New Valet Parking at a Parking & Ride Price

Even in this day and age of our carbon footprint being followed by political and corporate institutions we still need the automobile. If you have a family or possessions then it is the only comfortable way to get from A to B. Getting to the airport for example, with a family and luggage is not an option by public transport. For all those that have flown from an airport, you have probably tried a number of options for parking your car. If we are talking of comfort then why use a park and ride operator that takes up to an hour to get you from the car park to the airport terminal and then back again on your return from holiday. Valet parking is a huge step up in comfort but of course it carries the price tag. Unlike a bus carrying huge numbers of people it takes money and manpower to personally collect, store safely and deliver your vehicle on the terminal forecourt. New Airport Meet and Greet Parking Company at Gatwick (AMAG Parking) offer a premium service at a budget price. With the increasing popularity of Airport Valet Parking the long established firm of parking operators Tudor Rose came up with the idea of enticing new Customers to an elite service without hitting their pocket. In spite of the phenomenal growth in airport valet parking over the last 4/5 years it has not stopped the industry from being tainted by bad practices and rogue operators. All of these have been well documented in the various media. This has created a lot of confusion and suspicion where Customers want to take advantage of what valet parking has to offer but have difficulty in selecting a good operator. Tudor Rose believe that by tempting the disillusioned back into the fold a lot of the credibility will be restored. Tudor Rose has been in the business of valet parking at Gatwick for over 20 years. One of the founders of this great service Tudor Rose has helped over the years to make this elitist and normally expensive service an option that everyone can afford. With the introduction of the Approved Operator Scheme by Gatwick Airport Ltd, Trading Standards, The Chief of Police, The Home Office and the Safer Parking Scheme (ParkMark), this will undoubtedly rid the industry of the undesirable element but at the same time have the effect of pushing prices back up to unaffordable levels. Tudor Rose has introduced its budget service for Gatwick meet and greet parking to offset these market influences and hope to maintain the current growth trends in the industry. Customers get all of the products associated with their premium service. There is no doubt that when comparing your parking options at Gatwick, Airport Meet and Greet Parking is a service well ahead of its alternative options. However, there are still a number of bad operators out there and we can only hope they will put their house in order. In the meantime, be wise and only use an Approved Operator and one that’s been around for a long time. Remember, Approved Operators only are allowed to use the terminal forecourts at Gatwick.

Gatwick Meet and Greet Parking

Approved Valet Parking Contractors at Gatwick Airport

 

Following on from previous articles regarding the Approved Operator Scheme for Valet Parking at Gatwick, this is an update on progress and what the scheme has done to achieve its objectives.

This scheme was initiated a couple of years ago by discussions between Gatwick Airport and the Airport Valet Parking Contractors Association. Since 2007/08 a considerable number of would be entrepreneurs decided that Airport Valet Parking was a great idea to make money and required little investment as there were no controls or legislation governing the industry. Web sites sprung up out of nowhere offering valet parking with empty promises of safety and security. An aerial view of Gatwick and its surrounding area would have been littered with vast numbers of cars parked in fields and side streets. With no business rates to pay or VAT for that matter and the opportunity of pay per click campaigns on the search engines, these people thought of nothing but a fast buck to riches. Needless to say it just got out of hand and was undermining the industry that had been built up by a few good people who had invested a considerable amount of money in great operations.

Customers began complaining and the internet forums, review centres and chat rooms were inundated with the problems people had experienced. It is fair to say that this even prompted people to complain where there was nothing really to complain about but this takes us away from the real issue.

Anyway, a lot has happened in the last couple of years culminating in the introduction of the Approved Operator Scheme for Meet and Greet Operators (MGO’s). Briefly, this has been created with the co-operation of;

Gatwick Airport Ltd

West Sussex Trading Standards

British Parking Association (ParkMark)

County Councils

Airport Valet Parking Contractors Association

Gatwick Police

So what has all this done for the consumer? Has it helped to protect the consumer from bad practices and provided a better, more efficient service.

