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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Andy B on 22 October 2010, 12:27:23

Title: Airport valet parking
Post by: Andy B on 22 October 2010, 12:27:23
About to be discussed on everyone's favourite Radio 2 programme, Jeremy Vine  ;). A bloke drops his car off at the airport and valet parking take it to their secure carpark ...... or that's what was supposed to happen.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2010/10/airport_parking.html
It's Watch Dog so might be a little 'sexed up'  :y  :y  :y
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Omega_Dan on 22 October 2010, 12:39:26
Yeah saw it last night. think they have now agreed to replace his car for him. There was an 18 year old driver who on his first day totalled a 12 grand audi. Would i hand my keys to them? Nope ;)
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Chris_H on 22 October 2010, 12:48:33
Funnily enough I used a parking facility near Gatwick for the first time last week.  Perfectly happy with it and when the website (Pink Elephant) made 3 bookings due to poor software design, I very soon had an email pointing out that this was suspect and did I want them to cancel the duplicates.

I noted the odometer reading and nothing untoward there.

Mind you, it was the Focus I left with them!!!

No 'meet and greet' either - I drove it to their pound and they drove me to the airport.  Cheaper than a mini-cab.
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Tony H on 22 October 2010, 16:39:40
Should get busted for twoccing, >:( It's reasonable to assume that the driver would take the car strait to the car park, and vise versa when the keys are handed over.
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: HolyCount on 22 October 2010, 17:40:14
My little tin can has just spent two weeks at Bristol Airport ---- too stingy to pay for valet parking, so did it the old fashioned way: drove into the parking space, locked it up and took the keys with me. Only perk was a free bus ride to and from the terminal.

Not that anyone would want to drive my car anyway  ::)
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: jyr001 on 22 October 2010, 18:19:52
I didn't want to take the chance on valet parking when I flew from Gatwick earlier ths year and couldn't be bothered to wait for a coach to/from the outlying car parks. I thought I'd cracked it when I got a great deal for two weeks in the multi-storey right by the South Terminal but when I got back some kind soul had idiotted my rear bumper. Right in view of the cameras but security still said they couldn't help. I suppose the downside of parking so close is that cars are in and out of the car park all the time. Still lesson learnt 
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: feeutfo on 22 October 2010, 20:11:02
I know someone who's car had 150 more miles on it when the car was returned to him after a week in the u.s.

Sweet wrappers in the ash tray, reckoned they just give the car to someone to commute in for the week, it was filthy. But it was a Beemer so fair enough really  ;)  ;D
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Mysteryman on 22 October 2010, 20:25:24
I live approx. 40 miles from Manchester airport. It's cheaper to get a cab to and from, rather than pay for parking. £35 each way, I think.
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 22 October 2010, 23:35:30
Quote
I live approx. 40 miles from Manchester airport. It's cheaper to get a cab to and from, rather than pay for parking. £35 each way, I think.

Remind me not to be a cab driver in Manchester then  :o :o
We think fares in Swindon are dirt cheap.....compared with Bristol/Bath/Oxford/Reading etc ....but blimey.....doing 40 miles.....and then probably 40 'dead' miles back for 35 squid  :( :(
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: aaronjb on 22 October 2010, 23:40:55
One benefit of living close to Heathrow, I suppose.. £30 in a taxi (20 miles or thereabouts) and 30 minutes door to door.

And I don't need to leave my car to be used as a pizza delivery vehicle while I'm away ;D
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Andy B on 22 October 2010, 23:57:11
Quote
Quote
I live approx. 40 miles from Manchester airport. It's cheaper to get a cab to and from, rather than pay for parking. £35 each way, I think.

Remind me not to be a cab driver in Manchester then  :o :o
We think fares in Swindon are dirt cheap.....compared with Bristol/Bath/Oxford/Reading etc ....but blimey.....doing 40 miles.....and then probably 40 'dead' miles back for 35 squid  :( :(

That's a pre-booked price. We're about 25 miles away and would pay about £25/30 each way,  but ........ a few weeks ago my sister-in-law arrived back from holiday & there was initially a mix up with the pre booked taxi so she got in an ordinary cab. She asked first how much, he wanted around £90 ..... she declined the offer, even though it was the early hours  ;)
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 23 October 2010, 00:17:43
Quote
Quote
Quote
I live approx. 40 miles from Manchester airport. It's cheaper to get a cab to and from, rather than pay for parking. £35 each way, I think.

