Originally Posted by
ScotsSLF
Taxi? Are you kidding? I drive and park up - it costs less despite the usual airport car park fees. The cost difference in return flights can be around £150 and £200. It only costs an extra £10-£15 in petrol which is slightly offset by the fact that EDI’s terminal car park is actually slightly cheaper than GLA’s equivalent so travelling the extra 70 return miles is still a lot cheaper on many occasions. The biggest challenge is the time to catch a red eye at 0650 with the journey taking 80 mins instead of 40 depending on how clogged up EDI’s pathetic approach roads are. Now if PIK had an LHR service that would be a real bonus ......dream on!
In the face of it I think there is perhaps an argument that's its maybe a little questionable, but your travel plans are up to you and your company and as such, none of our business.
You do raise an issue that, anecdotally at least, appears to be growing - that is more and more people from the GLA catchment flying from EDI "because it's cheaper". This surely suggests that, at least on some routes, yields from EDI are lower. It seems to me to then be a contradiction when airlines claim they make more at EDI and add routes and capacity at EDI rather than GLA. Can anyone explain this to me?
I can see possible economies of scale (and resultant cheaper fares) for airlines with a larger base at EDI than GLA (i.e. EZY), but in the case of an airline operating away based aircraft - i.e. BA LHR or LGW, I'm not sure I see how they can offer lower fares whist at the same time making more money. The obvious answer is that EDI are offering much cheaper charges than GLA, but this is vehemently denied by GLA people every time I've mentioned it.