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Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
How to avoid expensive airport ‘kiss and fly' charges
If you're giving someone a lift to the airport this summer, watch out for 'kiss and fly' fees – the charges airports impose for dropping passengers near the terminal. More than half of UK airports have increased these fees since last July, with some now demanding as much as £7 for a 10-minute stop, according to research by the RAC. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these charges, or at least keep them to a minimum – but you may need to be prepared to walk a little further with their luggage. Here, Telegraph Money explains how kiss and fly fees work, why they have been introduced and what you can do to keep costs down. What are 'kiss and fly' fees? 'Kiss and fly' fees refer to the charges that airports apply when someone drops off a passenger outside the terminal, typically in a designated short-stay or drop-off zone. In most cases, you'll be charged a flat fee simply for stopping outside the airport for five to 10 minutes. Stay longer, and you'll likely be charged even more. On top of this, many airports are now switching to a barrier-less drop-off and pick-up system to help traffic flow more freely and reduce waiting times. However, this means that instead of paying there and then, drivers must remember to pay for parking either online or by phone once they are home. Failing to do so could result in penalty fees of up to £100. Why have so many airports introduced kiss and fly fees? One of the reasons airports say they have introduced these fees is to reduce congestion at terminal entrances. However, the charges also serve as a significant source of revenue, helping airports to cover rising operational costs. Patrick Bettle, from the aviation team at law firm Burges Salmon, said: 'Ultimately airports are businesses like any other. 'Kiss and fly' fees provide them with another valuable revenue stream, something that has become increasingly important in the wake of the disruption caused to the travel industry by the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Airports, particularly those that are subject to economic regulation by the Civil Aviation Authority, are limited in the amount of revenue they can generate through things like landing charges; 'kiss and fly' fees provide a useful non-aeronautical supplement to that.' But the disappearance of free drop-offs at UK airports is in sharp contrast to other major European airports, says the RAC analysis. Of the top 10 airports in the EU by passenger numbers, eight airports still permit free drop-offs, including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Madrid, Frankfurt, Barcelona and Rome. Who pays kiss and fly fees and how much do they cost? Kiss and fly fees must be paid by anyone dropping off a passenger outside the airport terminal. This includes friends and family members, as well as taxi and private hire drivers. Taxi drivers often incorporate the fee into the overall taxi fare but be sure to check. Drop-off charges can range anywhere from £3 to £7 for a five-to-30-minute stay. The table below outlines how these fees can vary, depending on the airport.


Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Asylum seekers 'move into' four-star Canary Wharf hotel under cover of darkness despite anti-migrant protests
People believed to be asylum seekers appear to have moved into a glitzy four-star hotel in London under the cover of darkness. A coach full of suspected migrants was seen arriving at the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf at around 1.40am on Saturday morning. Tower Hamlets Council confirmed the Government intends to use the hotel - which has around 500 rooms - for asylum seekers in a move that has angered anti-migrant protesters and guests whose bookings have been cancelled. Footage of the passengers getting off the coach showed they were all men, with the vast majority dressed in matching grey tracksuit tops and bottoms. They were helped by masked security guards, some of whom appeared to be wearing body cameras. Last week, workers were seen hauling beds and mattresses into the hotel in preparation for the arrival of 'hundreds' of asylum seekers. A barricade of metal fencing was placed around the hotel by the Metropolitan Police after anti-migrant demonstrators protested the plan for immigrants to be housed there. Met Police officers were called to the Britannia International Hotel last week amid warnings the 'discontent is real' in Britain. Footage on social media shows eggs were thrown, while a police helicopter was circling above as officers on the ground blocked the entrance to the hotel which has more than 500 rooms and is located on the waterfront of the South Dock. The Canary Wharf protest did not reach the violence seen in Epping, with YouTuber-types making up a large proportion of the crowd in preparation for any tension. However, there were still dozens of protesters - some wearing masks and others draped in St George's flags. One placard said: 'This is a peaceful protest to protect