md23 - I don't think you're going to get much sympathy here.
Very few training / charter helicopter companies are making money, pilots wages haven't gone up for years and most SFH rates have not seen rises in line with inflation.
But the good news is that it's your money! So you can tell LHC to Foxtrot Oscar and go somewhere "better".
Otherwise I'd suggest you accept that the increases are probably reasonable or take up a cheaper hobby.
I don't know when they last changed their rates, but le's assume an R44 and that their prices have been the same for the last 24 months. The price increase equates to a 5% increase, inflation over the last 2 years will be around 8%. PRICE HIKE!? You should be thanking them for the 3% discount they're passing on. [But then again this post wasn't about money in the first place was it md23.]
Oh, and I am both a customer and competitor of LHC (as it seems the done thing to state the nature one's relationship).
Last edited by firebird_uk; 19th Jul 2012 at 13:13.
Reason: Added more bile.