Heathrow Parking Costs Explained: How AD’s Meet & Greet Saves You Money

Heathrow Parking Costs Explained: How AD’s Meet & Greet Saves You Money

Posted: 31/10/2025

Airport arrivals can be chaotic: delayed bags, busy immigration halls, random gate changes. That’s why parking charges inside Heathrow’s short-stay car parks can climb quickly if your driver has to enter too early. At AD Premium Travel, our job is to keep your journey calm, good value and on time—so here’s exactly how we handle meet & greet at Heathrow, and how we keep the parking bill sensible without cutting corners on service.

Our approach is simple: for Airport Transfers we typically enter the short-stay car park about 45 minutes after your flight lands. That timing protects you from clocking up longer parking bands while you clear immigration and wait for luggage. Your driver then heads to the arrivals hall with a nameboard, meets you, and helps with baggage. We charge a fixed £15 meet & greet fee for this service (covers the driver meeting inside the terminal). If you’d like us to go in earlier, we’re happy to—we’ll just add the Heathrow parking charge at cost.

Everything stays transparent and fairly priced. If you book through Bookings, we’ll confirm your fare, the meet & greet fee, and any parking that applies—no surprises. Coming from the New Forest? We regularly collect in Lyndhurst, Barton on Sea, Burley, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Milford on Sea, Ringwood, Sway, Ashurst and Totton, plus Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth.

Heathrow short-stay parking: the current bands

(“On the day” rates shown in your table, effective 3 January 2025)

  • 0–29 minutes: £7.50

  • 30–44 minutes: £11.50

  • 45–59 minutes: £14.50

  • 1–2 hours: £18.50

  • 2–3 hours: £22.00

  • 3–4 hours: £26.50

  • 4–5 hours: £32.00

  • 5–6 hours: £41.00

  • 6–9 hours: £58.50

  • 9–12 hours: £75.00

  • 12–24 hours: £94.50

  • Each additional 24 hours: £94.50

Why we enter ~45 minutes after landing

Because parking is charged by time inside the car park, entering too soon can bump you into higher bands if there’s a delay at immigration or on the belts. Entering around 45 minutes typically lines up with when bags begin arriving for most international flights—so the driver spends less time parked while still meeting you inside arrivals.

Real-world examples (how timing controls cost)

  • Scenario A – smart timing: Flight lands 12:00. We enter at 12:45. You walk out 13:05.

    • Driver parked 20 minutes → 0–29 min band: £7.50.

    • Total meet & greet cost to you: £15 (fixed fee) + £7.50 (parking, if added) if you asked for early entry; otherwise we absorb typical parking within our standard model and only the £15 applies.

  • Scenario B – early entry, bags delayed: Flight lands 12:00. Driver enters at 12:15. You walk out 13:35.

    • Driver parked 80 minutes → 1–2 hours band: £18.50.

    • You’ve paid more for the same outcome, just because the clock started earlier.

Bottom line: later entry reduces the chance of creeping into the 1–2 hour (£18.50) or 2–3 hour (£22.00) brackets. It’s a value move—not a service downgrade.

Our meet & greet policy (short version)

  • Fixed meet & greet fee: £15 (driver meets you inside with a nameboard).

  • Standard timing: We enter ~45 mins after landing to keep parking time (and cost) down.

  • Earlier entry on request: Absolutely—parking is added at cost using the Heathrow bands above.

  • Tracking: We live-track flights and adjust for early/late arrivals automatically.

  • Communication: We message you on landing. When you’ve got bags, we step in.

How to keep parking costs low (without stress)

  1. Text us when the belt number appears (we’ll message first).

  2. Tell us if you have hand luggage only—we’ll come in sooner.

  3. Share special circumstances (assistance, oversized baggage, baby gear) so we can time it right.

  4. Let us know terminal changes ASAP (airlines do shuffle gates).

We plan all of this at booking so your arrival feels effortless. For multi-passenger trips, a Luxury MPV often works out better value than two smaller cars—and it keeps everyone together at the terminal.

Where we meet you at Heathrow

  • T2: Arrivals hall by the information desk/nameboards area.

  • T3: Arrivals hall, central meeting point.

  • T4/T5: Arrivals hall, driver with nameboard near the main barriers. Your driver will message their exact position once inside.

From the New Forest to Heathrow: our core pick-ups

We regularly collect from Lyndhurst, Barton on Sea, Burley, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Milford on Sea, New Milton, Ringwood, Sway, Ashurst and Totton, plus Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth. Families, friend groups, wedding parties and business travellers—tell us people and suitcase counts and we’ll match the right vehicle.

Vehicles that fit the job (and the luggage)

  • Saloon / Estate – best value for 1–3 passengers with 2–3 cases.

  • EV – quiet and comfortable for hand luggage + cases (model-dependent).

  • Mercedes V-Class (MPV) – the go-to for 4–7 passengers (8 on request) and cruise/holiday luggage.
    See our Vehicles page for typical setups.

FAQs

Can you still meet us inside if we only have hand luggage?
Yes—tell us, and we’ll enter earlier to line up with your exit. If that means more parking time than usual, we’ll add it at cost (we’ll warn you first).

What if my flight is delayed after we’ve entered the car park?
We’re already inside and waiting for you. If an unexpected delay pushes us into a higher parking band, we’ll pass the extra cost at the Heathrow rate with the receipt—no mark-ups.

Do you ever wait outside the airport instead?
If you prefer, we can stage nearby and do a kerbside pick-up (when permitted) to avoid parking altogether—just ask when you book.

Is the £15 meet & greet fee per booking or per passenger?
Per booking. It covers the driver leaving the vehicle, entering the terminal and greeting you with a nameboard.

Booking is quick (under a minute)

  1. Head to Bookings and tap Book Now.

  2. Add pick-up, destination, date/time, passengers and luggage.

  3. Tick Meet & Greet if you want the driver inside arrivals.  We’ll confirm your fare, the £15 meet & greet, and any parking that applies—upfront and crystal clear. Prefer a human? See Contact Us.

Final word

Heathrow’s parking bands can bite—but they don’t have to. By entering the car park around 45 minutes after landing, we keep your costs low while still giving you a proper meet & greet. That’s quality service, fairly priced—the AD way.

Book with AD Premium Travel
Call +44(0)2380981758, visit www.adpremiumtravel.co.uk, or use Bookings to reserve your meet & greet today.