Wait, I know how we'll stop the drain of Canadian airline passengers to the Northern States! Let's raise the airport improvement fee!
This system we have going in Canada is seriously fubar
Airport fee ranks among highest after hike
CBC News A $3 increase in the airport improvement fee at Calgary International Airport means travellers will be paying $25 each time they fly out next March. (Patricia Ariss/CBC)
Air travellers already face a hefty collection of fees, taxes and surcharges on their tickets, but those who pass through Calgary's airport now face a $3 bump.
The Calgary International Airport's airport improvement fee will increase from $22 to $25 in March. That makes the fee among the highest in the country.
"The airport improvement fee was put in place in order for us to have the ability to expand the airport to meet the needs of the city," said airport spokeswoman Jody Moseley.
She said the airport gets no outside funding to maintain and upgrade its facilities.
While it might not seem like much, some travellers pointed out that it all adds up pretty quickly.
"It seems you pay for a ticket and then at least 50 per cent more is fees," Doug Sigffuson said while rushing to his flight on Friday.
"And that's just not right."
"I mean to fly anywhere is outrageous, really," said Kristan Arnason. "Three dollars here, three dollars there … I don't really want any more fees. I think we pay quite a lot."
In addition to the fee, departing travellers pay sales tax, a navigation fee, a federal security charge, various handling fees and insurance.
Another article with some more info. Hard to believe Calgary is the same as Pearson and way more then Vancouver.
Calgary's airport among most expensive in Canada
By DAVE DORMER, QMI AGENCY
Calgary International Airport looking to hike its improvement fee by $3 to $25 in March to make it among the priciest in the country. (JIM WELLS/QMI AGENCY)
CALGARY - Travellers flying out of Calgary's airport will soon have to pay the highest airport improvement fees in the country.
The Airport Improvement Fee, tacked on to the tickets of all travellers departing Calgary International Airport, will rise $3 beginning March 1, 2011 to $25, spokeswoman Jody Mosley said Saturday.
That hike will make Calgary one of the most expensive airport to fly from in the country, joining Toronto's Pearson International Airport and Montreal-Trudeau Airport, both of which also have $25 fees.
By comparison, Ottawa International Airport charges $15, the same as the Vancouver International Airport's improvement fee, which drops to $5 for flights within B.C.
It also costs $15 to fly from Stanfield International Airport in Halifax, a fee which will rise to $20 on Jan. 1, 2011.
Both the Edmonton and Winnipeg airports charge $20.
The fee is used to expand and improve airports, said Mosley.
"We receive no level of funding from any level of government," she said.
"And we are also responsible for developing and growing the airport to meet the needs of the city and the region."
The increase is needed to fund an ambitious $3-billion expansion project set to begin in 2011 that will see the terminal double in size and a new runway built.
"Those are two really important pieces of infrastructure," she said. "They're needed because of capacity issues at the airport and we need to pay for them."
Work on the projects is expected to start next year with the runway expected to be finished in 2014 and the terminal expansion opened in 2015.
Waiting to catch a flight to Vancouver, passenger Nick Uttley said even though increased fees are tough to swallow there's really no way around it for people who want to fly.
"Unless there's a better way to travel, you have to fly sometimes," he said.
"It's hard to believe (Calgary) is a lot higher than Vancouver.
"I thought Vancouver was one of the most expensive."
Even with the increase, Uttley said he likely won't stop taking flights in Calgary, which he does three or four times a year.
"It depends on the weather - if it's winter, I'll fly but in the summertime I might drive," he said.
"It's a little pricey but there's not much you can do.
Answer, yes. YYZ is the only airport I know of, that doesn't charge employees on pass travel for AIFs. It's disgusting and just another form of greed. When YVR introduced ther AIF, it was supposed to pay for the second runway and once it was paid for, it was supposed to go away. Then it was oh we need to add on to the terminal and it will go on infinitely. There will always be some project conjured up to pay for. I believe I've said this on here before, there are some light bulbs in the Vancouver airport that are supposed to look like rain drops, they cost about 6000.00 a piece and are a complete waste of the AIF.