Well, 8 valet parking operators at Gatwick managed to achieve approved status by reaching the requirements of the bodies listed above. These requirements included;

Web sites that were truthful and did not mislead the public.

Publication of Company Registration Number, VAT and Registered Address.

Planning permission on all sites.

Secure storage, safe and effective operational procedures that reflect an excellent deterrent of crime.

Able to deliver an efficient service to meet the demands and not to bring the industry into disrepute.

Proper dispute or complaint procedures.

Audited financial accounts.

And many others…….

As an approved operator you were allowed to stay using the terminal forecourts.

So what of the others?.. I mean what has happened to all the other operators that were unable to attain the Approved Status?

Well, they are still there. They are unable to settle on the terminal forecourts and must do their transactions in the multi-storey car parks. In order to use the multi-storey car parks they must purchase what are called proximity cards and these are preloaded with cash. This has hardly enhanced the exchange with the Customer and left a lot of them bewildered and confused. Having said that, one or two of them have risen to the challenge, got their house in order and provide an effective, affordable if not top quality service.

Un-approved operators do not have any institutions looking at them to ensure their operations meet a high standard. They are self regulated and we are all aware of things that go wrong with self regulation. Take the City of London as an example.

By contrast, the approved operators are all inspected every year by the various bodies listed above. The maintenance and upkeep of these operations to a high standard year on year is expensive and time consuming and only go to create a difficult platform from which to compete with the affordability of valet parking at Gatwick.

So the next time you choose a valet parking company at Gatwick and you want the peace and knowledge of knowing your investment is safe and secure, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to persuade you which one.

Valet Parking is a wonderful way to park your car at Gatwick Airport. Its convenient, hassle free and most of all it saves your precious time. If you haven’t tried it before it’s a must. Put your property in the trust of companies that have been prepared to put a lot of their money into looking after it – properly.

 

 

Gatwick Airport Parking

30th September 2013

Hello all

It's been some time since I have updated everyone on Gatwick Parking events. What with the holidays and a busy summer I have had little time to catch up on all events.

A lot has happened this summer not least the new Surface Access Charges that Gatwick Airport have imposed. All Approved Valet Parking Companies at (Meet and Greet) will have to pay a £6 fee for every Customer they meet or greet on the Terminal Forecourt. All unapproved operators have been pushed into the multi-storey car parks for their meet and greet which are subject to the current parking rates in force.

The general public will still be able to drop off their passengers on the forecourts but pick up is also being pushed into the multi-storey car parks. This applies to all taxis and passenger service vehicles.

Implementation of this scheme was on the 10th July for all Gatwick Meet and Greet Parking Operators. Forecourt transactions seem to have settled in reasonably well although it seems that a number of Valet Parking Operators and Taxis have failed to get the message and continue to abuse the new regulations. Traffic Wardens and Marshalls are doing their very best but it would appear that some of them are unaware of who can use the forecourt and those that can't.

There are mixed reports of the use of the multi-storey car parks with the majority stating that there has been an element of confusion for the Customers in finding the meeting points. Access to the MS car parks have shown an increased volume and this has slowed the pick up and delivery times for those operators using them. The traditional drop off and pick up on the forecourt remains the favourite option for most Customers.

Meet and greet parking at Gatwick is growing fast in popularity as indeed at all other UK Airports. This coincides with a reduction in Customers using Park & Ride operations. It is not co-incidental that some of the well established park and ride operations are investing in or expanding their valet parking sector.

There is no doubt that the Approved Operator Scheme will go a long way to reducing the number of rogue activities within the valet parking industry at Gatwick. This has given a kick to some operators to get their house in order and will no doubt serve to improve the credibility of the industry which in recent years has been somewhat soured by those operators who have less than desirable practices.

If you are going to use a valet parking company at Gatwick then it is wise to use someone you know or you have used before. For new Customers to the world of Gatwick valet parking there are a few golden rules.