our own.' Counter-protesters also gathered outside the scene - and in one clip appeared to be escorted away from the hotel by police as protesters followed behind. Furious hotel guests have left damning reviews online, claiming they were told their stays were 'cancelled'. One wrote: 'My confirmed reservation was cancelled less than 24 hours before my stay via a brief phone call, citing a 'private hire' event.' Another said: 'Completely unprofessional company. Hotel cancelled my booking at last minute because they had a bulk booking.' And a third fumed: 'Booked in for three nights on 18th July. Told we couldn't stay on Sunday night no explanation but waiter said they were closing. Left to go to other hotel 1 hr away on Sunday. Waste of a day.' While guests claimed they were not given a reason for the cancellations, a spokesman for Tower Hamlets Council confirmed: 'We are aware of the Government's decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. 'It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. 'We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.' Local residents group chief Maxi Gorynski is an IT worker renting a high-rise flat in Canary Wharf. He made clear he wanted to distinguish himself and fellow residents from far-right demonstrators, saying they were 'notably distinct'. However, he told the Financial Times he was concerned the suspected asylum seekers could bring 'bag theft and gig economy fraud, all the way up to robbery, arson, sexual assault, rape, even murder' to their area. Felicity J Lord estate agent John Costea also told the FT that clients from the UK and abroad had asked 'many questions' about what is going on, such as 'how is it going to reflect their property value'. The Daily Mail has contacted the Home Office for comment. Protests have broken out across the country this summer, with more than 150 gathering outside The Park Hotel, in Diss, Norfolk last week after the Home Office announced plans to change it from housing asylum-seeker families to single men. Trouble first broke out in Epping two weeks ago after Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the town by attempting to kiss her. He denies the charges. The protest started peacefully, but descended into frenzied violence when anti-migrant demonstrators clashed with counter protesters and police. Essex Police has faced major questions after footage emerged of officers escorting pro-migrant activists to the hotel - despite the force initially denying this has happened. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted footage allegedly showing pro-migrant protesters being 'bussed' to the demonstration in police vans but Essex Police said this was 'categorically' untrue. However, after footage emerged of cops leading pro-migrant activists to the hotel by foot, Essex police admitted its officers had escorted the protesters. Farage had called for Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington to quit, saying it was 'absolutely disgraceful' and 'heads must roll'. But Chief Constable Harrington rejected claims his officers had given a higher level of protection to pro-migrant protesters. He said: 'The only protection that officers are doing is to those lawful and law-abiding people, whether they are in that accommodation, whether they are the people of Epping or whether they are people who are standing there with placards and banners wishing to make a very important and legitimate view, whichever your views about it. 'Where officers have intervened that is because there has been are not being partial in any way, shape or form.' When asked if he would resign, he said: 'No, I am not going to do that. This is not about me, this is about the communities of Essex... the issue is not about my resignation.' He said Essex Police made 10 arrests, adding: 'What has been unacceptable has been the people who have come to Epping and committed violence, who have attacked people who work at the hotel, who have attacked officers, who have damaged property and who have caused fear and disruption to the people of Epping. 'That is not tolerable, it will not be tolerated, and to that end, we have made 10 arrests.' In a warning to Farage and other politicians about their online posts, he added: 'It is not the police's job to clamp down on elected politicians... All I am asking is that people are responsible about what they say and they consider the real world consequences.' MPs and council leaders have raised fears that Britain could be heading for another 'summer of riots' - in a repeat of the street violence that followed the Southport murders last year. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner warned that anger at high levels of illegal immigration is risking social cohesion in Britain's poorest communities and must be addressed. Her comments came after Sir Keir Starmer was warned by Epping Forest Council Leader Christ Whitbread that the UK is a 'powder keg' that could explode. Newly appointed shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly criticised the Prime Minister for a 'disconnect from reality' when it comes to housing asylum seekers.


Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
The best beaches in Suffolk
Suffolk doesn't receive the same attention as its close cousin Norfolk when it comes to beaches, but the coast is one of the county's highlights, and its beaches offer more variety than you might think. Aldeburgh and Southwold offer coastal chic in bucketloads, while places like Covehithe and Shingle Street are as far off the beaten track as you ever get in England. Plus, there's a dash of kiss-me-quick charm in some of the places you would least expect it, like Felixstowe and Lowestoft. The great thing is, nowhere is close to a main road or major transport route, so wherever you go, you feel a little bit away from things. Lowestoft Lowestoft doesn't spring to mind when you think of beaches, but it is both England's most easterly beach and also one of its best; a long ribbon of fine sand, backed by a classically English mixture of beach huts, pristinely manicured gardens and Edwardian terraces. Getting there: Trains run from Norwich on the so-called Wherry Line from Norwich to Lowestoft's train station, which is handily placed near the seafront, just across the bridge from the pier and the main beach. By car, there are several car parks along the beach promenade. Insider tip: Lowestoft is also the southern tip of the Broads National Park, so you can also enjoy freshwater adventures a little way inland at Oulton Broad, where you can rent your own boat for the day or take a river cruise. You can reach it by train in two minutes. Covehithe This unique spot, a slender strip of sand backed by low bracken-topped cliffs, is reachable via a footpath from Covehithe's ruined church. If you prefer your beaches empty, this is the one for you. Getting there: Follow the signs to Covehithe off the main A12 from nearby Wrentham. Park your car by the ruined church of St Andrew and walk the rest of the way. Insider tip: The church is very atmospheric, and there's a five-mile circular walk you can do just inland from here, north around Benacre Broad and back down the coast to the beach. Southwold Genteel Southwold has a lot going for it – a handsome town centre crammed with pubs, restaurants and cafés, an iconic lighthouse and brewery and one of Suffolk's best sandy beaches, famously backed by some of the most expensive beach huts in the country. Getting there: The closest car park to the beach is the one just to the north of the pier, but there's another within easy walking distance, just the other side of the high street on York Road. Insider tip: Southwold Pier is delightfully low-key, with a restaurant that's a cut above the usual seaside pier offerings, and attractions like the wacky Under the Pier Show. Walberswick Its annual crabbing festival was stopped a few years ago due to overwhelming popularity, but Walberswick remains the crabbing capital of the east coast. But that's not the only reason to come here: its beach (a mixture of sand and shingle depending on the tides) is lovely – not too crowded and backed by grassy dunes. Getting there: The nicest way to reach Walberswick is on the quaint foot ferry across the river from Southwold's harbour, but it's also easy to reach by car and there's plenty of parking close to the river and beach. Insider tip: Walberswick is home to two excellent pubs – the cosy Bell, closest to the beach, and the slightly better-known Anchor, on the main road into the village. Both have rooms and serve food, with The Anchor in particular a destination pub for dining. Aldeburgh Benjamin Britten used to gaze out over Aldeburgh's beach from his seaside cottage before he moved to the Red House on the other side of town, and he'd still recognise the view today; a lumpy pebble and shingle strand dotted with fishing boats that stretches the length of the town and is backed by huts selling the freshest fish and seafood. How to get there: Aldeburgh is a 10-minute drive from the main A12 coast road. There's parking on the high street, which runs parallel to the beach, and car parks at either end of the town, right by the beach in both cases. Insider tip: Take a stroll up the beach in the direction of Thorpeness to Maggi Hambling's impressive Scallop shell sculpture, inscribed with words from the George Herbert poem that inspired Britten's opera, Peter Grimes. Shingle Street Shingle Street is perhaps the most unique of Suffolk's beaches, and indeed one of its most remote spots, at the end of a minor road that leads across the marshes south of Woodbridge. The name is a bit of a misnomer, since there are no streets here whatsoever, just a line of holiday homes and seaside shacks behind a wide stretch of shingle that looks onto a lagoon. Shingle Street never quite recovered after a World War II evacuation, and it remains an eerie and rather atmospheric spot, one more suited for contemplation than sun-worshipping. Getting there: It's easy to get here by car – the road leads here and nowhere else. There are a couple of parking areas, but nothing official. Insider tip: The beach is more of a nature reserve than somewhere for swimming, with seals basking on the shingle around the lagoon. Felixstowe Felixstowe is another Suffolk town that doesn't spring to mind when thinking of beaches, but it actually has a pretty good one – a four-mile stretch of Blue Flag sand and shingle with all the traditional trappings of a seaside resort – beach huts, a pier and a garden promenade. How to get there: You can reach Felixstowe on the train from Ipswich, and the station is just a 10-minute walk from the seafront. Coming by car, there are car parks near the pier and leisure centre and at the other end near Arwela Road. Insider tip: The Alex is a popular café, bar and restaurant that's open all day every day, and is right on the seafront road, not far from the pier and leisure centre. How we choose Every beach in this curated list has been expertly chosen by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of areas and styles, from popular city beaches to lesser known corners – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Martin Dunford Dividing my time between East Anglia and London, I've always been a big fan of the Suffolk Coast and the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, and am never happier than when following old footpaths between medieval churches and ancient pubs.