Calgary airport fees jumping 30 per cent

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by T I M

Don't you have to change floors in calgary if your connecting to an US destination?

I dunno. Never had to take a connecting flight from here

Thing with Pearson is that you must change floors no matter where you're going. At least it seems to be that way everytime I've been there.

Originally Posted by eazyduzzit

That's not what bothers me.

It's the fact you have to wait and claim your baggage, line up at customs then get rid of your baggage again and THEN make your way accross the airport to your connecting flight.

Yeah, that's the worst. That airport...

[Winsor_Pilates]

Will this fee help get more parking?

Last Friday I spent 1.5 hours looking for long term parking and all park&jet, park&fly, and long term parking were completly full.

I ended up missing my flight and only by an extreme miracle got to Vancouver later that day as a standby passenger.

[Daradon]

I came through the Vancouver airport years ago (as a connecting) and got hit with their $15 dollar improvement fee. I shrugged and said, don't have it, what are you going to do, keep me off the plane? (Not a solution obviously) They frowned and waved me through. I was about 16 at the time that may have helped. Also it would only work for connecting passengers, you can claim ignorance to the rule/tax.

[Incinerator]

Originally Posted by getbak

Wasn't there a law passed recently that will require the airlines to advertise the final price instead of the artificially low no-fees price? I thought it was supposed to be in effect by now, or did it die with the change of government.

All you have to do is price the ticket out on the airline's website and you will have the final price, it's not like they're keeping it a secret until you punch in your credit card number...

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Eh? I've been at YYC with all detectors manned. Now that's a zoo.

Still better than Pearson. The only airport where you have to change floors to catch a connecting flight!

I'll take "people who haven't connected in Ottawa to to a US flight" for $1000 Alex.

Toronto is big, but you can't get lost. Ottawa is gong show. The worst line for US customs must by YVR, at about 8am. The line not only snakes around in their customs area, but it can be 125m out the door back into the terminal

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by eazyduzzit

That's not what bothers me.

It's the fact you have to wait and claim your baggage, line up at customs then get rid of your baggage again and THEN make your way accross the airport to your connecting flight.

If I fly international, I make sure I clear customs here by flying directly into the states for a connecting flight.

Yep, that is always the right answer. Change in Denver when you can, that is about as efficient an airport can be.

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Hidden fees are sadly becoming the norm. About a decade ago I started to see "Fuel tax" on top of shipping fees whenever we shipped something from our shop. Now it's the norm. When I get a quote, I get a rate "Plus tax", meaning "Plus a charge that we can throw on top so if we quote too low I'll add a whack of fees on top so we make more money".

Gone are the days of a single quote for what you pay. I think we can thank the auto makers for that one.

just for the record, as a senior manager for a shipping company, it is a cost recovery. we charge exactly what the airlines or ocean liners charge us at cost to the client.

there is no profit in the fuel surcharge, unless you are the carrier. most shipper use freight forwarders though.

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Eh? I've been at YYC with all detectors manned. Now that's a zoo.

Still better than Pearson. The only airport where you have to change floors to catch a connecting flight!

well, i dont know about only airport .... HKG airport you need to not only change floors, but take a LRT to another part of the airport.

[mykalberta]

Its the same rational behind charging you 99.99 instead of 100.

Same price but 30% + more people will buy if you price it at 99 rather than at 100.

People are stupid.

MYK

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

just for the record, as a senior manager for a shipping company, it is a cost recovery. we charge exactly what the airlines or ocean liners charge us at cost to the client.

there is no profit in the fuel surcharge, unless you are the carrier. most shipper use freight forwarders though.

That's fine. I have no issue with you making a profit.

What gets me upset is when I check around at prices and do my "due diligence" only to get blindsided by additional fees when it is time to pay.

Tell me the FULL price up front, so when I have made my decision I won't feel like I've been mislead.

I know it is marketing - the peopel who appear to have the lowest prices without lying get the business. But it doesn't make my life any easier when airline tickets have 6 or 7 additional fees/taxes, or shipping/freight isn't included in the advertised price.

And there have been discussions every so often about mandating airlines to post their bottom line prices in the paper, and every time it happens the airlines all promise to do a better job, and 2 years later the same issues arise and around the merry-go-round we (the consumers) go.

[DementedReality]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

That's fine. I have no issue with you making a profit.

What gets me upset is when I check around at prices and do my "due diligence" only to get blindsided by additional fees when it is time to pay.

Tell me the FULL price up front, so when I have made my decision I won't feel like I've been mislead.

I know it is marketing - the peopel who appear to have the lowest prices without lying get the business. But it doesn't make my life any easier when airline tickets have 6 or 7 additional fees/taxes, or shipping/freight isn't included in the advertised price.

And there have been discussions every so often about mandating airlines to post their bottom line prices in the paper, and every time it happens the airlines all promise to do a better job, and 2 years later the same issues arise and around the merry-go-round we (the consumers) go.

the problem, at least in my industry, is if i quote you a full price, say $500.00 but someone else quotes you the base price, say $350.00 (++). i will lose the sale because my price had everything in it and most shippers arent astute enough know they are comparing apples and oranges.

freight pricing is usually priced

charge for pick up $xx.xx
charge for freight $yyy.yy
charge for surcharges (fuel etc) $bb.bb
charge for delivery $aa.aa
charge for handling $cc.cc
total charge $zzzz.zz

if i quote you zzzz.zz and you compare it to only the charge for freight (yyy.yy), then i dont get the busines, even though my zzzz.zz might be better than the other companies.

the airlines dont advertise the surcharges probably for the same reason.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Toronto is big, but you can't get lost. Ottawa is gong show.

You got lost in Ottawa? Is the airport even big enough to get lost in?

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by DementedReality

(snip)
if i quote you zzzz.zz and you compare it to only the charge for freight (yyy.yy), then i dont get the busines, even though my zzzz.zz might be better than the other companies.

the airlines dont advertise the surcharges probably for the same reason.

Which is why it will take the gov't getting involved to make a law that affects every airline at the same time. But every time they talk about it, the airlines talk about making it better, but then nobody wants to blink first.