DAA money wasting!

technocrat

As I was passing through Dublin airport yesterday evening two things stood out.

I wanted to catch the end of the hurling game but all the TV's throughout the airport were showing a soccer match.
On closer inspection I noticed the channel was Sky Sports I kid you not!!!
In these cost cutting frugal times why on earth are the DAA paying for premium sports channel which I imagine would be hefty annual fee.

When I was coming back from the shop in the arrivals hall I walked past the entrance to area 14 where a permanent bollard is in place with a notice saying this section is no longer in use.
However, both escalators are running down to this floor even though you can't enter also the area is fully lit up.
Its another waste of money having this section consuming power 24x7 when clearly not in use for some time.

The next time MOL is on about DAA and money wasting I will seriously believe him.

Cookie_Monster

sure they have this whole second terminal they don't need, to waste money on, never mind a sky subscription and a few lights!

markpb

technocrat wrote: »

When I was coming back from the shop in the arrivals hall I walked past the entrance to area 14 where a permanent bollard is in place with a notice saying this section is no longer in use.

Is that the new gates in the basement that was opened less than two years ago and almost prompted (yet another) Aer Lingus strike?

technocrat

Yup that would be it.
Looking at the high fit out standard it would seem they spend a considerable amount here too!

KevR

To be honest, I think a commercial Sky Sports subscription is only a very tiny expenditure for an airport which has 20,000,000+ passing through every year. There are a few pubs in the airport and just like most pubs around the country, these pubs have Sky Sports too; the only difference is that there are screens throughout the airport and not just in the pubs.

Agree about Area 14 though.

D'Peoples Voice

technocrat wrote: »

As I was passing through Dublin airport yesterday evening two things stood out.

I wanted to catch the end of the hurling game but all the TV's throughout the airport were showing a soccer match.

still they (DAA) are one of only a few airport authorities that actually have a sense of humour.

For excample, where else in the world would you have a seating area at the arrivals gate positioned at a 90 degree angle to the monitors showing what flights are arriving in.
I personally hope they do the same with Terminal 2, there are too many obese people in this country, and a bit of exercise to get up and walk over so you can actually see the monitor, is good for you, as indeed is the impending row over the seat that you've now lost. Foreigners just don't get our civil/public service.
I remember a few years ago coming through the Arrivals gate only to see the word "Fáilte" wrote upside down on the floor. It was my first introduction to the Irish public/civil service and I loved it.

Fratton Fred

markpb wrote: »

Is that the new gates in the basement that was opened less than two years ago and almost prompted (yet another) Aer Lingus strike?

And they had a good point as well. Accoding to the union, working underground in that area was a serious hazard to the health of the people working there, due to there being no natural light.

Apparantly though, it is no longer a hazard if those people are given a €1 per hour pay rise.:D

runway16

technocrat wrote: »

As I was passing through Dublin airport yesterday evening two things stood out.

I wanted to catch the end of the hurling game but all the TV's throughout the airport were showing a soccer match.
On closer inspection I noticed the channel was Sky Sports I kid you not!!!
In these cost cutting frugal times why on earth are the DAA paying for premium sports channel which I imagine would be hefty annual fee.

When I was coming back from the shop in the arrivals hall I walked past the entrance to area 14 where a permanent bollard is in place with a notice saying this section is no longer in use.
However, both escalators are running down to this floor even though you can't enter also the area is fully lit up.
Its another waste of money having this section consuming power 24x7 when clearly not in use for some time.

The next time MOL is on about DAA and money wasting I will seriously believe him.

Now, far be it from me to rain on this little parade of anti semi state chatter, but Just a few facts for you:

1) Every airport of any size is going to have a bloody cable TV subscription - reason? A) They want it for the Business lounges that Passengers use They need 24 news channels for the Crisis response room that every big airport or airline must have C) Passengers actually like having a few TV's here and there....