Remind me not to be a cab driver in Manchester then  :o :o
We think fares in Swindon are dirt cheap.....compared with Bristol/Bath/Oxford/Reading etc ....but blimey.....doing 40 miles.....and then probably 40 'dead' miles back for 35 squid  :( :(

That's a pre-booked price. We're about 25 miles away and would pay about £25/30 each way,  but ........ a few weeks ago my sister-in-law arrived back from holiday & there was initially a mix up with the pre booked taxi so she got in an ordinary cab. She asked first how much, he wanted around £90 ..... she declined the offer, even though it was the early hours  ;)

I'm on about prebooked prices too  :y
1 mile = 1 pound + about a fiver....so STMO's trips are about a tenner short....for a car mind you....plus we charge an extra tenner for pickups from an airport...so in STMO's example would go to about 55 squid for a pickup at Manchester airport  :)
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 23 October 2010, 00:23:53
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
I live approx. 40 miles from Manchester airport. It's cheaper to get a cab to and from, rather than pay for parking. £35 each way, I think.

Remind me not to be a cab driver in Manchester then  :o :o
We think fares in Swindon are dirt cheap.....compared with Bristol/Bath/Oxford/Reading etc ....but blimey.....doing 40 miles.....and then probably 40 'dead' miles back for 35 squid  :( :(

That's a pre-booked price. We're about 25 miles away and would pay about £25/30 each way,  but ........ a few weeks ago my sister-in-law arrived back from holiday & there was initially a mix up with the pre booked taxi so she got in an ordinary cab. She asked first how much, he wanted around £90 ..... she declined the offer, even though it was the early hours  ;)

I'm on about prebooked prices too  :y
1 mile = 1 pound + about a fiver....so STMO's trips are about a tenner short....for a car mind you....plus we charge an extra tenner for pickups from an airport...so in STMO's example would go to about 55 squid for a pickup at Manchester airport  :)

Now....bus prices....like i drive   ::) ;D
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: aaronjb on 23 October 2010, 17:44:24
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
I live approx. 40 miles from Manchester airport. It's cheaper to get a cab to and from, rather than pay for parking. £35 each way, I think.

Remind me not to be a cab driver in Manchester then  :o :o
We think fares in Swindon are dirt cheap.....compared with Bristol/Bath/Oxford/Reading etc ....but blimey.....doing 40 miles.....and then probably 40 'dead' miles back for 35 squid  :( :(

That's a pre-booked price. We're about 25 miles away and would pay about £25/30 each way,  but ........ a few weeks ago my sister-in-law arrived back from holiday & there was initially a mix up with the pre booked taxi so she got in an ordinary cab. She asked first how much, he wanted around £90 ..... she declined the offer, even though it was the early hours  ;)

I'm on about prebooked prices too  :y
1 mile = 1 pound + about a fiver....so STMO's trips are about a tenner short....for a car mind you....plus we charge an extra tenner for pickups from an airport...so in STMO's example would go to about 55 squid for a pickup at Manchester airport  :)

Crikey!  :o Glad nobody down here seems to do that.
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Varche on 23 October 2010, 18:13:50
Quote
Should get busted for twoccing, >:( It's reasonable to assume that the driver would take the car strait to the car park, and vise versa when the keys are handed over.


What sentence is that then?  20 hours community service - which they don't bother turning up to do and NO ONE chases them?
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 23 October 2010, 19:04:15
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
I live approx. 40 miles from Manchester airport. It's cheaper to get a cab to and from, rather than pay for parking. £35 each way, I think.

Remind me not to be a cab driver in Manchester then  :o :o
We think fares in Swindon are dirt cheap.....compared with Bristol/Bath/Oxford/Reading etc ....but blimey.....doing 40 miles.....and then probably 40 'dead' miles back for 35 squid  :( :(

That's a pre-booked price. We're about 25 miles away and would pay about £25/30 each way,  but ........ a few weeks ago my sister-in-law arrived back from holiday & there was initially a mix up with the pre booked taxi so she got in an ordinary cab. She asked first how much, he wanted around £90 ..... she declined the offer, even though it was the early hours  ;)

I'm on about prebooked prices too  :y
1 mile = 1 pound + about a fiver....so STMO's trips are about a tenner short....for a car mind you....plus we charge an extra tenner for pickups from an airport...so in STMO's example would go to about 55 squid for a pickup at Manchester airport  :)

Crikey!  :o Glad nobody down here seems to do that.

Don't forget the driver has to pay the parking charge....£4.30 for less than 1hr at T4 last night.....plus it includes waiting time for 1/2hr which is £9.....so pretty good deal really.....btw i waited just under an hour for my customer last night....but didnt add any waiting time  ;)
Title: Re: Airport valet parking
Post by: sundaybrunch on 26 October 2010, 12:41:49
I can't believe some of the horror stories that have been circulating in the media about valet parking at Luton Airport this month. A guy had his car rented out by Airparks when he was on holiday and only a couple of weeks earlier another chap returned to find his car written off! Check out this article for more scary stories: Luton Airport Parking Company Hired Out My Car (http://www.airporthotels.com/blog/news/luton-airport-parking-company-hired-out-my-car/)