UK Airports - difficult to recharge phones

[farci]

Why is it so difficult to find an electrical outlet at UK airports?

We all travel with phones, tablets etc but at all UK airports I use it's 'Hunt the socket' to find a place to recharge. Does not seem to be such a problem in other European airports.

Is there a regulatory issue or are they just mean?

[LTNman]

Plenty of charging points at LTN. It is about the only thing that is free here.

[j636]

UK airports are scabs with their wifi also, majoroty charge or only give 30 mins free...

[Snodderz]

Try Leeds Bradford. Super Fast FREE Wifi (you sign up with your email, first and last name, and a flight number (0000 works)). There's no time limit, you automatically reconnect each day, it is fast (even during peak periods of the day) and there's fantastic terminal coverage. Because you provide your email they will send you an advertising email every now and again, but so far I've had 3 in 5 months...

Also, plenty of plug sockets around the airport. If you can't find one, ask a member of Staff and they'll be able to point them out.

[El Bunto]

Agree about the stinginess of eleretical output provision. Even had 'security' at Bristol tell me to disconnect my charger from the wall-socket as I was abusing airport facilities!

Gatwick really impressed me with desk-level outlets and even USB charging outlets. Full marks on that card.

[Laarbruch72]

Can't think of an occasion where I've wanted one and I'm flying every week. I charge my phones overnight at the hotel down route and they last at least until the following evening when I can plug them in again. Are we asking too much of an airport here? I mean, I know it's nice to have an option in an emergency, but I don't see this as a must have for airports. I can't help thinking "first world problem" here.

[rutankrd]

Other than in designated places such as lounges what you are suggesting is actually theft .

Those wall sockets are for services such cleaners and authorised contractors only.

[LTNman]

Easyjet now allows passengers to have their boarding cards on their iphones. Bad news if your phone runs out of battery power.

[Dannyboy39]

...or if your laptop runs out of power before going through security.

[El Bunto]

I can't help thinking "first world problem" here.

Yet here you are idling on this forum instead of carrying water back from the river.

We are fortunate enough to live in the 'first World'. Therefore the problems we encounter and discuss on this forum are shaped by that context.

Those wall sockets are for services such cleaners and authorised contractors only.

I don't recall signing any contract with the airport that stated that. In fact I don't recall seeing any terms and conditions of facility use ever posted at any airport.

How do you differentiate between the purpose of socket outlets in a lounge and one in a general waiting area?

[Laarbruch72]

Yet here you are idling on this forum

Lol. 414 posts in 9 years, I'm hardly "idling around" on the forum, I don't have the time for it.
Just because some strangers disagree with your view on free phone charging facilities there's no point in getting all passive aggressive with them.

[davidjohnson6]

rutankrd is right in that most of the sockets are not explicitly for passenger use and using electricity from them would count in law as theft.

I suspect that if one were to cause significant amounts of trouble for airport management / security and pinch electricity and the airport had no other form of recourse then the airport might resort to charging a passenger with theft. In all other cases I doubt the airport would be remotely interested in pursuing such a claim.

[DaveReidUK]

In all other cases I doubt the airport would be remotely interested in pursuing such a claim.I suspect you're correct. If such a case ever came to court, it would be interesting to see the value the airport placed on the electricity illicitly consumed.

But I also suspect that most airports take a rather more enlightened view.

Airports add outlets to serve power-parched passengers (http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2013/11/20/airport-power-electric-outlet-charging-station/3641489/)

[ILS25]

Airports are under no obligation to supply charging points or free electricity to passengers. However I don't think 'theft' of electricity is the issue.

If you have boarding cards on your phone and it run's out of charge it's hardly the airports fault or problem. Sure you could drop/break/lose your phone just as easily. You shouldn't depend on technology with these things anyway.

I have seen a case were a passenger had a faulty laptop charger and he kept plugging in it at different outlets around the airport, tripping multiple circuits and causing all sorts of problems.

[edi_local]

Having a boarding pass on a phone with a dead battery is not the end of the world. You go to the airline desk/gate and say "My boarding pass is on my phone and the battery died" they will then either print a new boarding pass for you or check your passport, confirm you're on the flight and then board you.

It's happened to me countless times (The BA app used to disagree with my old phone and would crash, leaving me without a boarding pass) and I've yet to miss a flight because of my phone battery running out or the boarding pass not loading up.

Having said that, at LHR anyway there are multiple places to charge phones at the gates, they even have US/EU/UK sockets. They are obelisk type things covered in some adverts for an oil company. Pretty sure EDI and GLA have the same things too. I remember charging my phone at all 3 of those airports recently and not finding it hard to do so.

[ETOPS]

Shirley when you buy a ticket, part of the "taxes fees and charges" is a passenger fee for use of the airport and its facilities?

[Bushfiva]

I carry two items which have been incredibly useful: a small battery pack which can recharge my phone maybe 5 times, and an international plug adapter which includes two USB charging outlets and its own wifi router.


Re theft of electricity, the local rail company successfully busted someone for using 1.3 yen of electricity from a platform outlet. This is a place that has power ports on its trains. So I'm always wary of using other people's electricity. Stupid beats everything.

[Groundloop]

Shirley when you buy a ticket, part of the "taxes fees and charges" is a passenger fee for use of the airport and its facilities?

But how do you define what are "facilities" and what are not?

[PAXfips]

A german survey throughout european hubs about it:
https://www.kayak.de/news/kein-flug-mit-leerem-akku/

HTR reported with >3000 outlets.

Cant remember about MAN; usually I am not very early and I charge my devices before leaving for travel ;)
For the longhaulers: these USB chargesticks are really worth it.

[Buster the Bear]

Maybe Apple should supply phones with batteries 'fit for purpose' that last longer than 24 hours!

My Sony Xperia lasts a minimum of 48 hours, so I'd need a huge delay before I required to re-charge.

I love watching the Apple Fanboys.......iphone in one hand, charger in the other!

[bannercounty]

@buster I just love watching users with open OS continuously sh1t themselves on an unsecured network