At Indigo Car Hire, one of our busiest locations in the UK to collect a Car Hire is of course London Heathrow Airport. With many long haul flights arriving 24 hours a day it is certainly a prime location for visitors arriving into the UK.

With the London 2012 Olympic games starting on 27th July, less than 50 days away now, there are growing concerns surrounding massive queues and delays at Heathrow Airport during the spectacular sporting events this summer in London.

We at Indigo have had many customers, who have arranged their car hire at Heathrow Airport, informing us of their anxieties surrounding these huge lines and massive delays. They have informed us that they are apprehensive that a normally routine journey through baggage claims and border control may now become an even more strenuous situation than normal.

Is there really reason enough reason for all of this concern this early on or is it just another situation just like the fuel crisis and panic buying from a few months ago? Well the UK Border patrol seems to think that there is cause for concern, they have stated that they will be increasing the number of staff at the border control in Heathrow Airport to make the flow of passengers smooth, safe and less problematic.

Some people are saying that the Olympics is just the catalyst which has made the Border Agency and the airlines aware of a situation that has been going on for many years previously. Personally we at Indigo believe that although delays are often unavoidable, they could maybe be handled a little better, whether this be by employing more staff at the Border Agency, like they have planned to do during the Olympic period, or alternatively arrange a better and more efficient way to deal with a large events.

One of the worst things that can happen when you have just got off of a long flight and it turns out that you end up waiting for an eternity trying to get through customs. The last thing you need is to be waiting around for your car hire as well which is why at Indigo, we always ensure that things go smoothly and are problem free. This is and always has been of great importance to both Indigo and our customers.

Manchester Airport have announced that they have “learnt lessons” after running out of fuel for the first time in its history!

Around 30 flights were delayed or disrupted by this lack of fuel, which was caused by a pipeline, from the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire that flows directly to the Airport, which had to be turned off on the early hours of Wednesday morning due to a batch of fuel which was contaminated.

With the huge influx of passengers and heightened business over the Bank Holiday period, all the reserve fuel tanks supplies at Manchester Airport  were completely depleted by around 5pm on Thursday.

Around 13 flights were delayed as they the planes did not have enough fuel to depart whereas around 17 flights had to make unscheduled stops throughout Europe to make fuelling stops.

Airport bosses have now begun talks with the airlines and fuel companies to see why this situation arose and to establish ways to prevent it occurring again.

A Which? Survey today found that many people are getting stung for parking their vehicles at the airport car parks; some providers of this service are charging ridiculous amounts of money for leaving your vehicle at the airport. Please read on for some helpful advice and tips on how to avoid this.

When leaving your car at the airport, charges are to be expected. But when the cost of your car parking, surpasses that of the cost of your flights, it begins to get rather preposterous.

Parking at Heathrow Airport can cost around £60 to £70 for the week if booked in advance however if you turn up on the day this price can more than double and be in the region of £120 upwards. That is an increase of nearly 100%.

By booking your parking at Gatwick Airport in advance you can expect to pay around £41, but if you do not pre-book then you could be looking at around £91.00. The same applies at other airports too. At Manchester you can book early for around £36.00 but if you are not prepared and pay on the day then you could be looking at around £100.

A few top tips when arranging your car parking at Airports in the UK:

• Always check around for prices – Check locally based suppliers like for example, Airparks who are based approximately 4 miles from Glasgow Airport. Often you can find that the off airport suppliers are much cheaper than the ones based on site.
• Book In Advance – It seems like with many things the earlier you book, the better deal you get. Always arrange your car parking in advance. You do not want to get charged more than 100% extra for your car parking on the day. In every possible instance please book as early as possible to avoid disappointment and price hikes.
• Check with Hotels – If you are staying at a hotel at the airport it is worthwhile checking with them as they sometimes have deals for car parking with the room packages.
• Check Transfer Times for Shuttle Buses – If you are travelling at unsociable hours then it is best to check that the buses stay regular throughout the night.
• Balance Price against Security – Most of the Car Park companies have CCTV installed as well as guarded patrols, local services may be less secure, so always check first and make sure that your vehicle will be secure as generally if there is a problem then it is your responsibility  not theirs.

 So follow these steps and you can be sure that your car parking will not only be at a reasonable cost, but also you will be safe in the knowledge that your vehicle is secure.