It seems the way airports try and get you for every penny is getting silly now. And we turn to the UK’s 4th busiest airport – Manchester Airport (MAN) – is going to go for your wallet, with the imposition of a fee for trolleys.
The airport will charge £1 or €2 to use a trolley – on a non refundable basis. Manchester Airport Group will happily take your cash or in some cases, your credit card.
Manchester Airport whine that spending £1 million replacing trolleys with what they call brand new, lightweight manoeuvrable versions”, costs money. And
“To continue making multi-million pound investments in the airport when the cost of air fares are reducing, means that airports can’t continue to provide services like trolleys for free”.
This con goes into effect from the 10th April 2012.
Manchester Airport continues to bleat as an excuse that only 5% of passengers use trolleys, and that charging people means they only target those who use the service as opposed to everyone as an airport facility fee.
Psst. Manchester Airport: That’s what airlines call “Unbundling“. Or to you and me “Costing more for a crappier service”
Sad to see this in Europe, but it is quite common in the larger US domestic airports.
I sadly think more of this will spread at the smaller UK airports (although Manchester isn’t exactly “small” being the gateway to the north of the UK.
It just boils down to cutting costs – or to use a US term: nickel and diming.