The Manchester Airport parking options dubbed best and worst by Which?

Terminal 2, Manchester Airport Departures
-Credit: (Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)


The best and worst parking options at Manchester Airport have been named in a new Which? Survey. The consumer group asked 3,161 of its members and the general public about their experiences of parking at the UK’s 12 biggest airports.

The survey, conducted in May and June of this year, looked at 4,394 experiences of airport parking. Overall it found that third-party providers were usually cheaper and provided better service than airport-provided options - including at Manchester.

It’s the first time Which? Has covered the airport parking industry. The survey asked customers to review parking brands across a number of categories including customer service, car park security, value for money and the condition of the car when returned.

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Independent family-owned Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) was named the best parking option at Manchester and Gatwick Airports, receiving a customer score (calculated by combining overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend) of 79 percent. APH operates its own off-site Park and Ride, Meet and Greet, and Drop and Go Services for the Airport.

A parking sign at Manchester Airport
There are multiple parking options at Manchester Airport -Credit:Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News

It was rated highly by customers in almost every category, with one saying: “I have been using APH for many years and have always been more than happy with the whole process. It’s easy, friendly, efficient and affordable .” APH was awarded a Which? Recommended Provided for Airport Parking following the survey.

Nick Caunter, Managing Director of Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com), said, “It’s an honour to receive this recognition from Which? It reflects our continual pursuit of service improvements at APH. My heartfelt thanks go to my colleagues at APH who consistently deliver more customer satisfaction with every passing year.”

Manchester Airport’s own Meet and Greet service - the airport’s ‘most popular parking option’ followed close behind with a customer score of 78. The airport’s Drop and Go option, recommended for longer trips, received a score of 75, while Multi-Storey parking available at all three terminals received a score of 74. JetParks, the airport’s ‘budget-friendly’ option, achieved a score of 71. The Mid Stay car park was ranked the lowest out of all the Manchester Airport parking options with a customer score of 68.

Manchester Airport declined to comment on the survey directly, but regarding parking options at the airport a spokesperson said: “Manchester Airport offers a range of parking products to suit all budgets. We always recommend passengers book in advance as this will help them to secure the best price and helps us to manage available capacity in the car parks closest to our terminals.

“For those that can’t book in advance, we offer a range of on-the-day options including a completely free drop-off service and the ability to book your parking in any of our car parks at short notice for a substantial discount – more than 50% in most cases. There are also a number of high quality third party providers based around the airport but we recommend customers take care to make sure they are properly accredited before they book."

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