Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
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- RoAF-Mig21
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Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
I think Canadian airports are abusing passengers' rights by charging an exorbitant amounts of money for "Improvement Fees" and others.
For those of you who regularly commute from YUL to YYZ, you'll find yourself paying about 65% of your fare to Airport Improvement Fees. That works out to $70 per round trip. That's absolutely mental. Where is this money going to? Who is keeping track of how these fees are being implemented and spent?
Toronto Pearson was voted "The Worst Airport in the World" last year for delays. Is this the same airport that charges these fees? YES! What can we, as flying public do? Canadians deserve better and I think we're being taken for fools. Transportation, telecomunication, groceries are monopolized by a few entities with almost no oversight from our political entities.
What can we, the flying public, do aside from "not fly"? I'm writing to my local MP, though I'm not sure he will be able to help (He's a Liberal and taxes are his favorite thing).
As a side reference:
https://simpleflying.com/toronto-pearso ... light-cap/
For those of you who regularly commute from YUL to YYZ, you'll find yourself paying about 65% of your fare to Airport Improvement Fees. That works out to $70 per round trip. That's absolutely mental. Where is this money going to? Who is keeping track of how these fees are being implemented and spent?
Toronto Pearson was voted "The Worst Airport in the World" last year for delays. Is this the same airport that charges these fees? YES! What can we, as flying public do? Canadians deserve better and I think we're being taken for fools. Transportation, telecomunication, groceries are monopolized by a few entities with almost no oversight from our political entities.
What can we, the flying public, do aside from "not fly"? I'm writing to my local MP, though I'm not sure he will be able to help (He's a Liberal and taxes are his favorite thing).
As a side reference:
https://simpleflying.com/toronto-pearso ... light-cap/
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
Agreed…airport CEOs make millions per year yet the conditions at and efficiently at our airports has continues to get worse. A lot of improvement fees for not a lot of actual improvement.
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Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
I know many of the jumpseat coordinators at some of the ALPA shops are tackling this issue. Seems to be lead by a certain Westjet pilot who recently transitioned out of the jumpseat chair role. Don't know/can't remember all the details but it involved a new class action lawsuit filed in British Columbia (the previous one was filed somewhere that limited it's ability to apply country wide (I wanna say it was Alberta).RoAF-Mig21 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 9:23 am I think Canadian airports are abusing passengers' rights by charging an exorbitant amounts of money for "Improvement Fees" and others.
For those of you who regularly commute from YUL to YYZ, you'll find yourself paying about 65% of your fare to Airport Improvement Fees. That works out to $70 per round trip. That's absolutely mental. Where is this money going to? Who is keeping track of how these fees are being implemented and spent?
Toronto Pearson was voted "The Worst Airport in the World" last year for delays. Is this the same airport that charges these fees? YES! What can we, as flying public do? Canadians deserve better and I think we're being taken for fools. Transportation, telecomunication, groceries are monopolized by a few entities with almost no oversight from our political entities.
What can we, the flying public, do aside from "not fly"? I'm writing to my local MP, though I'm not sure he will be able to help (He's a Liberal and taxes are his favorite thing).
As a side reference:
https://simpleflying.com/toronto-pearso ... light-cap/
Along with the letters to your MP I think reaching out to your Jumpseat chair/committee could be a good idea for context and to show support.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
User pay system is the best way to do it. If you don’t want to pay, don’t use the airport. At the very least everything is more transparent when you see what you spend and what you get. If we socialize airports lots of tax dollars will go missing into the abyss. Maybe everyone will love it because it’s “free” like healthcare. Hold airports accountable the same way you hold anyone else accountable you make financial transactions with.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
What?? you literally just described the current system but added socialize to it. How is a pilot supposed to not use an airport to commute to work? Airports are a key component of our infrastructure same way our highways are. We pay some of the highest fees in the world for the most sub par return thanks to privatization , including our Nav Canada set up.rando wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 12:07 pm User pay system is the best way to do it. If you don’t want to pay, don’t use the airport. At the very least everything is more transparent when you see what you spend and what you get. If we socialize airports lots of tax dollars will go missing into the abyss. Maybe everyone will love it because it’s “free” like healthcare. Hold airports accountable the same way you hold anyone else accountable you make financial transactions with.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
Yes airports like YYZ are a disgrace. You pay $35 for broken escalators, filthy washrooms, long lineups, lack of good food choices and delayed flights due to “airport limitations”.
Let’s Go Brandon
- RoAF-Mig21
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Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
How long has that automated walkway at T1 - E gates been broken for? I think it's been more than year, hasn't it?