• Use a company that has been established for a long time.
• Use a company that has close proximity to Gatwick North and South Terminal.
• Company number and VAT number should be declared on their web site.
• Company should have a landline telephone number that should be in operation during office hours.
• You vehicle is collected by the valet company at the airport but do you know where your car is being taken? All valet parking companies should publish the location of their car park or storage area on their web site.
• Web site photos should portray true facts and images of a valet parking company's operation and not images downloaded from the internet displaying false information.
• Beware false claims on web sites. It is a fact that more than 75% of  web sites offering valet parking services at Gatwick are making false claims of CCTV, barrier Control, perimeter fencing and so on.

Finally, you should know that out of 40+ operators at Gatwick Airport offering meet and greet parking services only 8 received the Approved Operator Status. All others failed to meet the criteria as laid down by Gatwick Airport, Trading Standards, ParkMark and West Sussex County Council.

To find out who the Approved Operators are just go to the Gatwick Airport web site, click on 'Parking' then 'Useful Links' and then 'Approved Operator Scheme'.

Horse Riding Holidays

When the summer starts we try to find new adventures and one of the most exciting adventures is horse riding in the sun.

Enjoy Fabulous Riding Holidays in Andalucia, Spain.  Ride the ancient mule tracks among the olive groves in the Sierras, explore the natural parks or take the trails overlooking the sparkling blue seas while riding well trained Spanish horses.

Horse riding holidays in France vary enormously, but all will show you the real essence of France. The country is the largest in Western Europe and has a huge diversity of landscapes, cultures and climates waiting to be discovered.

All agents will work closely with you to check both your ability and aspirations in order to match your groups riding abilities as well as selecting your perfect mount for your riding holiday.  Personal attention all week, with dedicated airport transfers, welcome meeting and evening meal with drinks and much more.

All our accommodation choices are within a very short walk of the beaches & old town. No driving needed!

Below is an example of a recent hotel stay in Spain. There are other options on offer including Villas to rent and Farmhouse Rooms. All prices are excluding flights.

Hotel Arrayanes Playa.

A well situated three star hotel just along the paseo heading towards Cotobro - right on the front with superb views overlooking the sea and just a 15 min stroll into the heart of the old town either along the promenade or beach.
Lovely swimming pool & sun terraces, with fantastic views across the bay to the Peñon and the Castillo de San Miguel.  In the evenings the pool side ambiance gets more intimate, ideal for drinks with friends or just chilling out in the warm evenings, watching the fishing boats working under the stars.
Friendly 24 hour reception with 33 spacious comfortable double rooms plus triple and family (4px) rooms.  Air conditioning is standard, as well as satellite TV, phones and fully fitted on suite bathrooms with hairdryers.
Restaurant with a great selection of Mediterranean dishes with international touches and also paellas and other local rice dishes as well as fresh fish.  In addition the restaurant offers a bar, an outdoor barbecue and a terrace with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean where you can enjoy cocktails or a wonderful meal.
Optional full laundry & ironing service, nice cafeteria and TV lounge.  Some rooms adapted for physically impaired guests.
Prices starts from £700 -£1125
Available at: riding-holidays-in-spain.com
Casa Delfin –fantastic casa for 2-6px with super view.
Prices from £700-£1145
Available at : riding-holiday-in-spain.com
Los Laureles Rooms -2-3px, breakfast included.
Prices starts from £700-£1185
Available at : riding-holidays-in-spain.com

French Riding Holidays

If you are travelling from elsewhere in Europe then France will be almost on your doorstep and you will be spoilt for choice with many airlines, including the low cost budget carriers, competing for your custom.

Ride along the trails of past Kings. Starting at Blois we visit its superb castle before discovering the castles of Chaumont sur Loire, the residence of Catherine of Medici, of Chenonceau, called the castle of the Ladies, of Cheverny at the start of the Sologne region, and of Chambord, the most immense of them all. You will overnight one night in the castle of Chemery. This castle, dating from the 12th century, has a medieval atmosphere, and there you will enjoy a candlelit dinner washed down with wines from the Loire Valley. Along with faster than average riding on fit Anglos Arab horses, this is a journey of discovery not to be missed.

