BOURNEMOUTH - 2

[MARKEYD]

As predicted with Ryanair , they have now removed all bookings from Bournemouth from 30 Oct to all destinations for the winter period with no indication of when they will return

Its a desperate time again for the airport , but even worse this coming winter with no Innsbruck ski flights this year ( still do not understand that as each flight was went 97 % full ) and only 3 Barbados cruise flights as compared to 8 last winter

Thomson are the only airline now left with a solitary 737 800 on the ramp during the winter months with only Easy Jet to Geneva from mid Dec to offer a glimmer of hope to a vast new terminal and new arrivals hall left empty .

[Bournemouth Air]

Bournemouth MP's rethink call on airport charges
7:00am Thursday 26th May 2011

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By Andy Martin »

A Bournemouth MP is to raise the issue of controversial new drop off arrangements at Bournemouth Airport.

Tobias Ellwood will meet airport officials next month and ask them to rethink the arrangements introduced in April.

Manchester Airport Group, which owns Bournemouth, scrapped a free ten minute period which means drivers must pay the minimum parking fee of £2.50 when they drop off or pick up. Airport bosses say the move is a response to difficult trading conditions and the worldwide downturn. There is also no pedestrian access to the terminal along the entrance road.

In a letter to a constituent, Mr Ellwood says the move is “a disproportionate hike in charging and does nothing to help tourism in East Dorset.”

He adds: “The fact that pedestrians are now choosing to walk from Hurn village in order not to be dropped and collected shows the authorities have not thought this through.

“I would like to see a drop off area that is free and a pick-up area which includes parking away from the airport but allows travellers to make a mobile call once they are inside the terminal so they can be picked up efficiently and without charge.”

An airport spokesperson said: “We regularly meet our local MPs to keep them up to date with the airport and our next scheduled meeting will take place in June.

“We have previously briefed them on the changes to the drop off and pick up arrangements and look forward to discussing this with them in more detail.

Comments(10)

twynham, Christchurch says...
7:18am Thu 26 May 11

As I have said elsewhere, I have been using Hurn Airport on a very regular basis since Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, started their operations here and can say it used to be one of the most pleasant airports to use, unfortunately that is no longer the case.
.

I am in the fortunate position of being able to choose when I want a couple of days away and consequently able to book the cheapest flights. Last month I flew to Faro for £8 (inc taxes), and then find MAG want to charge me more than 30% of my flight for my wife to drop me off? (They didn’t because I walked from Hurn Court).
.

It may only be £2.50 but it is comparable to a supermarket charging me to drop my wife off to shop in their store.
.

Is it any wonder they didn’t install a pavement to the airport when they created the ridiculous ‘two lanes into one’ junction on Parley Lane?
I’m not sure how true it is but I have heard of a couple who were refused pedestrian access and had to call a cab from Parley Lane to the airport; £2.50 cab fare plus £2.50 drop off fee.
.

I am really pe-ed off with how our local airport has deteriorated in the last 6 months but as I am in the process of writing a hard copy letter to MAG I will shut up now before I even get on to the subject of what an eyesore the entrance is.

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Purbeckboy, Swanage says...
7:18am Thu 26 May 11

While he is about it, he should also discuss the number of toilets airside. When they upgraded the terminal building to take more passengers they kept some of the old toilets. Everytime there is a flight about to depart, there is a long queue for the loo.
The downturn in the market is because the new owners have not upgraded the facilities, only enlarged and in some cases like the drop off - destroyed what was good. Even the best aircraft Museum in south of England has been reduced to a shadow of its former self.

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Huey, says...
7:32am Thu 26 May 11

What annoys me is if you drop someone off you still have to park your car, take the ticket to the machine, pay and then exit.
That in itself takes longer than the drop off and is bad for fuel economy.
The airport should admit that the charge is just there to shore up their finances after they blew all that money on the new terminal!
Now we have to pay for their mistakes.
Can anyone else name any other airport that charges for drop offs?

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Xchurch-man, Christchurch says...
7:44am Thu 26 May 11

Tywynham,
You fly with an "airline" whos boss thinks the risk to aircraft from volcanic ash is "mythical"
Rather you than me!!!

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Xchurch-man, Christchurch says...
7:55am Thu 26 May 11

Many airpoprts now operate some sort of extra charge. One must wonder if there is a common factor for this.
Perhaps the same airline operates from all of these airports?
An airline who it is widely rumoured refuse to pay the same landing fees as all the other airlines. Maybe this is how they can afford to charge £8 for a flight?
So people, all of you who are now having to pay this new charge, it could be you who are subsidising people like Twynhams £8 jolly!!!

