Their main purpose is as a waiting area, but airport terminals are also designed to squeeze as much money out of us as possible before we board. However, there are a number of measures you can take to ensure you’re not dipping into your holiday budget too much before you even set foot off the place, so give one or more of these a go if you want a few extra pounds to spend…

 

Find Cheap Airport Car Parking

We often forget how much actually travelling to the airport is going to set us back, be it via the cost of train tickets, tube fares or taxi charges (or the price you pay for feeling guilty about asking a friend or family member to drive you). However, a happy compromise could be cheap airport parking. Yes, you might not normally put the word ‘cheap’ in front of that service, but the cost has come down drastically in recent years and there are a couple of ways you could get the price even lower. Firstly, book as far in advance as possible – the longer you leave it, the fewer spaces available and the higher the cost. Secondly, see if you can find an airport parking discount code to get you an extra saving on your booking. And don’t forget, you can’t put a price on the actual convenience of driving your own car to the terminal and climbing back into it again when you return.

 

Exchange Currency Beforehand

We understand that you have a lot of holiday prep to complete before you are rewarded with your break and this can sometimes get pushed back to the last minute, but if you want to save money, it definitely pays to change your holiday money way before you get anywhere near the airport. No one can accurately predict the fluctuations in exchange rates, but we CAN research how much different outlets charge for their commission, and we can also predict that airport currency exchange desks are going to be at the higher echelons of this scale. So best avoid if possible.

 

Weigh Your Luggage at Home

No one wants to be slapped with an excess baggage charge at the check-in desk and the easiest way to avoid this happening is to make sure you’re not over the allowance before you get there. If there’s absolutely no way in the world you can do without the items that are sending your luggage over the limit, then see if you can prepay the charges before you get to the airport – some airlines offer this service and it is often cheaper that settling up once you get there.

 

Download All Your Entertainment Beforehand

Thanks to the digital revolution, entertaining ourselves whilst waiting for delayed flights is no longer the concern it once was, but you still have to remember to download as many TV shows, films and games as you can while you’re still at home, because connecting to airport WiFi might cost extra and you certainly don’t want to use all your data.

 

Be Smart About Food and Drink

There are a number of way you cut down your airport refreshments costs depending on how strict you want to be. If you don’t want to spend any money AT ALL on food and drink, take everything with you beforehand, but be smart about it – pack snacks that will keep you going for longer (fruit that won’t go squishy in your bag, nuts etc) and some empty water bottles so you can take them through security and fill them up in the departure lounge.

However, if you envisage buying a meal (perhaps to while away the time if you’re travelling with children for example), there is another way. Now, you might think us recommending your book some time in an airport lounge an odd way to save money, but food and drink is often included in the price, and when you factor in the other benefits of airport lounges, you might conclude that they represent decent value for money.

 

Be Careful When Shopping

Browsing the duty-free selection is also another good way to while away the wait, but beware of the prices on offer (as well as the temptation to impulse buy things you don’t actually want or need). Before you leave for the airport, make a list of specific products you’re interested in (a particular fragrance or bottle of whisky for example), then see whether you can get a good deal on them with other retailers in comparison to the current duty free prices.

 

Not only is it possible to save money while you wait for your flight, but a number of these measures might also save you a bit of stress too. And after all, that’s what holidays are all about, right?