EMR

I have just booked our car for a trip next month.
In addition to the cost of hire there is now a 15euro airport tax.
When returned our car last time we were informed that the hire companies who use the No4 carpark and operate from there are challenging the charges.
It has been suggested that some of the companies will move and transfer clients to where ever their vehicles are located.
Either way if the charge is not overturned hirers will face a rise in the cost of rentals or a lose the covenience of walking from arrivals collecting your car and being on the way within 30 mins of the plane landing.

For regulars like ourselves it has bought forward the time when we will buy a car.
If you add this to the toll charges add early /late collection/drop off you could see extras of 55euros on the basic cost of hire.

pdr

I booked a car last month, and have booked one in June - no additional charges levied for airport tax. No mention of a tax for a planned booking in October either.
My understanding was that the companies in Car Park 4 are not being asked to pay these taxes, only those who don't have an official presence in the airport. Of course, things may have changed recently!

EMR

We returned last thursday and asked the rep for the company we were using in P4 what was happening.
They are waiting to find out but as from Mar 1st they are informing clients that the charge will apply unless informed otherwise.
It is the companies who use P4 whe are being targetted they will be charged for each of their cars that enters or exits P4.
The charge they have told will even apply to the vans they use.

On another forum there is a post quoting Travelrent who refer to the proposed charge from 1st March and that if it goes ahead etc .

pdr

It's wrong to charge them twice, after all they already pay to use the facilities in CP4 - to then tax them as well will do nobody any favours!

EMR

It is an increase on the charges they currently pay.
It was first suggested last year and nothing happened so fingers crossed that sense will prevail.
Otherwise you will see more companies moving "off " airport and ferrying clients to where ever the cars are kept.

S_MONTY

Lets be clear, this is not a Tax, it's an additional charge which goes straight into the coffers of the "foreign" airport owners/operators.

I don't know what form of contract these car hire companies might have but it seems the airport call the shots. Economy Car Hire have already been surveying their customers over the preference for paying extra, or travelling off site to pick up cars.

fergus

It is a real shame they are doing this. The car hire companies using P4 are mostly pretty good and their charges are quite reasonable. But when you can hire a car for a week or so for £30, so adding £15 is a big whack. If the alternative is getting into a bus and being driven off site, this is a step backwards. This is what they were doing 20 years ago.
If I am going to have to wait for a shuttle bus, then arrive with 10 other people and then wait in line as they all get cars, it could easy take an extra hour or more. If that is the case, then I will just get the green bus shuttle, pay my £9 or whatever it is and still be at the house before some people have got their hire car!
This must have been thought up by the same person that introduced motorway tolls. And we all know what a success that has been for everyone.
I too hope they will think again.

EMR

It is just the airport operators seeking to gain additional revenue from those who do not have their own sites on the airport.
If this does go ahead at the very least they should enlarge the " shed " where clients have to queue in all weathers ,provide toilets and drinks machines etc.
It cannot be much fun for families with children at the height of summer.

Red Eric

That's privatisation for you.

Next time you hear people carping about public sector strikes etc, just remind them what the alternative to having people protest on your behalf at a cost to themselves actually means.

pdr

I have just read the "regulation" for these charges, and in the definitions, it says this:

"Entities: any natural or legal person entitled to exercise the activity of rental car and established in national territory that do not have establishments or facilities at the Airport; (my italics).

There is no mention of any charges for those who do not meet this definition! The regulation is due to come into force on 1 March 2015, and vehicles must be registered (charges are 432€/year, shuttle bus charges are higher) and must not stay on the airport for longer than 75mins or additional charges (per 15mins) will be raised. All vehicles must use car park 4.

The operators using the "cabin" in car park 4 do have facilities, and I believe this regulation is to raise income from those companies that don't, and who either deliver a car to the airport for pick up in unauthorised areas, or collect their customers in a shuttle bus and drive them to an off site facility.

No doubt all will become clearer at the end of this month.

EMR

It clearly applies to the P4 operators .It is a charge for entering and exiting car park 4.The only facility they have is a share of a desk in the kiosk.
They are now being asked for increased parking charges.
Those companies who operated out of vans in the car park because of a lack of space in the kiosks are now talking about having to end this as well.
Those who transfer their clients will not face a charge per client/hire car because they do not use P4.
I have this charge on the booking confirmation for my trip next month. IF it goes ahead.

S_MONTY

Booked yesterday through ECH for a trip in June. No mention of additional charge.

I hope per's interpretation is right.

EMR

I have just been looking at another car hire site for our April visit.

It has a note, ANA the airport operator now charges and entry/exit fee of E7.50 per vehicle for companies that use P4.
Some companies are considering the use of transfer buses to off airport sites.
We believe that our customers will prefer the convenience of P4 etc etc.

pdr

I hope my interpretation is right as well! Unfortunately I fear the worst, and suspect that EMR is better informed than I am

On the positive side though, these charges only amount to 1.18€/day, offering the operators a nice little earner if they up it to 2€/day. From a personal point of view I wouldn't begrudge them that little bit extra, because I've always found their service offering to be far superior to the big boys on the other side of the airport. Also, despite these additional charges they will still be far cheaper than the "biggies".

bicabica

Hmm. If pdr's definition is correct then the P4 operators we're talking about clearly do have facilities. It may only be a shared desk but it is a facility and one, I presume, they pay for.

So from where I'm standing it looks like the new regulations don't apply to the likes of Travel Rent and maybe four other companies that share the desk. I would have thought that the new regulations were intended to stop the off-site operators - those with no facilities who operate literally out the back of a van - from coming onto the car park in an "unlicensed" fashion.

I have just done a dummy booking through Economy Car Hire for a period in March and there's no mention of any additional fee.