Prices starts from £1295 pp -8days/6days riding excluding flights.
Available at:unicorntrails.com

If you are travelling with lots of kit and you are flying from Gatwick Airport, why not try Valet Parking. Have your car picked up right outside the airport terminal and delivered to you on your return.

If you want to guarantee catching your flight then an overnight stay before you fly is a great idea. Park, sleep and fly packages are available at all Gatwick Hotels and all at reasonable prices.

Airport Valet Parking

Meeting and Greeting your airport parking provider.

There are many articles written on the advantages of Airport Valet Parking or Airport Meet and Greet Parking which are the same only different in name.

There is no doubt that the companies offering a meet and greet parking service at the UK's major airports carry a distinct advantage over their park and ride competitors. Any service that offers the modern traveller a reduction in their travelling time will undoubtedly secure their custom. Meet and Greet parking can reduce your travelling time from door to destination by as much as an hour and in many cases by over 2 hours.

Booking Meet and Greet Parking is easy. There are many web sites that represent these companies at all the major UK airports. The major search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo will all give you results if you type in key words like Gatwick Valet Parking or Gatwick Meet and Greet Parking.

However, finding the right company to suit your needs and pocket is more difficult. Since the introduction of Valet Parking in the 80's and 90's, its popularity has grown, not only with the increase of airport passenger numbers but also taking a significant slice of the park & ride sector. This increase in demand has introduced a plethora of Valet Parking companies to the market place most of which use the search engines to advertise their wares. 

Most of these companies have been established for a number of years and have invested heavily in parking compounds which meet the criteria of local planning officers. Liveried vehicles, uniforms, police vetted staff and proper insurance cover are just some of the essential items that bona fide companies invest in every year. This costs money and is reflected in the charges made by these good companies. A good and reliable meet and greet company will charge anything between £50 and £80 for a weeks parking and £80 to £110 for 2 weeks including VAT at summer rates. These rates are pretty much set in stone if you consider all the overall costs of running a bona fide Meet and Greet Parking Company. If you were to find a company advertising rates at lower that the above guide then you will probably find they are somewhat lacking in those essential requirements of running a fit and secure operation.

These are some points you should look out for when selecting your Airport Valet Parking Company.

Make sure you know the exact location of the place your car will be stored BEFORE you make that booking. It is not enough for the web site to state 'your car will be stored in a secure compound close to the airport'. Your own insurance company will need to know this information in the event something happened. 

Make sure you have the full registered address of the company you use (not just the storage location), the company number and the VAT number which should all be displayed on the web site.

Make sure you have a landline telephone number NOT a mobile number.

Make sure your vehicle is parked reasonably close to the airport just in case you have to retrieve that teddy bear left in the car. Do not allow your vehicle to be taken miles from the airport as this will increase the road risk and reduce your petrol tank. Always ensure the mileage is recorded when passing your vehicle over.

A reliable indicator for a good company will be the length of time is has been in operation. Most companies will advertise the number of years they have been established.

Fully comprehensive road insurance is imperative. Most companies will state on their web site the Insurance Company they use for road risks.

All good companies will have uniformed staff with appropriate ID's and all of a mature age. After all, you would not expect to pass your vehicle to a boy racer!

This article has been written to throw a bit of caution your way when choosing a Valet Parking Company at a UK Airport. All too often we hear of bad press regarding airport meet and greet companies. These antics are connected directly to poorly run, newly formed companies and should not be associated with long established companies that invest strongly in their enterprises year on year.

 Written by Trevor Bryan a director and owner of an Airport Valet Parking Company established over 20 years.

Mobile Gadgets – bless or a curse?

We leave in a day and age where we rely more and more on technology, even for the smallest task or chore. With so many companies, on all service sectors creating a web site or an application designated for smartphones or tablets is no wonder we became dependent on our gadgets.

Whether we are on a train, car or just down in the park with our kids we all carry our phones or Ipads. We tweet, check our friends on facebook or just to find the nearest ‘Italian restaurant’, our best friend gadget is there to help.

