This debate over the £1 charge is a great example of how some of the population refuse to understand how we got there in the first place
The context is that it's only at ONE END. The airport at the other end likely lets you drop off outside the terminal as well. Flying lets you see how the rest of the world deals with the same issue, how much more expensive would the ticket be if the drop off fee was er....dropped? You'd barely even notice, at this level, it's about perception and winding people up all for the sake of small change, it feels like a rip off because it is. Ryanair and easyJet also offer decent low fares between Spanish airports at AENA "inflated" prices. It's perfectly possible to do, it's just Spanish airports are not an unmitigated free for all like we have here.