Terminal Parking pickup · why we use it
Why Heathrow Terminal Parking pickup beats kerbside.
Heathrow does not allow pick-ups from the forecourt drop-off zones, and a name-board meet and greet adds £15-25 without getting you away any sooner, so Kings collects from Terminal Parking. You walk 6-8 minutes from arrivals; the driver pulls in within 5 minutes of your call. Total: 11-13 minutes from customs to vehicle door.
Walking to Terminal Parking
6 to 8 min
Driver to kerb
≈5 min
Forecourt pick-ups
Not allowed
Name-board extra cost
£15 to £25
Why don't drivers wait on the kerbside?
Because Heathrow does not allow pick-ups there. The terminal forecourts are drop-off zones only, charged at £7 per entry, and unattended vehicles are removed.
Collecting from Terminal Parking also suits long-haul arrivals: the customs queue can take a while, and the driver waits nearby until you call rather than circling the forecourt.
Why not a name-board meet & greet inside the terminal?
It requires the driver to park in Terminal Parking anyway, then walk into the terminal, adding £15-25 to the cost without speeding up the pickup. The actual customer-to-vehicle time is similar: phone-call pickup ≈ 11-13 minutes; name-board ≈ 15-20 minutes once you account for the walk back from arrivals to Terminal Parking together.
Operators who charge £15-25 for "meet & greet" are charging for the impression of a better service, not for faster delivery. The phone-call pickup is faster, cheaper, and works at every terminal.
How much does Heathrow Terminal Parking cost?
£8 for up to 29 minutes, Heathrow's on-the-day rate from 6 January 2026. The driver pays it and it is already in the Kings fare, so nothing is added for you.
The £7 Terminal Drop-Off Charge is different: it applies each time a car enters a terminal forecourt drop-off zone, for example when we drop you at departures. That is in the fare too.
Common questions
Can I make the driver wait for me?
Can I make the driver wait for me?
Yes. The driver waits nearby from your actual landing time, and the first 60 minutes are free. Call or text when you have cleared customs, and the car comes round to Terminal Parking, or to the pick-up zone at Terminal 4, within about 5 minutes.
Phone-call pickup, fixed fare
Call us when you've landed, we drive round.
Published Updated