[Anonymous]

[BigDog.]

Heathrow is intending to increase landing charges by 6% which continues its inflation busting increases of previous years.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/9863754/Heathrow-hits-turbulence-over-airport-charges.html

It could see landing costs jump from £19.33 per passenger at present to £27.30 by 2018.

BA, VS, LH are biting back and appealing to the controlling body – the CAA

Personally I think it is a good thing as it could make the other “London” Airports even more competitive and encourage an alternative to “single hub” thinking.

[FormerlyDoS]

Funny how BA don’t like being gouged.

I think HAH should charge them to pre-select their stands at T5.

Edited to add that there is talk of landing fees rising, too.

[Binman62]

From BBC

“Virgin Atlantic described the proposed price rise as “incredibly steep” and British Airways said it hoped it would not “penalise customers”.

what?

BA should look to its own charges fees and more fees before putting out drivel like this. Their own fees are subject to examination by the US DOT who think that they don’t just penalise customers but are actively misleading.

It is also misleading to suggest this is a cost to airlines as it is passed onto passengers in full.

[ViajeroUK]

LHR only UK hub?, bit late for that, AMS is already there and years ahead.

6% is above inflation so increase actually over 8%pa for five years. Excuse is that pax numbers over last five years have not grown in line with CAA estimate, leading to a ‘loss’ of £650M in income.

Maybe loss of pax growth is due to more people becoming increasingly fed up with the journey to/passage thru Heathrow and switching to AMS/CDG/FRA from our excellent UK regional airports.

Slightly off topic, but the QF routing via Dubai will no doubt lead to a further reduction in LHR transfer traffic, as QF pax will be able to fly direct from Dubai to other mainland Euope destinations missing out UK altogether.

[canucklad]

3 letters why passenger numbers have not risen……

APD !!

I try and book my leisure long haul ex AMS/CDG/DUB just to avoid that onious tax!

[Binman62]

canucklad……..APD is not something anyone wants to pay however the reason people are departing from other EU countries is more to do with lowers fares than lower APD.

BA fuel surcharge on a WT+ fare or above is 3 times the level of APD and almost all of the competition has followed their lead.

I travel ex the EU not to avoid £130 or £180 in tax but because I can get Business class seats for up to 75% less than if I departed from LHR on the same plane.

[Edski777]

LHR management is starting to sound like the Blackadder cast.
Mr Blackadder, I have a cunning plan…. Let’s increase charges!

If it weren’t so sad it would be funny. I’m sure the management of AMS/CDG/DUB can’t believe their eyes when reading this.

I’m flying through AMS for most of my long haul flights. Fed up with LHR and their ever increasing prices. And that they are hurting BA in the process seems non of their concern.

LHR, at least in my opinion, is overpriced and substandard. Most carriers at LHR are also available from airports that are much more customer oriented, have better connections and offer lower prices. It’s the British hurting themselves (read: BA, VS) through their own stupidity.

I feel that despite growing numbers at major gateway airports in countries surrounding the UK LHR will be left behind again in 2013.

When will we see a government or some regulator that steps in and puts a halt to this? Talking about being competitive is not enough!

[MarcusUK]

I echo the comments here, and have already moved to flying from Amsterdam.
Very easy for a £99 return from LCY or LHR on KLM if needed, and might i add on reviewing seats to Asia for the months ahead today, savings on Ex LHR. These amount to several hundred £’s per person on C fares.
CDG, AMS, FRA all easy alternatives, and if you like certain Airlines or aircraft / product, then you can have it from most other EU gateways as easily.

Amsterdam is impeccable in service, ease and standard of travel experience, in every aspect. The standards of how The Dutch run an airport, i truly believe that the UK will simply never reach. They are way ahead, and are already planning extending and improving the airport.

KLM are this year extending their regional UK airports, and more and more are linking through with them or via Schiphol for a far better superior experience, and better overall costs.

BT forum members should look at how much the charges are, even to use your miles for an Ex LHR, in any class. For VS, it can be £300-£400 in Airport charges, Airline surcharges, security, Government . These are for Y fares that you buy from £550 to Asia, or £1500 Business. Charges for returning start at £40 from Asia’s airports.

eg HKG in business on VS!
I don’t use my miles from LHR either, just as i will no longer pay these obscene range of charges.
Not only should the Airlines refuse these, they should take their planes elsewhere if this is how it is going to be.

Greed is what runs LHR, and i will no longer feed it.

[BeckyBoop]

Its not greed its high demand for LHR than any other UK airport. They need the investment in improving facilities and services. Whats even more strange its considerably cheaper to operate out of LGW but due to the amount of destinations available at LHR and closeness to the city more carriers prefer it. Whats worrying if the Thames Hub ever got the go ahead I would hate to think what the charges would be per flyer.

[Edski777]

Becky,

Then try and explain why AMS with less passengers and flights per year offer such a much better service and better facilities at a fraction of the price of LHR
.
They also have to invest to keep up with the demands of modern travellers and doing a considerately better job. So in short: LHR rakes in more money and still is falling behind a bit more every year. And the same case can be made for LHR against CDG/FRA/DUB/BRU etc.

As Marcus indicates: passengers (or their employers) vote with their credit card. The price and service differential is becoming increasingly in favour of AMS/CDG/FRA.

[BeckyBoop]

Edski777

AMS probably doesn’t have the same restrictions as LHR. It also doesn’t run to full capacity like LHR.

LHR will never be perfect it will always be a patch job the UK will also never get the Thames Hub either. Walsh knows this and will operate his planes from there if need be in the future.

[MartynSinclair]

Try Milan for ex-Europe.

Advantegeous ex-Europe fares also makes a complete nonesense of the airlines trying to reduce the carbon footprint as it encourages, or rather demands – in order to take a cheaper fare, fly more sectors and increase the carbon footprint!

Does make you wonder why on earth BA put that little box at the end of each booking

“Donate to the One Destination Carbon Fund”

Just makes no sense at all!

[Recordman]

Typical Spanish attitude: Not making enough money/too few customers, let’s put the prices up. Job done!

[canucklad]

Binman……you are also correct…

My recent avios flight from EDI > YVR had little change from 500 pounds……. if i had the time to shop around i probably could have paid 700 pounds or so and saved 75,000 points

But,as i’ve said before,we in the UK suffer from shrug shoulder syndrome!!

[Author]

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