What is your view on Knock Airport charging everyone a tenner to leave it?

Andy From Sligo

kneemos wrote: »

Is there a mass before the flight?

there bloody need to be!

Andy From Sligo

branie2 wrote: »

What would our Lady of Knock think of it?

what would Msr. Horan make of it! ? :eek:

Andy From Sligo

rainbowtrout wrote: »

You can pay by card.

Bejaysus thats Modren! ....

corsav6

This was discussed in the knock airport thread, http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056641568/1.
Got rather heated between a few users at stages.
On mobile so not sure if the link will work for PC users.

Lapin

rainbowtrout wrote: »

No it doesn't make sense. I live in Roscommon, I can be in Knock in 35-40 minutes, park in the car park and walk to the terminal in 2 minutes. There is never a queue at check in so it's hassle free.

Flying from Dublin means 2 - 2:20 hours to the airport. Park in long term car park. Wait for shuttle to terminal. Need to turn up an hour before the flight because it's likely there will be a queue going through security. All that time could be spent in bed.

I got a flight around 10am from Knock to London a few weeks back. I got up just before 8 that morning. If I was taking a flight at the same time from Dublin I'd have probably been up at 5am.

So they might be charging €10 up front, but it costs a whole lot less just taking petrol costs into account.

It's no different in people refusing to take a €50 Ryanair flight because there is a €20 charge for checking in baggage but they would have no problem booking the same flight if it was €70 with check in baggage included.

All good points.

But from where I live (Galway), Knock isn't the easiest place to get to by public transport.

Regular access to Dublin and Shannon is a lot handier.

millerj

For me personally it is not the actual €10 but the fact that it is unexpected. I live in Cork and for a change recently extended a break to UK by taking in a short stay in the west. Stayed at the McWilliam in Claremorris and really enjoyed it. Enjoyed the stay and really enjoyed Knock Airport but I was surprised myself at how annoyed I felt about this charge. I just think its the fact that it is so unexpected. It would not bother me if the car park was an extra five euro per day or if the cup of coffee was an extra few bob etc because that is kind of what we all expect at airports. It is funny as to how many people I actually told about this charge on both sides of the Irish sea as it just seems like extortion. I actually kept the receipt to show people such was my disbelief. Thankfully on this occasion there were only two of us travelling as being hit with €50 or €60 before you start could potentially ruin a family's short break budget. I did email Ireland West to express my annoyance but was fed the Blackpool, Norwich and Newquay examples as were mentioned earlier in the thread but just because someone else does it does not make it right. As much as I enjoyed the overall experience I must admit as a point of principle I would not use the airport again due to this fee...............to the benefit of Farranfore (Kerry Airport) and the local hotel and facilities for my next trip.

Lord PuppyMcSnuggle of Cuddleshire

You'd better donate de' dough, de' dough, ye'd better donate the dough.

mass_debater

To be fair nearly all airlines and the airport website display it clearly, the exception being Ryanair

flazio

millerj wrote: »

. Thankfully on this occasion there were only two of us travelling as being hit with €50 or €60 before you start could potentially ruin a family's short break budget.

With regards familes, they only charge the tenner for people aged 12 and up, 11 and under don't pay.

Gonzo

can't believe they are charging a 10er for this? If I lived in the west i would not use this airport. Knock Airport should have never been built in the first place, the country does not need it. Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports is all we really need for a country of this size with a relatively small population.

retro:electro

Ireland west airport is a small airport and doesn't receive large government funding like other airports. It has to charge this fee for developmental upkeep.

kneemos

Gonzo wrote: »

can't believe they are charging a 10er for this? If I lived in the west i would not use this airport. Knock Airport should have never been built in the first place, the country does not need it. Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports is all we really need for a country of this size with a relatively small population.

It's holding its own presumably?

mass_debater

Gonzo wrote: »

can't believe they are charging a 10er for this? If I lived in the west i would not use this airport. Knock Airport should have never been built in the first place, the country does not need it. Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports is all we really need for a country of this size with a relatively small population.

It's keeping it's head above water, is self sufficient, how much is Shannon costing the taxpayer?