But at least this way the traveler can blame the airport for the cash grab because you can bet if they didn't have the AIF, rents would be higher then the already extremely high rent airlines are paying.
Oh and for those that are saying we will lose more passengers to the us, they are starting to copy the AIF model at some airports and I believe there was something mentioned in the media about US airports going private.
It is a shakedown fee.
Egg management fee.It is not a user fee as the monies being taken are for future facilities ,facilities that are not being used by you when they take the money from you.Almost as bad as some of the shakedown fees added to the cheap fares down south.
I asked the guy who wrote the legislation to sell off Canada's airports "How can they charge a fee for something you are not using,and why should i have to pay for their improvements to their shitty airport ?
His reply was it was not legal but until somebody challenges it in court it will be a cash cow and someone has to pay all the new infrastructure and pay a divedend to the shareholders of the airport management companies.Why not those who can afford to travel ?
So bend over, bite the pillow and enjoy paying for something you are not using,idiots
mbav8r wrote:Answer, yes. YYZ is the only airport I know of, that doesn't charge employees on pass travel for AIFs. It's disgusting and just another form of greed. When YVR introduced ther AIF, it was supposed to pay for the second runway and once it was paid for, it was supposed to go away. Then it was oh we need to add on to the terminal and it will go on infinitely. There will always be some project conjured up to pay for. I believe I've said this on here before, there are some light bulbs in the Vancouver airport that are supposed to look like rain drops, they cost about 6000.00 a piece and are a complete waste of the AIF.
But at least this way the traveler can blame the airport for the cash grab because you can bet if they didn't have the AIF, rents would be higher then the already extremely high rent airlines are paying.
Oh and for those that are saying we will lose more passengers to the us, they are starting to copy the AIF model at some airports and I believe there was something mentioned in the media about US airports going private.
They brought in income tax in 1915 as a temporary measure to help "fund the war effort". 2 World wars later and it never went away either. Once a TAX is in place, its never recinded. Just another cash grab that we Canadians will gladly bend over for...just like we did with the HST and every other unjust tax on the middle class. F*ck our government!
They should do loke some other airports have done for a while: Open duty-free shops for inbound passengers. They would make a lot more money, and the airlines would not have to deal with the weight of all these bottles...
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I vaguely remember a time when the AIF wasn't added to the price of the ticket...I seem to recall having to pay the AIF at YVR at a machine (similar to an ATM) and having to show the AIF receipt to the agent at security.
jeff_w_yeg wrote:I vaguely remember a time when the AIF wasn't added to the price of the ticket...I seem to recall having to pay the AIF at YVR at a machine (similar to an ATM) and having to show the AIF receipt to the agent at security.
Or was that all in my head? Ha ha...
Jeff @ YYC
You are correct. YVR was the first airport to introduce an AIF in canada, and it was met with a lot of negativity (obviously). But at the same time, YVR was one of the first airports pirvatized, and it was the first one to embark on their expansion program. Being the first one to have the AIF, the airlines were resistant to having to collect the AIF as part of the purchase of the ticket, so they just told YVR "no, we won't do it". However, as more and more airports added AIF's over the subsequent years, the airlines really had no choice but to facilitate a more streamlined process. At one point, YVR was only accepting cash for the AIF. It took a couple years before they finally capitulated and accepted debit and credit cards.
FWIW, the YVR AIF was intended to last 25 years to pay for 2nd runway, and the initial terminal expansion. The reason the AIF has not increased in YVR like it has at some other airports is because of the very strong revenue stream coming from retailers in the airport. YVR has done a great job of (whether you like it or not) of making the airport into a mall.
YVR seems to be the only airport in Canada actually doing something about the flow of Canadian passengers to the US (see http://www.yvr.ca/en/shopping-dining-se ... tests.aspx, it's not much but it acknowledges the problem and it's more then whining about the Federal rent).
However they're pulling it off, as both a passenger and a pilot I feel YVR is a whole class above YYC.
