[Travelfoot]

No drop off fees at Heathrow at present but pick ups at the drop off points are awarded with a fine if you get clocked. Since the advent of the mobile phone that made pick ups easier without the need to hang around and the car parks were going empty. So some bright cog must have come up with the idea to introduce car park pick ups on the pretence of operational efficiency…effectively a revenue generating exercise. I remember some 25/30 years ago at Least Terminal 1 used to have 10 free minutes in car park. Now that was efficiency and customer spirited, today it is pure greed.

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Polly, PeterCoultas

[Inquisitive]

I just transit through Manchester a few times a year for my Singapore-Houston trips and once I made a comment about my transit experience that it is worse than Moscow transit that SQ used to follow earlier. It was so bad, I can imagine that other service aspect of that airport could be similar.

But I am surprised about the recirculation charge. A common sense says that the charge shall be same for each entry like any parking fees.
Isn’t there an MP or councillor for Manchester? Why locals cannot complain to him/her? Even a private organisation that is in public service must have some accountability to the people it is serving. And residents can change things with their votes. Isn’t that possible in this case?

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Polly

[AMcWhirter]

Manchester airport differs from other UK airports in that its majority owners are the 10 metropolitan councils of Greater Manchester along with Manchester City Council.

Private ownership is from Australia’s IFM Investors. It holds a stake of 35.5 per cent.

There are numerous MPs in this area. Andy Burnham is Mayor of Greater Manchester.

https://www.magairports.com/about-us/corporate-structure/

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Polly

[LuganoPirate]

This is pure greed and in these Covid days I would have thought they should be encouraging people to travel. I know those who impose such charges say you can come in by public transport, but if carrying 2 suitcases and hand-baggage this is often impractical. The only way I can see to change this – is to buy nothing from the shops – and let the shops and council know why they are being boycotted. If just 30% of passengers did this the drop in revenue may be such that the council owners would sit up and take notice. But then again they get their salaries no matter what!!!

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Polly

[RoyJones]

Manchester Airport through MAG is one of the worst adverts for Local Government ownership. It is thge busiest UK airport outside London’s. The Airport must be regarded as either a cash cow or a “jobs for the boys” cow. Nine of the ten councils plus Manchester City are Labour run, the 10th is Bolton which is minority Conservative. Yes, I am biased as I regard efficient government, especially local, as an oxymoron.

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Polly, LuganoPirate

[woodyhoo]

I missed my connection in Doha for my flight to DUB and was offered to be re routed thru either LHR or MAN.

Having not used LHR for years for the usual reasons i opted for MAN as i had never been there .

Welcome back LHR, all is forgiven.

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Polly

[IanFromHKG]

[postquote quote=1004419][/postquote]

Really, Martyn?? I do.

I don’t pay when I park at my local supermarket for an hour, I don’t pay when I drop someone off at a train station, I don’t pay when I drop someone at a hotel, and I’m fairly sure that most people would be outraged at the idea that they should. In all of those cases I would (perhaps I should say “may” because it depends on the particular place) be going onto land that is owned/operated by someone operating a business, and in every case it is a place where I or my passenger is directly or indirectly spending money with that business. Why on earth should I be penalised (over and above vehicle licence/road tax, fuel tax and every other way that motorists get taxed) for using a car???

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Polly

[QFA380800]

Manchester Airport has become a disgrace. An advert for aviation greed and a terrible endorsement for the North of England. I travelled through this airport weekly up until a few years ago and it was generally quite good. I used to enjoy it. But then the cracks began to show. The clincher was the abhorrent attitude of the staff at security. Even with us well versed passengers who would always get it spot on. Bags constantly getting pulled aside for additional searching to meet quotas when they have no justifiable reason to do so – with the staff subsequently talking to you like an infant despite there being zero issue with your baggage. Arrogant and condesending. Bordering on abusive. Especially how I’ve witnessed them interacting with non-English speakers.

You would think in a time when they need to stimulate demand and encourage the customers to come back, that they’d be suspending fees and other idiotic processes but instead, out of greed, they double down on them.

I now fly mostly through Spanish airports and the Middle East which are both a delight but I am travelling back to the north west in a couple of weeks and intentionally skipped flying into Manchester and picked Liverpool instead. You know there’s a problem when you’d prefer to fly through Liverpool Airport over somewhere else!

2 users thanked author for this post.

Polly, Inquisitive

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1006036]Really, Martyn?? I do.

I don’t pay when I park at my local supermarket for an hour, I don’t pay when I drop someone off at a train station, I don’t pay when I drop someone at a hotel, and I’m fairly sure that most people would be outraged at the idea that they should. In all of those cases I would (perhaps I should say “may” because it depends on the particular place) be going onto land that is owned/operated by someone operating a business, and in every case it is a place where I or my passenger is directly or indirectly spending money with that business. Why on earth should I be penalised (over and above vehicle licence/road tax, fuel tax and every other way that motorists get taxed) for using a car???[/quote]

I really don’t have an issue with a drop off fee as long as it’s reasonable and fair. For example, at Luton, I believe there is free drop off and transfer from the long stay car park (I may be mistaken). If you want to be dropped off closer, you can, but there is a fee, I have no issue. An airport is not exactly a supermarket (although some may disagree once air side). Competition by the supermarkets is intense, airports though don’t really have that level of competition. There was a similar discussion a few years back about whether baggage trolleys should be free or a paid service – if you use a service, kerb side drop off being one such service or facility, then i see no problem with the airport making a charge, after all it needs revenue to upkeep.

Pick up is very different, as cars that collect passengers do take the p**s.. trying to park up kerb side for long periods of time. Perhaps if airports stop ripping people off with car park charges, make the first 30 minutes free in the car park, then more people may use the car parks.

However, how that charge is decided is what becomes ‘corrupt’. Make it reasonable, people will pay, make it excessive, people will try and cheat.

I do like the German/European way, first x minutes are free then you are charged…

What I do think is shocking at Heathrow, a simple error in approaching the drop off area (T5) can cost you if you accidentally enter the car park…

1 user thanked author for this post.

Polly

[jjlasne]

Imagine managing a “re-circulation” fee at LAX…

[alistairNicoll]

I am surprised they do not charge for using the moving walkways from the station to the airport (not that I have ever seen them all working) the management have no idea of customer service just how to extract money

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Polly, Montysaurus

[GivingupBA]

[postquote quote=1008702][/postquote]

That’s a good idea…. put a couple of pound coins in and the walkway starts moving…. why wouldn’t that surprise me if it actually happened at Manchester airport? Then again what about lifts (a good bet with those piled-up trolleys) and even escalators? Tut-tut I mustn’t get cynical…..

4 users thanked author for this post.

Polly, Montysaurus, cwoodward, esselle

[alistairNicoll]

perhaps they will stop allowing trolleys into the lifts so you have to pay an extra £ to get another one

1 user thanked author for this post.

Montysaurus

[esselle]

Put a pound coin in the slot before the “call lift” button accepts the input?

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Montysaurus

[Inquisitive]

[postquote quote=1008823][/postquote]

And there could charge for using the not so clean toilets (as the Lounge do not have toilet).

There is a charge call airport tax. And that is taken to provide service to the passengers. If the service is bad, then need to call them out at every opportunity and at various platforms as being done here.

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Polly

[Author]

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