Originally Posted by
Hotel Tango
I got just as annoyed about those drop off charges when they were only a pound. I got my taxi to drop me off at the International station and I took the free Air-Rail link. I also discovered that taxis from the station were cheaper than from the airport (where they have to pay a surcharge!
I have some sympathy (not a lot!) for airports with regard to these "hidden" extra costs for passengers, be it drop off, trolleys, fast track through security or any others I have overlooked.
Airlines no longer, and have not for some years, accepted that it is they who should pay for the services they require directly. So the airport has to make a decision, play hardball with airline customers, present or future, or hit the passenger directly to get the revenue that they can't extract from the carrier.
So far as BHX is concerned, the urban myth is that it's charges to airlines are way higher than those charged by other airports. That may well be the case for headline "full tariff" rates, but i guess that we may never know, or never be party to, what the airport offers in the way of incentives. It is to be hoped that the increased (exorbitant) drop of charge may go some way to allow the airport more flexibility to offer more competitive rates to carriers to encourage them to move in, or improve the range of routes / frequencies on offer.