Agreed with Bandit650. I have been to several FBO's in the states where we have uplifted minimal fuel, and their peripheral services (i.e. pilots lounge, refreshments, even a loaner vehicle to pop down the local restaurant / town for an hour or so) are on a different level to any UK airfield I have ever visited. So then why is it that the fundamental basics like having your a/c ready for flight, fuelled etc and not with a list of (admittedly legal but deferred) defects are often phenomena at UK schools?
As for the price thing - there WAS a price war a few years back at Cranfield - Bonus and Flyteam were involved IIRC and for a while the C150/152's were booking out at mid £60's/hour - admittedly money down up front, but a good deal nonetheless. Quite simply with many airfields with more than one school, its a case of collusion in price fixing.
It would indeed be very interesting to see a break down of running costs for (say) a C152 and C172 (or equivalent) Anbody care to?