Rip Off Parking Fees!

[Swinging the Lead]

I must have a rant about this,

it is bad enough that we have outrageous landing fees in the UK,

which are non existance in the states, BTW!

but some large airports are killing off GA by charging parking as well!!

If you want a day out in Exeter or Southend please take lots of cash as these kind airports only 'Give you 2 hours free parking', any more than that is charged at an expensive rate.

I can understand, not neccessarily, agree with high landing fees - airport staff, facilities etc. but to charge for parking?

I await the justification with some interest!

[bluskis]

An airfield which did not charge for parking would soon fill up in the winter as people positioned there to save costs in the 'non flying' months.

I am sure there is a calculation which accounts for the costs of ATC, fire, some of the airfield costs etc for landing fees, and accounts for the rest of the airfield costs in parking charges.

ie no parking charges would equate to much higher landing costs, and full airfields in winter.

Having said that, French airports seem to manage on lesser charges. Perhaps they are subsidised by their towns who may recognise the value of having nearby airports.

[Spiney Norman]

blueskis.
I think the problem in the U.K. may well be the Commercial council charges which apply to airports like Southend etc. I'm not certain about this but believe they do apply and are very large annual sums.

Spiney.

[panjandrum]

Why should someone who just wants to 'pop-in' to an airport for less than 2 hours, be expected to pay more in a higher landing fee in order to subsidise flights that want to park longer?

Southend used to have a block daily rate for anything over 2hours, but have become more flexible by introducing a graded charging scheme depending on how long you stay:

The rates below are for less than 2.5 Tonne weight,
Up to 2 Hours Free
2-4 Hours £5 plus VAT = £5.88
4-8 Hours £9 plus VAT = £10.58
8-24 Hours £11 plus VAT = £12.93

Limited parking available and Apron congestion make it necessary for a price to paid for parking, otherwise as previous post says, there would be no room left at some airports, as aircraft would just be left or based, but rarely used.

An airport is a commercial business, like any other. Would you expect to be able to leave your aircraft at Heathrow without any parking charge?? Would you expect to leave your car in a city centre car park, with no charge? GET REAL!!

[dublinpilot]

Oh :mad:

Why do people keep going on and on about the free landing in the US? I'm sure we've all been to the US on occasions, and I for one would not like to live there long term. I definately would not like to get sick there without any medical insurance, I would not like to find myself unemployed, I would not like to have to send my childern (if I had any) to one of their public schools, and I wouldn't not like to have to pay the huge fees for education!

Airports are not free. They costs lots and lots of money to build, and run. The money has to come from somewhere. In UK & also in Ireland we have decided that the user should pay. In the US they have decided that the Government should pay (and therefore everyone who pays taxes is paying). No don't get me wrong. I've been to the US on lots of occasions and enjoyed every minute of it. They have made their choices about how they pay for things and we have made ours.

However I don't see why the guy down the road should have to pay extra taxes (or enjoy a lower standard of public services) to cover my landing fees! or my parking fees for that matter! I choose to enjoy what is an expensive hobby, and one that most people can't afford. Therefore I should pay for it, and not expect someone who either can't afford to do it themselves, or choses not to partake in it, to pay higher taxes to subsidise my hobby.

If you think that the parking charges are too high, then say so. If you think they are charging too much for the landing fee, then say so. But don't complain just because you are charged for the service! You never mentioned the actual cost at all in your post!

If I stop there and park for 1 hour while having a burger, and you stay there for two nights, then you are using their facilities for longer. You are taking up room, that someone else could have used, and are a bigger drain on their resources and infrastructure, and therefore you should expect to pay for it.

As has been said before, if you brought your car into the city, and parked in a multi-story car park (which some has had to pay for!) then you would expect to pay for how long you parked! The longer you parked, the more you expect to pay! Get over it, and pay for your own hobby!

Ok....now I've calmed down....rant over. :O .....but no more it's free over there, so why do we have to pay!

[Mike Cross]

From a purely business perspective:-

The right system of charging (whether you like it or not) is the one that generates the most profit. This is not the highest price. Charge 10 pounds a pint for beer and you'll lose money just as easily as if you charged 10 pence a pint.

Pricing based on cost is also not a good model. If you have a certain level of fixed costs but can attract more business by promotions, discounts, or more attractive pricing most of the additional income goes to the bottom line.

Hotels and airlines are good at it (it's called yield management).

Other businesses are not so good.

Shoreham and Popham are deservedly both very popular airfields, although one charges over twice as much as the other. Doesn't mean it's a rip-off, they both deliver IMHO excellent value.

We all know other examples where the opposite applies.

Mike

[Monocock]

Dublinpilot - I was about to launch into a similar mode as you when I read the post but I thought you said it all quite nicely.

The US has a totally different economy to the UK and flying is far more accepted and far less threatened than it is here. Airfields are profitable enterprises over there (probably helped by the fact so many UK pilots go over there to train).

It costs money to maintain an airfield, and lots of it. I wouldn't even begin to start listing the running costs of an airfield but I have discussed it with my local club and it really is frightening. That cost has to be paid for somehow or we simply won't have any airfields left to use. The landing fees only cover a fraction of these running costs each day.

To pay £13 to park at an airfield like Southend for 24 hours is damn good value if you ask me! Have you parked your car in one of those overnight car parks in London recently? It's about 4 times that in certain central London areas.

If you are a regular visitor to a particular airfield ask to see the management and do a deal on parking/landing fees. They are normally surprisingly helpful and want to keep customers happy.

Before anyone asks, I am not involved with an airfield or biased in any way. I do, however, believe that if you want to use a facility then you must support it before it disappears.

[flyingfemme]

To compare landing/parking charges in the UKwith those in the US is to compare two totally different business models.
In the US the airport is usually owned and run by the local authority and considered a town asset - like the High Street or the parks. It is maintained for the good of the local population in the same way that a swimming pool or sports centre would be considered. Land is much cheaper and many of the airports are abandoned military runways, handed over to the town.
In the UK airports are privately owned and run as businesses. Land is at a premium and the vast areas needed for runways could support huge housing estates or "science parks" at enormous one-off profits. The local authority's only input is to charge business rates (property taxes) to the operating company. These rates take no account of what we actually do at an airport; a hangar is rated similarly to a warehouse or workshop (like taxing your garden shed or greenhouse as a residence) leading to vast charges that we, the parking/landing "public" must cover with fees. Add to this the general feeling that flying is for the idle rich and that we can afford it.
Until the council tax policy changes to assess airports as public facilities rather than profit centres and people think of aircraft owners/users as a benefit to the local community instead of an irrelevant nuisance there is not much hope.

[long final]

For me, as has been mentioned, its all a question of scale. £13 for an overnight would for me be fine, but I feel the original post may be aimed at the places that target for shorter stays.

Humberside for an hour last month hit me for nearly £40, a large amount was due parking.

Newcastle has been mentioned here before, and I for one will not go back again, simply due to the charges - over £50 last time for an overnight - I would like to hear the justification for that one.

LF