Annoying as it may be, we do sometimes (some more often then others) leave things to the last minute.

And no exception makes your airport parking. We are so excited with the prospect of getting away from the miserable weather or the stressful job, that where we will park our car comes last on the list - if is not forgotten altogether.

To park at the airport car parks is one of the alternatives. But even if you are lucky to find a place – especially in the summer, the cost for a meet and greet service or valet parking is astronomical, whether you’re talking about Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester is the same.

The alternatives are the car parks around the airport that offer the meet and greet / valet parking service. But if you’re already on the way to the airport and not familiar with the airport parking companies - what do you do, how you can find a reputable company that can book you at short notice?

What many of us will do, pick up our phone and google - Airport Parking.

With this in mind, Tudor Rose Valet Parking at Gatwick Airport created a mobile web site.
Not only to help you book your Gatwick Parking on short notice but enabling you to navigate through the web site pages easily. In just one click you can call their office to make your booking or you can follow their step by step directions for Gatwick Airport Terminals or Tudor Rose Car Park site.

If you had booked your car with Tudor Rose Airport Parking but you forgot to print off the paper with instructions on what to do; No need to worry or panic, with just one ‘tap’ you can access the Terminal or Car Park Directions and go through the procedure.

No fiddling with papers while you’re driving, no need to dig out in your bag for pen and paper to write down instructions.

The driver’s mobile number is easy to access, just tap on the number and you’ll be put through straight away.

A mobile web site from a Gatwick Parking company is more then welcome and comes very handy for all its travellers.

Gatwick Parking - Truth or dare!

The new ownership of Gatwick Airport came as a breath of fresh air for the airport development.

They brought new airlines and encourage the already establish airlines to come with new routes and extending the already vast list for tourist or business destinations.

If you didn’t travel from Gatwick in the last couple of years, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the new arrangements Gatwick set for its travellers.

But all came with a price that ain’t cheap by any means. It’s understandable, as any business when you invest you expect a turner over on your investment.

This can easily be seen on the official Gatwick Airport Parking. Only yesterday I read an article that a week parking at Gatwick North Terminal came at the ‘bargain’ price of £154.00.

‘Rip-off’ they shouted, and so would I if they quote me that price. It’s nearly the same cost as my flight if not more.

We all look at Gatwick airport official car parks first when we want to book. The stories that you hear about the off-site car parks at Gatwick send chills down your spine.

What I can say is – DON'T TARNISH THEM ALL WITH THE SAME BRUSH.

I browsed the internet to see what off-site Car Parks are at Gatwick Airport and what they can offer.
I looked over forums for travellers that used Gatwick Parking and see what they‘ve experienced.

There are companies that park cars on residential streets near Gatwick airport or on the near by cities such as Horley, Crawley, even Horsham (which is over 10 miles from Gatwick Airport).
Read in forums that people got letters from Tesco or Sainsbury to tell them they’ve had their car parked over the 3 hours limit , when their cars should’ve been parked in ‘a secure car park’ .
People praised just two or three car parks that were off-site Gatwick airport, but only one of them caught my eye. And that was Tudor Rose Airport Parking.

They offer Valet parking / Meet and Greet Parking at Gatwick Airport.
Their web site is fairly easy to browse through. They offer a very straight forward service. You can see transparency on to their products and offers; no hidden extras nor unpleasant surprises.
You can see where your car will be parked; photos of their car park are published on their web site. Their drivers are uniformed and have a photo ID; they even published with whom their drivers are insured.

It’s easy to see why people praised them and why they are in business for the last 20 years.

So if you fly from Gatwick don’t be put off by the stories of off-site car parks that go around.

There are good, reputable companies at Gatwick that can offer you a secure, reliable and prompt service at a reasonable price.

Gatwick Parking

Good day to all.

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Gatwick Parking and I’m an OK sort of guy. I get along with most people because I’m fairly laid back and there isn’t too many people telling me what to do. It would appear I’m allowed to do what I like and for the most part I get away with doing what I like in spite of the odd bit of criticism here and there.

