When 3rd parties advertise to share costs?
 

I know the rules re:not advertising services to strangers under a PPL - but what happens when other non flyers advertise requesting to be a passenger on a flight? I've noticed a few messages on the noticeboard at my local field from non flyers and not being involved with the club. Is it against the rules to take such people and accept proportional costs?

The answer is to have a list where non-flyers express an interest in flight in general and not necessarily a particular flight.

But this is a case of 'don't ask, don't tell' or the CAA will get you

I don't think the CAA cares at all - so long as you don't start competing openly with AOC holders i.e. do overt charter.

"Seat sharing" websites have been around for ages, and it is obvious to all that this is advertising for [extra] passengers to cost-share PPL flights.

Many/most PPLs won't fly at all unless they can cost share, so if the CAA tightened up on this, it would massacre PPL activity.

There is no problem with people advertising to be a passenger as they are not offering any services. The reason that the advertising of shared flights by a pilot is confined to a club, is because within a club it is reasonable to expect any potential passengers to realise that private flying does not offer the same level of safety as public transport flying. Passengers outside a flying club may not be aware that there is any difference or that they cannot pay more than a proportion of the flight costs.

All true, and we do it at our club as well.

I did note that the club put up a brochure from the CAA about illegal public transport as they are planning on tightening up on the regs.