First things first: yes, you now have to pay to drop someone off at the terminal curb. It’s not free anymore, my friend. That scenic pull-up-and-wave-goodbye moment? Gone.
Heathrow introduced these charges a while back to reduce congestion and encourage people to use public transport. Translation: they want you to take the Tube or the train, not your car. But hey, we all have luggage and grumpy relatives, right?
How Much Does It Hurt?
For Terminal 4, a standard drop-off will set you back £5 if you pay online or via app within 24 hours. Wait, within 24 hours? Yes—they give you a grace period, but only if you’re quick. If you miss that window, it jumps to £7.50 (plus a potential penalty if you ignore it entirely).
And if you drive in and out in under 10 minutes? That’s the standard drop-off window. Go over 10 minutes, and you’ll get a £25 penalty charge on top of the drop-off fee. Oof.
