Parents Charge More Than Taxis for Airport Runs

Posted by Sue Anderson, 18th Mar 2014

It's a great feeling when you have booked a holiday, packed your bags and are all set to go. However, when you suddenly remember that you forgot to arrange transport to the airport and have to scramble around asking everyone but your aunt's cat for a lift, the excitement can soon start to fade.

We wanted to look into how most people get to the airport once they have a holiday arranged and so we spoke to a sample of 2,144 people aged 18 and over from around the UK. As usual, everyone that took part in our short poll had been on holiday abroad (via a flight) in the past 12 months.



'Parents', 'Friends' and 'Driving Own Car' most likely methods of getting to the airport



When we asked, 'How did you get to the airport from your home when travelling abroad on your last holiday?' the following answers were given to us by respondents:

Lift from parent(s) - 32%
Lift from a friend (who wasn't going on the holiday) - 21%
Drove own car - 19%
Booked a taxi - 11%
Took public transport (train, bus etc.) - 7%

Furthermore, 3% claimed that they had asked their grandparents to take them to the airport when going on their last trip abroad.

If they had relied on someone else for a lift to the airport, we asked if they had been charged by the person driving them, or if they'd given them money for fuel or the favour in general. 77% of the relevant respondents admitted they had paid the person who gave them a lift to the airport.

'Bus' or 'Train' cheapest way to get to the airport in UK



When asked how much money it had cost them to get to the airport, the average amount stated by those who were driven by their parents was '£45.22', whilst the average amount for those who got a lift from a friend was '£30.63'. So much for mate's rates! Those getting a lift to the airport with their grandparents paid an average of '£41.00' for the privilege. Those getting a lift with a different relative paid an average of '£43.00' for the journey.

However, when those who had booked a taxi or got public transport to the airport were asked the same question, those in taxis paid '£29.00' and those on buses or trains paid '£22.50'.

Clearly, people would be better off relying on a bus or train to get to the airport than asking their parents, relatives or friends. Mate's rates seem to be a thing of the past. Good deals can often be found on airport parking, so it's worth considering driving yourself to the airport if you can get a good price. If you are going to ask somebody for a lift, perhaps say that you'll offer petrol money instead of handing over a lump sum for the journey, which could be much more than is necessary!
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