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Tezza1965, Bournemouth says...
8:04am Thu 26 May 11

Please get this sorted Mr. Ellwood.
If it's true that airport officials are banning people from being dropped off on Parley Lane and walking to the terminal, then I for one, on principle, will never use the airport again.

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twynham, Christchurch says...
8:15am Thu 26 May 11

Xchurch-man wrote:
Many airpoprts now operate some sort of extra charge. One must wonder if there is a common factor for this. Perhaps the same airline operates from all of these airports? An airline who it is widely rumoured refuse to pay the same landing fees as all the other airlines. Maybe this is how they can afford to charge £8 for a flight? So people, all of you who are now having to pay this new charge, it could be you who are subsidising people like Twynhams £8 jolly!!!
I have seen airports such as Gerona, Reus, Faro and Valencia improve ten fold over the last few years, and why is that?
Because they are Ryanair hubs, all with free short term parking and cheap efficient bus services that meet every landing within the ½ hr.
.

The £2.50 drop off will not subsidise my jollies, other Ryanair passengers do that, and the company still made 4 mill this year.
They made even more than that in 2009 when booked 16 flights and still had change out of 50 quid!
.

Next month I’ve paid £22 for Faro so I’m taking my share of the suffering!

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poole man in france, [email protected] says...
8:20am Thu 26 May 11

Go for them Mr. Ellwood! This charge is a scandal and an insult to the travelling public. What next? Charges to drop passengers at Bournemouth station? (I don't want to give anyone ideas here). Some people may be able to walk from being dropped nearby - with all the road safety hazards that involves, but what about the elderly and less able who are blackmailes into this racket because they are unable to drag their luggage a certain distance? The day someone dies in a road accident here I hope the management of Bournemouth airport will be in the dock and found guilty of manslaughter.

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Tezza1965, Bournemouth says...
8:25am Thu 26 May 11

Perhaps Mr. Ellwood could suggest to airport officials that if these ridiculous charges are essential to the airport's viability, which I don't believe for a minute they are, that they be incorporated in the cost of flight tickets and not the dropping off of passengers.

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klee, Bournemouth says...
8:27am Thu 26 May 11

Manchester Airport Group took over the airport during the boom economic times and decided to invest huge sums in a new terminal. When the economic bubble burst, their business plan was shot to pieces! Flybe went, Ryan Air stopped during the winter, Palm Air effectively ceased to be and Thomson only do a few flights in the summer. I believe they then wanted to hike up the rent massively for the museum (effectively kicking them out since they couldn’t afford it) because they had plans to rent out the hangar space to the commercial sector. They couldn’t fill the hangar space where the museum used to be so they don’t get any rent from it at all now.
As a result, they are now scrambling around desperately trying to find money from other sources while alienating their customers in the process. What a bunch of idiots. Manchester Airport Group need to take fresh look at this and change their business plan or they won’t get anywhere.

[possibleconsequences]

The previous post has enough in it to explain why Bournemouth is in its present position. The fact that MAG invested and then hit an economic downturn has left the airport desperate for income and employees wondering if they will have job next winter. Forcing people to pay to park for drop off shows how little choice there is in getting extra income, you can't force people to spend in the restaurant, shop etc but use of the car park can be charged for. which, incidentally, is done at many other airports. I'm not arguing that it's been done well, the scene on arrival at the airport is a public relations disaster! (by the way, it was partly done to stop the ludicrous situation of cars parking all over the yellow lines etc waiting for a flight to arrive). However, exactly where do people suggest extra income comes from? Don't just say 'get airline a or b in' - if it was that easy it would have been done. Perhaps try creating a departure tax? Maybe but would Ryanair remain at the airport if that was introduced?

There are elements of the previous post which nicely sum up the problem the airport faces, one person comments that they paid £8 to get to Faro and then walked to avoid paying the drop off fee. For God's sake, how do you expect the business to exist when some people pay such paltry sums into the industry?
X-church man (comment in previous post) hit the nail on the head. Low cost airlines create an expectation that everything to do with your flight should be very cheap or even free,the airport itself is therefore left scraping around for money that passengers don't want to spend. If ticket prices were higher, the airport could charge the airline more and wouldn't need to source income from drop offs. As it is, low price tickets and airlines that will not pay high landing fees or handling fees mean the airport HAS NO CHOICE but to charge for anything they can.

Now, it may just be that a shrunken economy can't sustain so many local airports and Bournemouth will disappear but for those who think that £2.50 on top of an £8.00 flight ticket is unreasonable you should ask yourselves how you think the airport can survive.

[SWBKCB]

Last month I flew to Faro for £8 (inc taxes), and then find MAG want to charge me more than 30% of my flight for my wife to drop me off? (They didn’t because I walked from Hurn Court).
.

