be a new system but the bags are unreliable and it’s because of that I can’t take the risk with escalating prices.”
We must make clear that baggage delivery is not under the control of the airport, and is handled independently by the airlines themselves.
The airport’s express drop-off zone, located directly outside the main terminal, charges £5.50 for a 15-minute stay, prompting drivers to use hotels on International Drive to avoid the fees.
Motorists who remain in the drop-off zone for longer than 15 minutes face an additional charge of £1 per minute, with a flat fee of £50 after 30 minutes.
Mr Thorogood believes this impacts the airport’s service quality.
“There is no incentive for Aberdeen to improve because they can simply increase their fees,” he said.
‘We’re parking there because it’s free’
Another person who was parked in the area was Daniel, who was waiting for his friend to arrive on a Heathrow flight.
He said he was there “because it’s free”, adding: “I understand why they charge, but this is a free place that people can wait, so why would you pay?”
A Rainbow City taxi driver, who was waiting for a job, predicted that the hotel was going to clamp down on people dropping off and picking up.
“There seems to have been people watching,” he said, adding: “The Holiday Inn Express say there’s no problem dropping people off, but they don’t like people waiting there.”
The man said the area is “full” when a “big holiday flight” arrives, such as ones from Alicante and Tenerife.
George and Diane Craig, a couple visiting family in Aberdeen from Belfast, were being dropped off outside the Holiday Inn Express. They were about to catch a flight from the airport to London.
Mr Craig described the policy as “stupid,” stating that it is “putting people off” from flying from Aberdeen International Airport. He added that he and his wife “don’t mind at all” the five-minute walk to the terminal.
‘It should be a couple of quid to drop off’
He added: “It should be a couple of quid to drop off because you’re not wearing the tarmac out by running across it.
“You just want to get parked, let your company out, then you’re away again. We did exactly the same in Belfast.”
A spokesman for Aberdeen Airport said that the land is not owned by the airport and reminded people of their long stay car park, which has a free 60-minute period for customers.
Vehicle Control Services Limited has been contacted for comment.
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