BAA to raise airport Landing fees.

[crewmeal]

So the BAA are looking at increasing costs to carriers at the above airports. This will no doubt be passed on to the public in the form of a £2 - £10 rise on a ticket. What exactly does the passenger get for this rise? I don't hear the phrase 'value for money' being used!! Bearing in mind the baggage fiasco last month at terminal 4, plus consistent queuing at immigration and security, will there be any improvements in these essential in the near or distant future? I think not. No doubt the extra revenue raised through these unnecessary charges will inflate the bank balance of the BAA>

Terminal 5 will not help in anyway especially as many flights will be using remote stands. The spaces created in terminal 4 will be filled by new carriers etc. So we will be back to square one with no improvements for the poor passenger who has to endure the hardships of LHR.

[PThomas]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7288937.stm

[green granite]

London's crowded Heathrow airport will be allowed to raise airline (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/fc/airlines.html) charges by a bigger-than-expected 23.5 percent, giving a boost to the airport's indebted owner but sparking fury among its users.

Full article: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080311/tuk-uk-britain-airports-fa6b408.html

[PThomas]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7288937.stm

The increases were criticised by airlines including British Airways.

"When BAA's new owners, Ferrovial, bought them, the CAA said they would not be influenced by Ferrovial's high debt levels," said Paul Ellis, BA's airport policy and infrastructure general manager.

"In practice, they have ignored their own policy and caved in to intense pressure from BAA by setting excessive price increases. "Heathrow passengers will pay, on average, 17% more than the Competition Commission recommended in September 2007,"

[boeing boeing.. gone]

lets just hope their level of customer service increases

[Belboy]

flybe seem to like the price increases

http://www.flybe.com/news/0803/11.htm

[PPRNkof]

If you think that's bad, DAA (Dublin airport authortity) just got the go ahead for a 50% increase.

[pee]

BAA and DAA at the same time? Do they want to destroy Ryanair? :{

[Playamar2]

The BAA increase would not have much effect on Ryanair as they do not fly from LHR and only a few services from LGW. Would hurt Easyjet more, as they are the biggest operator (if you include GB Airways ops)at LGW.

[ATNotts]

BAA could raise their fees by pretty well as much as they wanted to at LHR, assuming the CAA would let them - which they probably wouldn't.

The sad thing is that because the UK is so "London-centric" airlines feel they have to be at LHR, and aren't likely to decamp to BHX / EMA / CWL / BOH and any other non-London airport any time soon, whatever BAA do.

I suggest the situation at LGW might be slightly less clear cut, as the airport is now much more leisure orientated following the exodus of trans-atlantic services to LHR, and as such, more cost sensitive.