It may only be £2.50 but it is comparable to a supermarket charging me to drop my wife off to shop in their store.

No it isn't - he's comparing apples and oranges. If everybody who went into the supermarket only spent £8, I think the supermarket might well be charging for the car parking.

[Flitefone]

What's really happening

Some information to bring the frenetic swirl to more focus.

1/ Bournemouth Airport

Before 2002, the pax traffic was very small, yet as now this is a busy and diverse airport with a steady freight activity, GA, Corporate, defense and maintenance businesses. .Pax traffic is still way ahead of 2002.

2/ MAG

MAG wanted to purchase East Midlands Airport for years. It was eventually put up for sale by its owners national express - as a package that included Bournemouth. MAG bought the package and got what they wanted - EMA - plus a free airport - Bournemouth

MAG have taken their south coast acquistion seriously and invested heavilly since.

2/ UK Air Transport Market

Has been seiously impacted by the introduction of APD (departure tax) and rising fuel prices, and (least of all) by global financial recession.

Domestic air travel has been falling at almost all UK airports for several years.

Many UK airports have also suffered from huge falls in other traffic. Hethrow is the exception

This in part is because for the last 15 years RYR has been gaining market share, taking traffic from the IT operators and elsewhere. Such that now, if RYR wants to influence UK government and airport policies, it just has to withdraw flights and traffic collapses as a result.

RYR has been the largest carrier in UK by pax numbers for several years - more than twice BA for example. They have pushed other carriers out, Palmair is an example locally.

RYR uses this market muscle to press governments to drop passenger tax. They were successful in Ireland and Netherlands, but unsuccessful in Germany and UK. But because RYR is so big in UK, their policy has a big impact. Stansted is way down on its past traffic peaks for example.

4/ What next

Aside from the desperate attempts to claw back revenues, which will eventually be rectified, the BOH market will change again, like other UK regional airports.

Generally in UK expect a move back to inclusive tours and charters, where families can holiday with more manageable and predictable costs than the Locos offer - RYR, EZY and BMIBaby. Expect Jet 2 to grow, because of the every successful Jet2 holidays. London will thrive because the weak pound versus the Euro in particular means inbound tourism is huge.

For BOH the Palmair market will be replaced, Thomson and others will likely grow.

5/Will the airport be sold?

Only if it makes sense for MAG. Who would only do so to get their hands on cash, and only then if that was somewhere close to the value on the MAG Books. Very unlikely in the forseeable future.

6/ Will the airport close due to lack of cash?

No, not a chance! Focus elsewhere for that drama... Southend, Teeside, Swansea maybe yes, but not BOH.


7/ Bashing the airport management at BOH as elsewhere in UK is largely misplaced and way off the point. Governement policy on tax and fuel pricing has much more to do with the issues, and will impact traffic much more dramatically.

FF

[Nakata77]

Flitefone

EXCELLENT POST, totally on the money.

If you read other posts about airports that have seen reductions in pax and airlines namely CARDIFF, DURHAM, DONCASTER, BLACKPOOL ETC ETC) the same airport management bashing argument is used! I totally agree it is not the managements fault but the state of the UK economy & the governments relentless drive on APD which is seriously harming LCC's expansion plans, but now coupled with the economic woes is causing a retraction on a level which i think was unexpected.

Can people stop saying its a global downturn. It isnt. The Asian economy is booming. Lat year China GDP grew by 12%, Singapore by 15%, others by 5-10%.

[Bournemouth Air]

On a positive note the new arrivals building was used today.

A rethink on closing the old hut car park machine is a must as they have not added any new machines and nobody could find where to pay there £2.50

[Nakata77]

landscaping needed around terminal

I'm assuming that a full landscaping of the old airport road and drop off areas will take place once the arrivals building is fully operational? Can someone confirm when the final phase of this terminal improvement scheme is complete? It's not nice having a brand spanking new terminal but a potholed rough country road around it!

[Bournemouth Air]

Bournemouth New Arrivals Hall

[British Grenadier]

I've been in bigger Doctor's waiting rooms than that ..................

[Bournemouth Air]

It is very small. It is very cold looking with painted breeze blocks and concrete floor.

The large doors allow cold air blasting in last night. All the chairs are recycled from the portacabin.

Somebody asked why no trumpet announcement but then its not that exciting.

I would have liked a coffee bar inside and a car park machine so hope these are still in progress.

Ps just been to southampton. Free to drop off and helpful man directing you to available space in drop zone. Not said for barrier staff at bournemouth who jump out of seat and demand you turn into carpark

[freightdoggy dog]

Hmmm, I will spend £5 on petrol/diesel to drive to Southampton for free drop off....

