Handling required??
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Join Date: Jul 2006
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Handling required??
Hello all,
Lately i was landing at an airport in Belgium. I found handling really poor. No customer service, no asking what we needed, no helping at all. Just putting the chocks on and runaway. And i must say, i'm getting fed up with this kind of attitude. Especially the amounts you need to pay for nothing. The airport says that handling was mandatory however i was about to go the the 'aro', pay my bill and off we go. But how mandatory is a handling? Can you really be obliged to take a handling? Is it a 'law' issue?
Someone experience with this matter?
Lately i was landing at an airport in Belgium. I found handling really poor. No customer service, no asking what we needed, no helping at all. Just putting the chocks on and runaway. And i must say, i'm getting fed up with this kind of attitude. Especially the amounts you need to pay for nothing. The airport says that handling was mandatory however i was about to go the the 'aro', pay my bill and off we go. But how mandatory is a handling? Can you really be obliged to take a handling? Is it a 'law' issue?
Someone experience with this matter?
Join Date: Apr 2002
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Handling is one if my biggest complaints in European aviation.
It is such a hit and miss affair to quality for value of money it is really hard to justify the expense sometimes.
So much so we have started our own operation at our home base to just get quality we can control at least what our passengers are getting out of the experience.
I have found the smaller and more homely approach run operations tend to offer a better quality of service.
We used a handler in Spain for a while and even though it was not new fancy busses and Excecutive looking staff, my passengers were always pleased by there friendliness and helpfulness and the price was right for the service. On the other hand we have spent a fortune at places were we are still waiting for a service.
Handlers have taken airport directives to there advantage and imposed there extortionate prices based on must use principle.
On our old airport a FBO started up with a monopoly and charged over €500 just to get past the blond at the door before applying there add on fees.
Training is non existent at most of the places and the airport makes sure to make life as difficult as possible if your self handling.
And to put the proverbial cherry on top, most of them are just down right rude.
Now don't get me wrong we are not trying to be cheap but the owners really struggle to pay something that does not justify the cost.
Once again I am forced to use handlers sometimes as either it is easier to avoid the complicated process of using the airport or to ensure they at least get to there meeting on time by having a bus ready on arrival.
What peeves me the most of all is the perception of airports to corporate aircraft. And even though we have a handler, the passengers and crew are treated like Ryanair passengers. And our company supported these backward economies by building ships there. And this is Europe!
It is such a hit and miss affair to quality for value of money it is really hard to justify the expense sometimes.
So much so we have started our own operation at our home base to just get quality we can control at least what our passengers are getting out of the experience.
I have found the smaller and more homely approach run operations tend to offer a better quality of service.
We used a handler in Spain for a while and even though it was not new fancy busses and Excecutive looking staff, my passengers were always pleased by there friendliness and helpfulness and the price was right for the service. On the other hand we have spent a fortune at places were we are still waiting for a service.
Handlers have taken airport directives to there advantage and imposed there extortionate prices based on must use principle.
On our old airport a FBO started up with a monopoly and charged over €500 just to get past the blond at the door before applying there add on fees.
Training is non existent at most of the places and the airport makes sure to make life as difficult as possible if your self handling.
And to put the proverbial cherry on top, most of them are just down right rude.
Now don't get me wrong we are not trying to be cheap but the owners really struggle to pay something that does not justify the cost.
Once again I am forced to use handlers sometimes as either it is easier to avoid the complicated process of using the airport or to ensure they at least get to there meeting on time by having a bus ready on arrival.
What peeves me the most of all is the perception of airports to corporate aircraft. And even though we have a handler, the passengers and crew are treated like Ryanair passengers. And our company supported these backward economies by building ships there. And this is Europe!
Join Date: Mar 2004
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mattman: +1 
Generally speaking, the security madness after 911 made most airports take the opportunity and introduce that bull****. Even if you land with a sep in LSZH (just as example) you need handling for about 10meters walking distance from a/c to terminal. It serves 2-3 purposes:
a) money making
b) keeping smaller a/c out via costs
c) control
and all of that will be exused with security...
Generally speaking, the security madness after 911 made most airports take the opportunity and introduce that bull****. Even if you land with a sep in LSZH (just as example) you need handling for about 10meters walking distance from a/c to terminal. It serves 2-3 purposes:
a) money making
b) keeping smaller a/c out via costs
c) control
and all of that will be exused with security...
Join Date: May 2010
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mattman and his dudeness +1 again!
It is a scam, and often dailight robbery! If you really feel the servive is not necessary, like for example at Zurich where you pay to be escorted for a ten pace walk, write to the airport authority to complain.
If enough of us did this these charletans would be forced to stop making it mandatory where it need not be.
It is a scam, and often dailight robbery! If you really feel the servive is not necessary, like for example at Zurich where you pay to be escorted for a ten pace walk, write to the airport authority to complain.
If enough of us did this these charletans would be forced to stop making it mandatory where it need not be.
