Luton Airport parking current situation

[theboss]

Just wondering if anyone can explain the current situation at Luton which I used regularly before the fire.

I saw the makeshift drop-off area a few weeks ago but I am dropping my wife with two small children including a baby in the small hours and wanted to walk into the terminal and help her get checked-in.

How would one go about this? Is the still standing car park still accessible or is the whole area near the terminal no go now? I imagine there's quite a bit of a mess to sort out but have no idea where they are at with it.

[Muzzer79]

I flew from and back to there last week and can confirm that one multi storey is still in use, albeit with a human standing at the entry checking your booking.

You must pre-book to use that multi-storey.

Aside from that there's a lot of works going on. I'm not sure about a short stay drop off, so best to call them if it's not listed on the website.

[Jordan247]

You still have to use the Mid-stay car park to drop passengers off but they have a coach shuttle (although I'm not sure how frequent it is) between the car park and the terminal.

If you can spare a bit more time you could park at Luton Airport Parkway and catch the Dart into the Airport, it will save you having to walk and the Mid-stay as the Dart drops you off very close to the terminal.

[aspender]

Jordan247 said:

You still have to use the Mid-stay car park to drop passengers off but they have a coach shuttle (although I'm not sure how frequent it is) between the car park and the terminal.

If you can spare a bit more time you could park at Luton Airport Parkway and catch the Dart into the Airport, it will save you having to walk and the Mid-stay as the Dart drops you off very close to the terminal.

Note that DART is on the opposite side of Parkway to the multi-storey. You can only get there if you go through the Parkway barriers, across the station and out the barriers on the other side and that means it's going to cost you some form of trainfare on top of the DART fare and the car parking.

[egomeister]

Muzzer79 said:

I flew from and back to there last week and can confirm that one multi storey is still in use, albeit with a human standing at the entry checking your booking.

You must pre-book to use that multi-storey.

Aside from that there's a lot of works going on. I'm not sure about a short stay drop off, so best to call them if it's not listed on the website.

Checking your booking or checking you car isn't on fire when you turn up?

Will be heading there soon so good info on the manual check

[theboss]

Thanks for the replies, shame I didn't post sooner as it was a last minute consideration!

I found out the hard way at 0400 this morning that there are attendants prohibiting any access to car park 1 without pre-booking. It's fair enough, I understand they must be extremely space constrained and can't have everyone ignoring the new drop-off area in an attempt to get closer.

Therefore I couldn't accompany my wife into the terminal, but staff at the drop-off did point out the transfer bus and she made her way there without issues.

I was more worried she was going to have a total failure in ability to collapse our babies pushchair at the check in than anything else, but they let her take that (despite it not being stroller / carry on size) and the attached car seat all the way to the gate and then popped them in the hold for her, which was helpful.

[aspender]

theboss said:

Thanks for the replies, shame I didn't post sooner as it was a last minute consideration!

I found out the hard way at 0400 this morning that there are attendants prohibiting any access to car park 1 without pre-booking. It's fair enough, I understand they must be extremely space constrained and can't have everyone ignoring the new drop-off area in an attempt to get closer.

Therefore I couldn't accompany my wife into the terminal, but staff at the drop-off did point out the transfer bus and she made her way there without issues.

I was more worried she was going to have a total failure in ability to collapse our babies pushchair at the check in than anything else, but they let her take that (despite it not being stroller / carry on size) and the attached car seat all the way to the gate and then popped them in the hold for her, which was helpful.

There's also the fact that there is only a very makeshift entrance into Terminal CP 1 - essentially they cut a hole in the side and built a ramp... so the people you met were the only enforcement of any booking. There are no barriers.

[theboss]

aspender said:

There's also the fact that there is only a very makeshift entrance into Terminal CP 1 - essentially they cut a hole in the side and built a ramp... so the people you met were the only enforcement of any booking. There are no barriers.

I am slightly surprised they didn't fit barriers with card readers on the new drop off area!

[theboss]

Just to re-raise my own thread, can anyone who uses the airport regularly comment on whether it's possible to just drive into the remaining multi-storey and enter the airport terminal now?

I have a relative arriving who does not speak a word of English, won't have a working phone / SIM card and has no familiarity with the airport, hence I need to guarantee that I can just park up and wait at the arrival doors for them knowing their flight has landed.

Last time I was there they still weren't letting you bypass the temporary drop-off area without some prior booking.

[Jordan247]

I can confirm the remaining multistorey car park is barrier controlled and I don't think you have to pre-book.

If you went to the long stay car park and caught the bus back you get 1 hour free and you definitely don't have to pre-book

[Skodillac]

All the info you need is here:

https://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/pic...