Free planning tool · Not a taxi
What time should I leave to collect someone from Manchester?
Live arrival time + live traffic from your postcode.
Example searches
Collecting at Manchester
Terminals 2 and 3
Terminal 1 closed in March 2026. Ryanair uses Terminal 3 and every other airline uses Terminal 2 — a rule clear enough that we show the terminal on a Manchester result instead of guessing.
Fifteen minutes, then £60
Express Pick Up is £6.60 for up to 15 minutes. Overstaying costs £60, so it is not a place to sit out a delay — which is the whole argument for leaving at the right time rather than early.
Not the drop-off zone
The free area is for drop-offs and is enforced separately. We last checked these on 2026-09-21; Manchester’s own parking page is the only place the charges are current.
This is
A calculator for the person doing the collecting. Free, no account, no booking.
This isn’t
An airport taxi, Uber or meet-and-greet. We never take payment for a journey.
Manchester questions
What time should I leave to collect someone from Manchester Airport?
It depends on the flight and on your traffic, which is what the planner above works out. As a rule, allow for the passenger to get off the aircraft, clear the border and collect bags before they reach the kerb — around 20 minutes for a domestic or Irish arrival, and longer after a long-haul flight — then add your own drive time on top.
Where do you pick someone up at Manchester Airport?
Express Pick Up is the one meant for collections: £6.60 for up to 15 minutes, a short walk from the terminal. Overstay those 15 minutes and the charge jumps to £60, so it is not somewhere to sit and wait on a delayed flight. Manchester's own parking page is the only place those prices are current.
Can I wait in the free drop-off area?
Do not collect anyone from the Drop Off zone. Manchester lists that area for drop-offs and enforces it separately from Express Pick Up. If the flight is running late, the safer plan is to time your arrival properly rather than to park somewhere cheap and hope.
Which terminal will their flight land at?
Terminal 1 closed in March 2026, so it is Terminal 2 or Terminal 3. Ryanair uses Terminal 3; every other airline uses Terminal 2. That is the airport's own published rule, and it is what we show on a Manchester result rather than a guess.
Does FlightPickup arrange the car?
No. It is a free planning tool and nothing more. We do not operate vehicles, employ drivers or take payment for journeys — we tell you what time to set off, and you drive.