Graham

anna080 wrote: »

Ireland west airport is a small airport and doesn't receive large government funding like other airports. It has to charge this fee for developmental upkeep.

650,000 passengers at €10 = €6,500,000
Let's round that down to €5 million to take into account children under 11.

Capital spending last year was €2.1 million
Where was the other €3 million worth of 'airport development'?

mass_debater

Graham wrote: »

650,000 passengers at €10 = €6,500,000
Let's round that down to €5 million to take into account children under 11.

Capital spending last year was €2.1 million
Where was the other €3 million worth of 'airport development'?

Running the airport?

Graham

mass_debater wrote: »

Running the airport?

So not an airport development fee?

Knasher

I'd happily pay that to avoid Dublin Airport, and I don't even think Dublin is that bad, but I've always found it much more relaxing to fly out of small regional airports.

mass_debater

Graham wrote: »

So not an airport development fee?

It's a fee to use the airport, who cares what it's called

retro:electro

Graham wrote: »

So not an airport development fee?

It's to keep it open essentially. If they didn't get it they'd have to close. It's a nice little airport and appreciated greatly here in the wesht.

keithclancy

Knasher wrote: »

I'd happily pay that to avoid Dublin Airport, and I don't even think Dublin is that bad, but I've always found it much more relaxing to fly out of small regional airports.

Me too. Eindhoven over Amsterdam any day.
Cork over Dublin any day

Feck Shannon

Love small airports

relax carry on

Graham wrote: »

650,000 passengers at €10 = €6,500,000
Let's round that down to €5 million to take into account children under 11.

Capital spending last year was €2.1 million
Where was the other €3 million worth of 'airport development'?

Isn't that 650000 figure the inbound and outbound passengers together? The 10 euro fee is only paid by the outbound passengers isn't it?

Andy From Sligo

anna080 wrote: »

It's to keep it open essentially. If they didn't get it they'd have to close. It's a nice little airport and appreciated greatly here in the wesht.

... if it puts people off using the airport because of it - number of users will fall and theyd have to close ...

Kevin McCloud

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

... if it puts people off using the airport because of it - number of users will fall and theyd have to close ...

There is no other airport around for miles so they are stuck with it.

Andy From Sligo

Lapin wrote: »

All good points.

But from where I live (Galway), Knock isn't the easiest place to get to by public transport.

Regular access to Dublin and Shannon is a lot handier.

mad that it isnt the easiest to get to by public transport from galway .... because its on the N17 Galway road!!

rainbowtrout

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

mad that it isnt the easiest to get to by public transport from galway .... because its on the N17 Galway road!!

I dunno, I just looked up the Bus Eireann website. They have 6 buses going from Galway to Sligo tomorrow that stop at Knock Airport. Hardly difficult to get to.

Knock is a great airport, you always meet someone you know!

I was on one of the first ever flights into it but they didn't have the runway lights installed yet and the fog came down and was diverted to Shannon

Chucken

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Knock is a great airport, you always meet someone you know!

I was on one of the first ever flights into it but they didn't have the runway lights installed yet and the fog came down and was diverted to Shannon

I've never been to Knock Strike me down now!
But, If I had to pay the €10 from Shannon,(I live nearer to Shannon) I would, no bother. Its about what we need isn't it? No stress.

Andy From Sligo

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Knock is a great airport, you always meet someone you know!

I was on one of the first ever flights into it but they didn't have the runway lights installed yet and the fog came down and was diverted to Shannon

my first experience was a Luton to Knock flight in December 1990 ... it really was just an upgrade of a cowshed then lol - maybe all these tenners they got really did turn it into what it is today ...

Cee-Jay-Cee

I don't mind paying it as it jeans not having to go to that feckin ****hole Dublin airport (which isn't too bad on the way out but a nightmare on arrival) but I really think it should be renamed "Charlestown Airport" as it's no where near Knock and only a few miles from Charlestown.

Mars Bar

I have no problem whatsoever with the ten euro fee. It's pays its way in convenience. You can get savage prices from there to Liverpool and its not even an hour up the road.

It's a nightmare when the wind gets bad though!