Birmingham only charge £1 for drop and go ( 10 Mins), so I could save money by driving to Birmingham ?

Or maybe I could walk from Hurn Court ?

As a consumer of a service Boh.Air you have a choice and yes you can gripe/moan/complain/refuse to buy the product...but I think Flitefone has it spot on.

I fly from many Southern UK airports and chose the flights. whether it is Ryanair or B.A First Class, based on what I want to do...The cost of a pint of beer is not going to stop me from using BOH .

If the flight schedule and convenience outweighs other factors. Then I can be home in 10 minutes and not stuck on the M25....and to me that is priceless.

As they say, some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Maybe MAG are taking the pith and the yellow cones are a PR disaster...but they are a commercial business and unlike our local councils have raised the money to invest in facilities for "ALL" the airport users.

Now that debt has to be repaid ............or would you still prefer the 1945 Nissan hut mentality ?

Ps. letting Joe Public drive a vehicle that close to the terminal in Southampton must have the Dft and Matra twitching...BAA are missing an opportunity here to charge for drop n go...based on a security threat surely ?

[airsmiles]

Yike, that is really small and unwelcoming! Why did they make the thing so high anyway? It makes the floor area look smaller and is presumably more expensive to build. I blame the architect who didn't seem to have any imagination.

At least it's new and fresh I suppose. 3/10 overall though.

[British Grenadier]

Yep Architect's do have something to answer to , i work at LHR , and there must be more of them than Terminals , thats why the place is so disjointed .......

[Nakata77]

I'm surprised there are no car hire desks in the concourse of the arrivals building or a covered heated walk-way to the main departures terminal where the coffee shops are.

[LTNman]

There can’t be many UK airports that does not have pedestrian access apart from its own car park. The airport has gone to great lengths to make sure that once you turn onto the approach road there is no turning back unless you go via a car park.

I had a look at the new arrivals building yesterday. The photo shown on the previous page is very deceptive and must have been taken by an estate agent using super wide angle lenses.

With its bare concrete floor and ultra high ceiling the waiting area does not seem very inviting and seems like a waiting area found at bus stations. As already mentioned if the building was turned on its side the floor area could have been doubled.
That said it is light years better than the old shed that used to be the arrivals area.

I think the check- in area is a big improvement but why is the only shop and the only food outlet closed when passengers are still arriving to check-in? The terminal had a closed feeling even though it was open for business.

[CelticRambler]

Originally Posted by possibleconsequences

Low cost airlines create an expectation that everything to do with your flight should be very cheap or even free,the airport itself is therefore left scraping around for money that passengers don't want to spend. If ticket prices were higher, the airport could charge the airline more and wouldn't need to source income from drop offs. As it is, low price tickets and airlines that will not pay high landing fees or handling fees mean the airport HAS NO CHOICE but to charge for anything they can.

They do have a choice. Michael O'Leary offers a product that people want and - as he said himself - neither they nor Ryanair give a damn about shiny new terminals and beautifully landscaped approach roads. A strip of tarmac, a portakabin and a tree to pee against, that'll satisfy a huge segment of his market - passengers like me. Managers like me also look at the overall experience and if I'm planning to offer a quality, stress-free service, I do not want my passengers to have to pay to be dropped off, to pay for their trolley, to pay to depart, and certainly not to pay for an extension that is intended to cater for the type of passenger that will never set foot in one of my aircraft.

It seems that almost every privately-owned UK airport is trying to be Stansted-Light instead of being proud of being a small "regional" airport and maximising what they already have.

[Shine On]

Some people will never be happy! The old Arrival building was out of date and not fit for purpose. A new one is built with, as I believe, some excellent "green" credentials, and still there are complaints Most travellers I know, including myself, just want to collect their bags and get home for a decent cup of tea. Arrivals halls are no more than transit corridors to the exit.

[possibleconsequences]

Celtic rambler

It was Ryanair that insisted the airport upgrade to CAT 111 facilities in order for them to base their aircraft there. Also, the number one complaint of all passenger surveys over the past years was that the airport was just a portakabin and airlines have indicated they will not base aircraft there until it looks half decent!
I agree wholeheartedly that it would be nicer not to have to pay for a trolley, car park drop off etc but regional airports do not have the clout to insist that airlines like Ryanair pay enough landing / handling fees to allow the airport to make a profit without charging for ancillary services.

[Bournemouth Air]

Airport Taxis

The Airport should also Clamp down on the illegal Use of Private Hire vehicles parked on a Taxi rank plying for hire.

They are using two companies a Bournemouth and a Poole company both with different price structures.

see link below
Taxi drivers raise safety concerns over rogue firms (From Bournemouth Echo)