Manchester airport to charge for trolleys
Published: 15/02/2012 - Filed under: News »
As flagged by one of our forum posters, from this April passengers using new trolleys at Manchester airport will have to pay £1 for the privilege.
The airport is investing over £1 million replacing “ageing luggage trolleys with brand new, lightweight manoeuvrable versions”, and says that “To continue making multi-million pound investments in the airport when the cost of air fares are reducing, means that airports can't continue to provide services like trolleys for free”.
The charge will come into effect from April 10, with passengers having to pay a non-refundable £1 or €2 to use a trolley. There will also be a facility to use a credit card “at some of the vending machines”.
The airport adds that as only around five per cent of passengers currently use trolleys, “this method ensures that only the user pays rather than spread the cost across everyone”.
According to the airport the new trolleys are “significantly easier to steer and operate as well as being much lighter and therefore easier to use”. They will also be fitted with GPS, allowing the airport to build information on trolley “hot spots”, and ensuring trolley stock is “focused in the right area at the right time”.
The charge is the latest in a raft of fees levied by regional airports in the UK – for more information see In Focus in the February 2011 edition of Business Traveller.
For more information visit manchesterairport.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
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COMMENTS »
CrazyCanuck - 15/02/2012 12:58
This one of the sutpidest things you see in UK airports. Im not sure what kind of image we portray to visiters, but ripping them off as soon as we land is not the best idea.
JordanD - 15/02/2012 16:49
I dislike any airport that charges for a trolley - refundable or non-refundable. When you arrive in a foreign country, having the right change for a trolley is inevitably impossible.
Simply ridiculous.
Bagpuss - 15/02/2012 17:51
Very sad ... another reason to avoid Manchester airport ... you think they'd be able to fund carts in another way - the place is already like a huge shopping mall .. it's sad ..
Gin&Tonic - 16/02/2012 05:57
At Manchester airport as the escalators would break down they would then box them off with a sign claiming they were being green for the environment and did I know how many cups of tea a year I could make for the electricity they were saving.
They also switched off the moving walkways in T2 arrivals and departures. Brilliant when you have the end gate!
Sorry they are just cost cutting in all the wrong areas. At £1.00 a go they will still see many of the baggage trolley’s being used by the public for various purposes in Wythenshawe.
MJLRGS97 - 16/02/2012 10:44
Yep, when I return from my annual 3 week trip to India its already a pain getting the right change for the trolleys at MAN. But I don't really have a problem with the non-refundability though (except that the £1:2€ is a bit unfair). As long as its going to the right place.
But while it may be okay for people who live in the North-West, it probably will seem very unfair to visitors, a very bad image that you get ripped off as soon as you've entered Britain.
Janbeegee - 16/02/2012 13:17
It's £2 non-refundable at Cardiff!
David61 - 16/02/2012 14:13
Yet another rip off from this godforsaken organisation to go with all the others like the plastic bags to go through security and horrendous car park charges for the pleasure of meeting/picking up someone.
JohnHutchison - 16/02/2012 14:24
There's no point in shifting your business to Leeds /Bradford as they have already implemented a charge £1 for a trolley.
TerryMcManus24 - 16/02/2012 17:23
Can imagine 10,000 Chinese tourists all trying to get one pound coins from the Bureau de Change while waiting for their luggage....
Nee Hao...how many little coins for 10 Rmb
AVOID.... Manchester Airport..sad beggers
kkuaNYC - 17/03/2012 00:40
Silly... just rush out to the arrivals curbside and pick up the trolley from a party that has recently loaded up their vehicle. By the time you return to the lugagge carousel, the bags would have just arrived on the belt.
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