Charges - a matter of perception?
Annoying hidden charges
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Jasper Kelly Wednesday 28 July 2010 |
Much has been written about the Ryanair toilet charge and, whilst I intensely dislike the idea, Ryanair are being very open about it. So, if you book with them you know what to expect. The same cannot be said for some of the hidden charges that are starting to appear at our UK airports.
Brenda Tamplin wrote in to us about the charges that she and her husband found when they travelled from Luton earlier this month.
As she stresses, this was just a few pounds and whilst charges obviously mount up, it is a matter of perception and airports do themselves no favours when charges feel like a rip-off.
A Luton baggage trolley now costs a non-refundable £2. Brenda remembers refundable trolley charges being introduced in supermarkets to encourage people to return the trolley. She also has no problem in paying an usage fee, recognising that someone has to do the collecting, stacking and servicing. She said a £1 coin would have been convenient and reasonable but the doubling up to £2 just left a bad taste.
Brenda contrasted her feelings about the trolley charge with Luton’s passenger drop-off fee of £1 for 10 minutes in front of the terminal. She thought that was very reasonable and a very useful facility. The £50 fixed penalty for exceeding the time focused the mind and made the system work well. Her point was that she had a choice.
Brenda also referred to the well signposted fast-track line to short-cut some of the queues at security. At £3 per person it seemed a bit steep but a nice idea.
Her real gripe came when she and her husband reached security where she needed a clear plastic bag for liquids, etc carried in her hand luggage. Most airports provide these automatically. At Luton, Brenda had to purchase a pack of four bags at £1 per pack.
As Brenda says, it is not the £1 but the sheer lack of any other option. You are stuck in the queue and need a bag and have to pay whatever they ask. She also now has three spare plastic bags !!
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Belinda Potts 29 July 2010, 08:09AM | |
| I do so agree with you. I hate being ripped off. I would so happily give the money to charity rather than feel that I have been conned. I would like to say that had I known, I would have brought a plastic bag with me but I probably would not have bothered if I knew that I could get one at the airport. It is probably worth a £1 but it is the feeling that they lead you to the front of the security queue and then give you no choice. | |
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Becky Turner, Staffs 29 July 2010, 03:42PM | |
| Its not as if a clear bag would cost £1 is it? I wonder if they would actually accept a bag bought in by a passenger anyway? One more way of being ripped off it would seem. | |
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Fiona, Brighton 2 August 2010, 03:25PM | |
| I agree this is just another charges trap. With airlines bumping up the price of drinks passengers are forced to bring their own and are now faced with a charge for clear plastic bags to carry them in. I appreciate the security reasoning, and in due course passengers will be wise to bring their own bags. | |
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Peter Bennett 3 August 2010, 07:43AM | |
| You do have to admire the cheek of the airport. I guess that they would say it is up to us, the poor beleaguered travelling public, to comply with the security requirements. So, if we want to carry liquids then we should come prepared with a plastic bag. For the poor souls that fail in this endeavour, they will help out and supply the bag(s) at a small fee. The decision to supply four bags is to help you next time you use that airport. | |
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Daniel Barber, Cumbria 13 August 2010, 03:11PM | |
| It really is becoming a joke! Charges here, charges there, when will it end? You seem to have so much to remember these days when you fly, weight of baggage, what you take in your hand luggage, now remembering to take a clear plastic bag, you are worn out before you begin! | |
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| Trying to remember for security requirements what you are and not allowed to take through is difficult in itself, charging for the bags is just an insult. | |
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