Airport Parking & Hotels

What Airport Parking & Hotels does

Airport Parking & Hotels (APH), trading as APH, is a UK-based online travel aggregator and booking platform founded in 1980 and operated as a family-owned private limited company (Airport Parking and Hotels Limited). The platform enables travellers to compare and pre-book airport parking, hotels, hotel-and-parking packages, airport lounges, and ancillary travel services (car hire, airport transfers, travel insurance via Rock Insurance, and doorstep baggage check-in via AirPortr) at all major UK airports including Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and regional locations. APH operates its own parking inventory of more than 10,000 spaces at Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham, and simultaneously acts as a booking agent for over 200 third-party car parks and 150+ partner hotels.

The underlying technology stack is a self-serve online booking platform with search and comparison functionality, a customer account system (myAPH) for booking management and loyalty discounts, SSL-encrypted payment processing with credit-card tokenization, and integrations with Google Analytics, Google Optimize 360, SaleCycle for abandoned-cart recovery, Criteo for retargeting, and Microsoft/Bing paid-search attribution. APH also exposes a full XML API, white-label booking websites, and embeddable booking forms to enable distribution through OTAs, travel management companies, airlines, and loyalty platforms.

APH's commercial model is built on transaction fees and agency commissions earned on parking, hotel, and lounge bookings, supplemented by affiliate referral revenue from travel extras and B2B channel partners. The primary go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via aph.com and a UK call centre, complemented by a 20+ year affiliate/white-label programme reaching global partners. End customers are individual UK air travellers (with secondary segments in families and business travellers), while the supply side comprises hotel groups (Hilton, Sofitel, Sandman Signature, Novotel), parking operators including I Love Meet & Greet, and ancillary providers. The business has been recognised as Best Airport Parking Company at the British Travel Awards every year since 2010 and holds Which? Recommended Provider status, but has no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or executive changes.

Name

Airport Parking & Hotels

Legal name

Airport Parking and Hotels Limited

Website

https://aph.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Airport Parking & Hotels (APH) is a UK family-owned online booking platform, founded in 1980, that lets travellers pre-book airport parking, hotels, lounges, and travel extras at all major UK airports, operating 10,000+ own parking spaces and acting as agent for 200+ car parks and 150+ hotels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airport Parking & Travel Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (56151), Travel Agencies (561510)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Airport & Venue Ground Transport Booking Platforms (On-Demand & Pre-Book) (TLAFAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation Reservations (Car Service, Limo, Shuttle) (HSACALAH), Car Rental & Car-Sharing Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAF), Airport Parking Shuttle Operators (THAIAFAD)

Keywords

• Airport parking services
• Airport hotel bookings
• Meet and greet parking
• Airport lounge access
• Travel extras booking

Headquarters

HQ city

Crawley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Airport Parking Bookings: APH earns commission/transaction fees on parking bookings made through their platform, operating both APH-owned car parks and third-party partner car parks.
2. Airport Hotels and Packages: Revenue from hotel room bookings and combined hotel + parking packages at UK airports.
3. Airport Lounges: Commissions from lounge access bookings at UK and international airports.
4. Affiliate and White-Label Partnerships: Revenue sharing arrangements with affiliates, OTAs, and partners who resell APH products through white-label websites or API integrations.
5. Travel Extras: Commissions from additional travel services including car hire, airport transfers, and travel insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Airport Parking & Hotels (APH) operates an online booking platform that lets travellers pre-book airport car parking, airport hotels, combined hotel-and-parking packages, and airport lounge access at all major UK airports, alongside ancillary travel extras such as car hire, airport transfers, baggage check-in and travel insurance. The company owns and operates its own car parks (over 10,000 spaces at Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham) and also acts as a booking agent for more than 200 third-party car parks and 150+ hotels, earning commissions on each transaction.

