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What time should I leave to collect someone from Southampton?
Live arrival time + live traffic from your postcode.
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Collecting at Southampton
No free option at all
Southampton says so itself: since the Long Stay car park closed there is no free pick-up or drop-off anywhere, and no shuttle bus. It is the only airport here with nothing free to fall back on.
£7 for twenty minutes, undercover
Pick up & Drop Off is on the ground floor of the short stay car park, a one-minute walk from the terminal. Your plate is read on the way in; you pay by card on the way out.
£80 for stopping anywhere else
Stopping outside the Short Stay and Long Stay car parks carries an £80 enforcement charge, £50 if paid within 14 days, and the airport says it is strictly enforced by camera.
Prices as published by Southampton Airport, last checked 24 September 2026. Their own pick-up page is the only place they 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.
Frequently asked questions about collecting someone from Southampton Airport
What time should I leave to collect someone from Southampton?
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 Southampton Airport?
The Pick up & Drop Off area, undercover on the ground floor of the short stay car park and a one-minute walk from the terminal. It is £7 for 20 minutes, paid by card or contactless at the exit barrier. For longer than 20 minutes the airport recommends the Short Stay car park instead.
Is there anywhere free to wait at Southampton?
No. The airport states plainly that it does not currently offer a free pick-up or drop-off option, or any shuttle bus connections, following the closure of the Long Stay car park. That makes Southampton the one airport here where arriving at the right time has no cheap fallback.
Why did my satnav take me to the wrong place at Southampton?
The airport warns that postcode accuracy varies on satnavs, and that some will route drivers onto the airport forecourt — a restricted area. Follow the signs on arrival rather than the satnav, and head for the short stay car park.
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.