[Finance] gatwick drop-off fee £5

[Springal]

Abso-flippin-lutely, Airports worldwide have been absolutely starved of income for the past two years, they have to start recouping money from somewhere, however little.

£5 is an absolute bargain as far as l'm concerned. All power to their elbow l say.

Exactly. And they’re charging for convenience when there are alternatives , just not that drop you right outside the front door. Gatwick was getting particularly bad for cars keep driving round, parked up outside etc.

It’s the same reason at terminal parking is generally more expensive than long stay - because it’s convenient

 

[Bold Seagull]

It's extortion and utterly outrageous to charge someone to drop off or pick up a traveller who is paying the airline for the flight, from which the airline pays the airport for the lake-off and landing slots. It doesn't matter whether it is "only the cost of a pint", it's still outrageous.

The sheer volume of car movements if everyone did it would make it impossible to manage. A free alternative is provided by the airport.

 

[Seagull58]

Nonsense, would you rather see airports and ultimately airlines go bust. It could happen.

Does your local pub charge a fiver for your partner, neighbour, friend or taxi driver to drop you off or pick you up? They have aso been starved of income. Does the shopping centre charge a fiver for you to be dropped off or picked up? They have also been starved of income. Does your local restaurant charge a fiver for you to be dropped off or picked up outside They have also been starved of income.
It's an unreasonable and nonsensical charge. Airports have streams of income from take-off and landing slots, shops and restaurants in the terminals, and carparks in the vicinity.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Does your local pub charge a fiver for your partner, neighbour, friend or taxi driver to drop you off or pick you up? They have aso been starved of income. Does the shopping centre charge a fiver for you to be dropped off or picked up? They have also been starved of income. Does your local restaurant charge a fiver for you to be dropped off or picked up outside They have also been starved of income.
It's an unreasonable and nonsensical charge. Airports have streams of income from take-off and landing slots, shops and restaurants in the terminals, and carparks in the vicinity.

They have however increased costs - are they now fully open without restrictions? Compare the time shut v time airports had been shut

Airports have hundreds of unused slots now, shops/resturants havent reopened

Heathrow lost 3 billion in 18 months, they need to make it back somehow

Everything needs to be paid back, as a nation we cant complain about higher costs/prices and back shutting everything down.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's extortion and utterly outrageous to charge someone to drop off or pick up a traveller who is paying the airline for the flight, from which the airline pays the airport for the lake-off and landing slots. It doesn't matter whether it is "only the cost of a pint", it's still outrageous.

Presumably you were equally outraged when the 5p supermarket carrier bag charge was introduced. Demand fell by 85% overnight. Same lookey-likey wanker mindset

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Does your local pub charge a fiver for your partner, neighbour, friend or taxi driver to drop you off or pick you up? They have aso been starved of income. Does the shopping centre charge a fiver for you to be dropped off or picked up? They have also been starved of income. Does your local restaurant charge a fiver for you to be dropped off or picked up outside They have also been starved of income.
It's an unreasonable and nonsensical charge. Airports have streams of income from take-off and landing slots, shops and restaurants in the terminals, and carparks in the vicinity.

But others have pointed out, there are alternative ways of travelling to/picking up from airports! Gatwick has an excellent rail service, even without the unnecessary and currently suspended Gatwick Express, long distance coach services, a local bus network, and of course taxis. Plus one can park for free for a short time in the long stay car park, and jump on the transfer bus to reach the terminal.

A whole myriad of different ways of picking up or dropping off someone for free.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Presumably you were equally outraged when the 5p supermarket carrier bag charge was introduced. Demand fell by 85% overnight. Same lookey-likey wanker mindset

If he wasn't residing on the Algarve l would almost suggest he was Mr. Angry from Tunbridge Wells.

 

[Jim in the West]

It's an unreasonable and nonsensical charge. Airports have streams of income from take-off and landing slots, shops and restaurants in the terminals, and carparks in the vicinity.

Having worked for an airport for 20 years, I can tell you that most airports make a loss on the "take off and landing slots"....the low cost airlines in particular drive an extremely hard bargain, and competition amongst airports is significant. As an airport, you don't get easyJet or Ryanair to put their planes there unless you offer heavily discounted charges. The model works, though, if you can make a profit on the "commercial" side - ie, shops/restaurants and car parking. I understand why people are tempted to complain about car parking charges at airports, but the revenue from parking helps subsidise the losses made on the landing fees. The fact that (at most UK airports) landing fees are below cost means that the airline will effectively be passing on this discount to you via lower ticket prices. So - you can fly to Malaga for £50....but, as a quid pro quo, the car parking charges are a bit higher.