I work hard at what I do to provide over 40,000 car parking spaces at Gatwick Airport. During the summer when most people take their holidays I get very busy and most of the spaces are taken up but during the winter things are quieter and I’m able to take a rest. Gatwick is a very busy airport and most people flying out on their annual holiday like to drive to the airport because it is so much more convenient than taking public transport. It’s not easy to have to cart suitcases on trains or buses and even more difficult keeping an eye on the kids as well.

Most of my parking spaces are on the airport with about 20% off-airport. My on airport spaces are easy to find whether it is North or South Terminal. You can take up one of these spaces at any time but you will pay a higher premium called a ‘gate price’. Much better to book in advance, pay a lower price and receive a voucher. You can get these vouchers from any online agent by paying with your credit or debit card. Just arrive at the car park, present your voucher and go find a parking space. There are collection points around the car park so once you have unloaded your luggage, arranged your children, you can then march to the collection point and wait for the bus if it is not already there. You should always make a note of the car park zone as you can easily lose your car in such vast open spaces. The buses run every 5/10 minutes but after allowing time for some waiting and loading /unloading you should allow 20/30 minutes to get to the terminal. You should also allow for the same amount of time on your return as the bus is not always waiting for you. These short trips to the terminals were often called ‘shuttles’.

Off-airport parking is quite popular because it is a lot cheaper. These parking spaces are dotted around the countryside away from the airport so it takes longer to check in your car and get to the airport. The check in procedure is fairly easy as your car is parked for you and you can proceed to the bus stop. You should allow up to 45 minutes from arrival to get to the airport and the same on your return journey.

About 25/30 years ago Gatwick Airport began to offer some of my parking spaces called ‘Valet Parking’. This parking method was designed to eliminate the time taken up by ‘shuttles’. You drove directly to a small parking area at the terminal, checked your car in and then walked straight in to the terminal. Your car was then taken away from the terminal, stored for the period and brought back ready for your return from holiday. This proved very popular but only for those that could afford it. The price was twice that of on-airport parking or even more!

Due to its popularity it wasn’t long before more of my parking spaces were offered as ‘Valet Parking’ by off-airport operators. In fact it became so popular that my spaces were being offered under all sorts of different names. Meet and Greet Parking, Chauffeur Parking, Personal Parking, VIP parking is some of the new names given to Valet Parking. These services and parking spaces were offered at a cheaper rate than the original and very often the rates were competitive with the on-airport ‘park and ride’ prices.

When my Gatwick Parking spaces are sold it is with the Customers full knowledge of location, security and safety for the vehicle for which that parking space is taken. After all, the vehicle is not my property but I am contracted to look after it properly and I have to ensure that everything is in place to do so. It is important the Customers knows where his vehicle will be stored and that the location has the full back up of security and safety that is expected by the vehicle owner, the car park owner and the relevant insurers under the terms of the contract.

If the Customers wants to enjoy the benefits of Valet Parking he/she wants to know where his property will go after passing it over to the operative at the airport terminal. This is what makes my work so hard at times as it is difficult to watch over all my spaces when the season gets busy. New spaces are being created constantly and I have no idea where they are as the web sites do not display the location. How am I expected to ensure the safety of Customers vehicles if all I am told is ‘Your car will be stored in a secure compound close to the airport’? It could be stored anywhere, public roads, parks, country lanes – anywhere.

This is the criticism I get and I get it all the time. I know there are some good guys out there like those chaps that have set up the Airport Valet Parking Contractors Association (AVPCA) to protect the public from rogue operators. With no official regulation it seems that anyone can set up a valet parking web site with empty promises and make a good living out of it. That is – until something goes wrong and then we are all left with ‘why wasn’t something done about it’!

I want you to know I’m doing my bit and will leave you with a few pointers to ensure your car is returned to you in exactly the same condition as you left it. I’m proud of who I am and I just wanted you to know there is a dark side of me developing that is beyond my control.