Posted on : 01-11-2016 3:55

Meet and Greet – How it should be

“Meet and Greet” airport parking services should be the most convenient and luxurious way to travel if you’re planning on leaving your car at the airport while you’re away.

The whole idea behind booking “Meet and Greet” airport parking is that passengers can drive straight to the terminal building where their vehicle will be picked up and driven to a secure location for the duration of their trip. On return to the airport, they will be met outside the terminal building with their car, allowing them to get straight on road for the next stage of their journey.

Whether you’re booking “Meet and Greet” parking because you’re travelling with children and want as little hassle as possible, or you’re going away on business and time is of the essence, the service is designed to make airport travel as easy and stress free as possible.

However, the sad fact is that in the UK and worldwide, there are numerous cases where the parameters of an exclusive “Meet and Greet” service are far from met. This type of service should offer easy, quick and convenient travel to thousands of travellers, but there are a number of unscrupulous companies out there who are taking advantage of people’s trust and giving this service a bad reputation.

Hitting the headlines

You only have to look at the headlines in recent years to see that there are various parking cowboys in operation. One particular high profile case relating to ‘parking cowboys’ that hit the national news in 2014 was a BBC Watchdog expose that tracked a Gatwick based airport car parking company.

Reports from passengers about the firm included a £45,000 Mercedes being stolen and an Audi A7 with an additional 1,500 miles on the clock when a holidaymaker returned from her honeymoon to name but a few. This prompted the Watchdog team create an undercover operation to see what really happens when passengers booked with this company.

Booking in three cars, they secretly monitored their locations, which in all three cases revealed the cars were not parked in the “claimed 24/7 manned and secure off-site car parking”, but left in various locations including residential streets, public car parks and outside shops.

Another recent report by the Manchester Evening News has also revealed numerous stories of airport parking companies in Greater Manchester abusing their position of trust. Their investigation uncovered non secure parking facilities in farmers fields, cars being left in pub car parks, country lanes and even cars being raced around fields by parking operatives.

Thankfully these companies are being exposed for their unethical and illegal antics, but no doubt there will still be more that come out of the woodwork. Furthermore for those customers who have been scammed by “parking cowboys” the damage has already been done, not to mention the tarnished reputation of the overall “Meet and Greet” airport parking services.

We’re not all the same

However, at UK Airport Car Parks, we want to put our customers’ minds at rest and assure them that not all airport parking companies are cowboys. Certainly when you book your airport parking, including “Meet & Greet” services, through us you can have peace of mind that all our providers are thoroughly and regularly vetted.

This ensures that passenger’s cars are well-cared for and kept in secure and manned compounds the entire time. It also verifies that each and every one of the companies we work with actually provides the service they are supposed to.

Furthermore, with UK Airport Car Parks, the vast majority of our airport parking providers have been issued with the Park Mark Award. This is an initiative that has been designed and implemented by the Association of Police Officers in a bid to lower incidents of crime in UK parking facilities and give customers greater peace of mind that their cars are being kept in safe and secure facilities.

The Park Mark scheme runs nationwide, from airport car parks in Gatwick and Heathrow, to Birmingham, Manchester all the way to Edinburgh. It’s proving to be a highly effective measure of car parks, as in order to receive the Park Mark Award, parking facilities have to meet strict guidelines.

This includes having various different security measures in place, including CCTV, floodlights, security barriers, frequent patrols and exit/entry barriers. They also undergo bi-annual assessments by the Park Mark Association to ensure security measures are continually met.

With our thorough vetting system and the stringent requirements for the Park Mark award, all our customers can have complete peace of mind they are leaving their cars in safe and secure compounds. In addition to, the Park Mark Safer Parking Scheme is also working to help police reduce and prevent criminal activity in these kinds of parking facilities; to eliminate the “parking cowboys” that are scamming customers.

Check the credentials

If you are looking to book a “Meet and Greet” airport parking service, as with anything, you should always do a little research before you leave something as valuable as your car in the hands of strangers.

A good place to start is to look for clear indicators, such as the Park Mark Award that will help you to identify if a car park is secure and regulated. Also, booking through a reputable and well-known airport parking finder like UK Airport Car Parks, can also give additional reassurance, as in addition to the Park Mark, all our providers are fully vetted.

Take a look at our page about safer parking at UK airports which mentions more about the Park Mark award.

When you are searching for the right airport parking company, look out for well-established and reputable companies. It’s also a good idea to check customer reviews, as this can give a quick and clear indication of a good or bad airport parking service, and give greater reassurance your car is going to be in safe hands.

While there are some cowboys out there, we want you to know that at UK Airport Car Parks we are always working to give greater customers satisfaction, value for money, security and airport car parking services you can rely on.

UK Airport Car Parks

Delivering vetted, secure and reputable Meet & Greet parking at more than 25 UK airports.