 

[Seagull58]

Presumably you were equally outraged when the 5p supermarket carrier bag charge was introduced. Demand fell by 85% overnight. Same lookey-likey wanker mindset

The supermarket bag charge reflects the cost of producing bags and the environmental impact of them. I reuse the bags that I have and I also reuse the small plastic bags provided free of charge for fruit and vegetables.. I also use a backpack to carry my purchases. 5p for an item that is useful and has a cost to produce is reasonable. 5 pounds to drop someone off at an airport terminal, when that person is already paying for the flight and for any product that they buy in the terminal, is not reasonable. The "lookey-likey wanker" comment is pathetic, childish and reflects your normal persona and behaviour on this forum.

 

[Seagull58]

Having worked for an airport for 20 years, I can tell you that most airports make a loss on the "take off and landing slots"....the low cost airlines in particular drive an extremely hard bargain, and competition amongst airports is significant. As an airport, you don't get easyJet or Ryanair to put their planes there unless you offer heavily discounted charges. The model works, though, if you can make a profit on the "commercial" side - ie, shops/restaurants and car parking. I understand why people are tempted to complain about car parking charges at airports, but the revenue from parking helps subsidise the losses made on the landing fees. The fact that (at most UK airports) landing fees are below cost means that the airline will effectively be passing on this discount to you via lower ticket prices. So - you can fly to Malaga for £50....but, as a quid pro quo, the car parking charges are a bit higher.

I am not disputing car parking charges. The airport is providing a useful service that requires land, equipment and personnel to manage. None of that applies to a drop-off outside the airport terminal.

 

[Seagull58]

If he wasn't residing on the Algarve l would almost suggest he was Mr. Angry from Tunbridge Wells.

There is no drop-off charge at Faro or Lisbon airports but there are reasonable car parking charges, reflecting the cost and value of providing the car parking service.

 

[Seagull58]

They have however increased costs - are they now fully open without restrictions? Compare the time shut v time airports had been shut

Airports have hundreds of unused slots now, shops/resturants havent reopened

Heathrow lost 3 billion in 18 months, they need to make it back somehow

Everything needs to be paid back, as a nation we cant complain about higher costs/prices and back shutting everything down.

Has the 5 pounds charge been introduced because of the losses caused by the pandemic?

 

[Jesus Gul]

I think there's a free drop zone by the North long stay car park, Your dropee will have to get a shuttle.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Does your local pub charge a fiver for your partner, neighbour, friend or taxi driver to drop you off or pick you up? They have aso been starved of income. Does the shopping centre charge a fiver for you to be dropped off or picked up? They have also been starved of income. Does your local restaurant charge a fiver for you to be dropped off or picked up outside They have also been starved of income.
It's an unreasonable and nonsensical charge. Airports have streams of income from take-off and landing slots, shops and restaurants in the terminals, and carparks in the vicinity.

I hear what you’re saying. But, the good news, and the real beauty of this scheme, is that you do not have to use it.

 

[Seagull58]

I hear what you’re saying. But, the good news, and the real beauty of this scheme, is that you do not have to use it.

Really? Please explain how someone can drop off at the terminal without using it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This. It's pathetic. Maybe have one less pint in the Red Lion to offset the cost or something. If you can afford the flight, you can afford the drop-off fee. Suck it up cheapskates!

Whilst I agree with the sentiment of this post, I have to pull you up on the Red Lion reference; it’s more likely 3 pints of the near sell-by-date shite they sell in there.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Really? Please explain how someone can drop off at the terminal without using it.

What? I said you don’t have to use it....,which you don’t.

 

[CheeseRolls]

I have registered for the Auto-pay option and after 4 trips to the North Terminal I am yet to be charged for drop offs. On Friday night I was waiting the best part of an hour for a delayed flight in the car park and the barriers read my number plate and let me out.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think there's a free drop zone by the North long stay car park, Your dropee will have to get a shuttle.

Correct.

https://www.gatwickairport.com/to-and-from/picking-up-dropping-off/

 

[Seagull58]

What? I said you don’t have to use it....,which you don’t.

If I want to drop off at the terminal I have to use the scheme. There is no choice. The only way of not using the scheme is not dropping off at the terminal. That is a different choice that would involve parking elsewhere and using a shuttle, incurring extra time and expense for no good reason.