- rookiepilot
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Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
Cleaner washrooms in the third world.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
I mean some of that is on the airport users too though. It's not hard to take a leak and wash your hands without making a huge mess.
- rookiepilot
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Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
In third world airports, there are staff to clean the sh—-ters.
Here, everyone is too good for that now. No staff.
EVERY young person should start out with a job where they have to clean Sh—-ters.
Builds character.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
I saw a third worlder washing his feet in the sink at a washroom in YYZ recently. Made a hell of a mess.
Let’s Go Brandon
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
That’s been broken for like 5 years. It’s boarded up now.RoAF-Mig21 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 2:03 pmHow long has that automated walkway at T1 - E gates been broken for? I think it's been more than year, hasn't it?
Let’s Go Brandon
- rookiepilot
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Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
Maybe you should apply for a job and clean up after him?Inverted2 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 4:25 pmI saw a third worlder washing his feet in the sink at a washroom in YYZ recently. Made a hell of a mess.
I did that kind of job when I started out.
Builds character.
Less Crypto traders. More janitors.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
What kind of stupid comment is that? I’ll leave that to you. You seem to be full of shit anyway.rookiepilot wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 4:27 pmMaybe you should apply for a job and clean up after him?
I did that kind of job when I started out.
Builds character.
Less Crypto traders. More janitors.
Let’s Go Brandon
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
By driving to it or taking transit.
Or getting the company to pay for it when they get you to deadhead.
Nobody forces you to commute.
Don’t take jobs that require you to unless you’re willing to pay the cost.
Can you imagine what the airlines would have to do if every commuting pilot refused to do so? You’d never worry about paying airport fees again.
And highways are free and par? Very few Canadians miss the massive amount of tax that get added on to gasoline and diesel but they seem to miss what it’s paid for.Airports are a key component of our infrastructure same way our highways are. We pay some of the highest fees in the world for the most sub par return thanks to privatization , including our Nav Canada set up.
Privatization is always going to be sub par in absence of competition because there’s no motivation to do better other than keeping budgets balanced. When airports and highways were government run and maintained it was with debt.
Canada simply doesn’t have the population density required to maintain all of that even with exorbitant fees and taxes.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
I heard WestJet management was offering up their pilots to clean the YYZ shitters as an act of good corporate PR.
No trees were harmed in the transmission of this message. However, a rather large number of electrons were temporarily inconvenienced.
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Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
Seriously... who is the a-hole who puts those urinal pads in upside down? Spraying like the Maid of the Mist.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
I saw this in the Maple lounge not too long ago....and was absolutely flabbergasted. Borderline disgusted. They too left a very soggy mess of paper towel and puddles and then proceeded to walk away.Inverted2 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 4:25 pmI saw a third worlder washing his feet in the sink at a washroom in YYZ recently. Made a hell of a mess.
I get a part of being a Canadian is being open to other cultures and religions, but when are we going to turn things around a little and say being Canadian is not thinking washing ones feet in a public sink is perfectly ok to those coming to Canada.
Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
Maybe an international airport should provide reasonable facilities for foreign visitors and foreign cultures and the common practices of major religions. Besides, what’s wrong with wanting to wash your feet after a long flight?
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
- RoAF-Mig21
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Re: Is it time to start holding airports accountable for "extra fees"?
I wonder when Canadians go to Japan, how long before we do something "socially offensive" to the Japanese, like blow your nose while riding a train?
We'll file this under "cultural differences". Canadians, also think it's not okay to wear an ADIDAS track suits to a wedding. I think it's perfectly okay, as long as it's your "Sunday track suit" not the one you actually go drinking with on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Also, for those of you interested, ADIAS, (Eastern Europe's favorite track suit brand and "national icon") was named after its founder Adolf Dassler (1915), who went by the nickname of "Adi", hence "ADI-DAS".
Adolf Dassler, founder of Adidas.
Anyway, I think we're diverging from the topic at hand. Airport improvement fees are way too expensive, especially in Canada.
We'll file this under "cultural differences". Canadians, also think it's not okay to wear an ADIDAS track suits to a wedding. I think it's perfectly okay, as long as it's your "Sunday track suit" not the one you actually go drinking with on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Also, for those of you interested, ADIAS, (Eastern Europe's favorite track suit brand and "national icon") was named after its founder Adolf Dassler (1915), who went by the nickname of "Adi", hence "ADI-DAS".
Adolf Dassler, founder of Adidas.
Anyway, I think we're diverging from the topic at hand. Airport improvement fees are way too expensive, especially in Canada.