Product overview

Airport Parking & Hotels (APH) is a UK-based travel extras aggregator and booking platform, established in 1980 and still family-owned. The core offering is a comparison and booking service for airport car parking at over 150 car parks across all major UK airports and ports, complemented by airport hotel bookings (over 150 hotels), combined hotel & parking packages, airport lounge access, and travel extras including car hire, airport transfers, baggage check-in (via AirPortr), and travel insurance (via Rock Insurance). APH operates its own car parks at Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham airports while also acting as a booking agent for third-party car parks, hotels and lounges. The portfolio includes core products (Airport Parking, Meet & Greet Parking, Airport Hotels, Airport Hotels & Parking, Airport Lounges) and supplementary services under Travel Extras. APH also offers a white-label and XML affiliate programme for OTAs, airlines and travel management companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Airport Parking Pre-bookable airport car parking at over 150 car parks across all major UK airports and ports, including both APH-owned and third-party partner car parks, with services ranging from budget to luxury options. For UK air travellers needing secure parking during outbound trips.
• Airport Meet & Greet Parking Premium drive-up and drop-off parking service where a uniformed driver meets the customer at the terminal to park their vehicle, available at multiple UK airports. For business and leisure travellers seeking convenience.
• Airport Hotels Hotel room bookings at or near major UK airports, including on-airport and off-airport options ranging from budget to luxury, with thousands of rooms available. For UK air travellers needing accommodation before early morning flights.
• Airport Hotels & Parking Packages Combined hotel and parking packages allowing travellers to book overnight accommodation alongside parking, simplifying travel logistics and often offering cost savings. For travellers combining pre-flight hotel stay with parking.
• Airport Lounges Access to VIP airport lounges at UK and international airports, offering complimentary food and drink, free WiFi, comfortable seating and a quiet environment away from terminal crowds. For travellers wanting a more comfortable pre-flight experience.
• Lounge Pass Pre-bookable airport lounge access at UK and international airports starting from £13.50 per visit, offering a quiet environment with complimentary refreshments, WiFi and comfortable seating.
• APH Gatwick Park and Ride APH-owned and operated park and ride facility near Gatwick Airport, offering secure off-airport parking with free shuttle transfers to both terminals every 10-15 minutes, operating 24/7. For Gatwick-bound travellers preferring off-airport parking with shuttle transfers.
• Novotel Birmingham Airport (partner hotel) 4-star on-airport hotel at Birmingham Airport offering rooms with direct terminal access, an on-site restaurant, 24-hour bar, fitness centre and family-friendly facilities, available as a room-only or hotel & parking package.
• Sofitel London Gatwick Hotel (partner hotel) 4-star on-airport hotel at Gatwick North Terminal connected via covered walkway, featuring multiple restaurants, bars, air-conditioned soundproof rooms, business centre and on-site parking, available as a hotel & parking package.
• Sandman Signature London Gatwick Hotel (partner hotel) 4-star off-airport hotel approximately four miles from Gatwick Airport featuring an indoor swimming pool, on-site dining, free WiFi and electric charging points, available as a hotel & parking package with APH or I Love Meet & Greet.
• Car Hire Car hire comparison and booking service to help travellers find the best deal for their holiday car rental needs.
• Airport Transfers Pre-bookable transfer services from airport to holiday accommodation, designed to make onward travel easy and stress-free.
• Baggage Check-in Service (AirPortr) Partnership with AirPortr enabling customers to have their luggage transported from doorstep to destination, eliminating the need to carry bags through the airport.
• Travel Insurance Travel insurance policies offered in partnership with Rock Insurance, providing coverage for trips booked through APH.
• APH Affiliate Programme (XML, White-Label, Booking Forms) Partnership programme offering commission, white-label, and XML integration options for OTAs, Travel Management Companies, airlines, loyalty platforms and commission agents to sell APH parking, hotels and lounges. APH acts as agency for over 200 car parks and 150 hotels.
• UK Airports Directory Comprehensive guide to UK airports providing essential traveller information including WiFi, baggage facilities, dining, shopping, check-in times, parking and hotel options.
• Partner Offers (Travelzoo) Hand-picked travel deals including hotel stays, local experiences, restaurant offers, spa packages and holidays, provided in partnership with Travelzoo's 30 million member network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ customers served annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AirPortrminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPH partnered with AirPortr to offer a baggage check-in service, allowing customers to have their luggage transported from doorstep to destination.
• TravelzoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAPH partners with Travelzoo to offer hand-picked deals on hotel stays and local experiences to Travelzoo's 30 million members. APH was voted UK's Best Travel Deals Provider by Travelzoo 2012-2020.
• I Love Meet & GreetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorI Love Meet & Greet is a key parking partner offering premium meet and greet services at Gatwick Airport, packaged with APH hotel offerings.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Holiday Extras: UK-based direct competitor offering airport parking, hotels, lounges and travel extras across UK airports. Overlaps almost entirely with APH in product mix, customer base (UK air travellers) and distribution (D2C plus affiliate). The most directly comparable peer.
• Purple Parking: Long-established UK airport parking operator and aggregator with meet-and-greet and park-and-ride services. Directly competes with APH's owned car parks and parking aggregation offering, particularly at Gatwick and other major UK airports.
• Looking4Parking: UK airport parking comparison and booking platform operating across major UK airports. Directly comparable on the parking aggregation model, with similar target customers and supplier relationships.
• SkyParkSecure: UK airport parking and hotel booking platform serving similar UK travellers. Comparable product scope (parking, hotels, packages) and similar B2C online booking model.
• ParkVia: UK-headquartered airport parking booking platform with broader international coverage (across Europe and beyond). Comparable business model as an airport parking aggregator and a relevant peer given APH's potential international ambition.

Emerging players

• LoungePair: Airport lounge booking platform offering pre-bookable lounge access at UK and international airports. Overlaps with APH's lounge product line and competes for the same ancillary-spend wallet.

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com: Global online travel incumbent increasingly bundling airport parking, hotels and travel extras. Represents the largest competitive threat as a broad incumbent with overlapping capability and substantially greater scale and brand.
• Expedia: Global OTA with significant UK presence offering flights, hotels and increasingly travel ancillaries. A broad incumbent competing for the same UK traveller wallet and serving as a distribution partner via APH's affiliate programme.

Others

• Travelzoo: Travel deals publisher and existing APH partner (Travelzoo member offers). Comparable as an aggregator driving demand to APH's inventory; also serves as a benchmark for ancillary travel deal distribution.
• AirPortr: UK-based doorstep baggage check-in service already partnered with APH. Comparable as an adjacent airport ancillary product that competes for travel-extras wallet share and could be bundled with APH parking and lounge offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aphparking
• Facebookfacebook.com/AirportParkingHotels

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Airport Parking & Hotels