BHX now have a charge for pick-up and drop off. It's only a pound, but jeez that must soon add up! I also suspect you can get dropped off at the NEC and take the train thing across for free - fine if it's you and a laptop bag, but not if you have the kids etc etc etc.

Jenbel - with regard to families having the choice to fly from Heathrow, that's not the case in many many instances. I want to fly non-stop, so for a majority of destinations either 1) I don't have a choice or 2) would have to go straight past Heathrow to get to Gatwick, thereby increasing my carbon footprint, having to drive 50% further and pay the driver more to get to an airport that doesn't rip me off to, erm, get there. I use BHX when I can, but if it's a nonstop from LHR vs a change of plane from BHX, Heathrow does appeal (and again only one takeoff, so lower carbon footprint...)

Conclusion

So, the £20 charge wouldn't move me and my family to use public transport to get to Heathrow. In that regard it has failed in its stated objective of making me use public transport, but has achieved what many believe to be the objective of swelling the coffers of Ferrovial.

Lets go one step further and i'm flying on business. I want to do it as quickly as possible, so my company would pay £20 to save the extra 1hr travel time... Again, no tree hugging love from me, but that's another load of cash to Ferrovial...

If they really wanted to do this, they would close the CTA to private traffic and set up a free shuttle service (or maybe £1/person) using LPG vehicles or whatever. They would run at 3-5 minute intervals from the drop off point to each terminal along uncrowded roads.

The congestion drops through the floor. The air pollution targets are met. Oh, and it actually costs the airport owner/tfl/whoever some hard cash.