2) The basement check in was abandoned by Aer lingus who consolidated all their check in on the main floor - the area is still used for storage etc.. just not for check in. The escalators stop moving when no one used them for a few moments as an energy saving measure

3) T2 is badly needed. T1 was designed for a throughput of about 17 million, not 30 million as O'leary claims. When the airport was handling 23 million, it was bursting at the seams and its capacity has actually been reduced now that Pier C has been taken out of service for the T2 build. Most of the facilities around T1, such as the ramp areas and Pier A and B are life expired, dont comply with security regs in the case of Pier A, and need replacing. That cant be done until new capacity comes on stream to take over in the interim period. Some of the ramp areas are in suhc poor condition, it is becoming a hazard to aircraft. The airport is far too small for even today's lower traffic levels. It is still jammed at peak times. Airports build ahead of time. They need to. Except in Ireland it seems where the current fashion is to dismiss everything as waste, when the previous fashion was to knock everything as being under-spec, too small, inadequate.....

So, instead of trotting out the MOL/Ryanair and taxi driver style tripe, maybe you could inform yourselves a bit more??
By the way, I work for a private sector airline... not the DAA or any semi state interest.

dowlingm

technocrat wrote: »

I wanted to catch the end of the hurling game but all the TV's throughout the airport were showing a soccer match.

Vancouver Airport Feb 2010, Olympic gold medal ice hockey final (US-Canada) in progress, packed foodcourt watching on bigscreen (albeit with no sound) when... a gospel choir of some description pitched up 50m away. Needless to say there were some unchristian thoughts but being Canadians nobody actually went up and asked them to fsck off somewhere else.

technocrat

runway16 wrote: »

Now, far be it from me to rain on this little parade of anti semi state chatter, but Just a few facts for you:

1) Every airport of any size is going to have a bloody cable TV subscription - reason? A) They want it for the Business lounges that Passengers use They need 24 news channels for the Crisis response room that every big airport or airline must have C) Passengers actually like having a few TV's here and there....

2) The basement check in was abandoned by Aer lingus who consolidated all their check in on the main floor - the area is still used for storage etc.. just not for check in. The escalators stop moving when no one used them for a few moments as an energy saving measure

3) T2 is badly needed. T1 was designed for a throughput of about 17 million, not 30 million as O'leary claims. When the airport was handling 23 million, it was bursting at the seams and its capacity has actually been reduced now that Pier C has been taken out of service for the T2 build. Most of the facilities around T1, such as the ramp areas and Pier A and B are life expired, dont comply with security regs in the case of Pier A, and need replacing. That cant be done until new capacity comes on stream to take over in the interim period. Some of the ramp areas are in suhc poor condition, it is becoming a hazard to aircraft. The airport is far too small for even today's lower traffic levels. It is still jammed at peak times. Airports build ahead of time. They need to. Except in Ireland it seems where the current fashion is to dismiss everything as waste, when the previous fashion was to knock everything as being under-spec, too small, inadequate.....

So, instead of trotting out the MOL/Ryanair and taxi driver style tripe, maybe you could inform yourselves a bit more??
By the way, I work for a private sector airline... not the DAA or any semi state interest.

Oh right so can't comment on semi-state companies now that my taxes pay for without been accused of anti something or other ??

Get off your high horse.. ffs!

1) I was referring specifically to premium sport channels not FTA (Free to air) in case you don't understand.
A friend of mine works in a pub and they pay 700 a month for Sky Sports so one can imagine what the DAA bill is.
BTW the bars are run independent at the airport and they pay directly for what service they want.
Incidently Thomas Reads in the arrivals hall were showing the hurling game on RTE.

2) Don't know whats your point here is! The escalators WERE
running. I actually waited for a DAA employee standing nearby to come off the phone before asking but was been collected from the airport so had to leave.

3) Did I say anything about T2? Which I actually welcome if a little on the large size.

I am not trotting out any tripe as you say. Just saying MOL was proved right in more than a few occasions.
He is a CEO of a very successful and profitable company whereas the DAA chief awarded himself a bonus in the last year even though the airport made a loss amid plunging passenger numbers.

So maybe YOU get you facts right when coming on here again!

runway16

technocrat wrote: »

Oh right so can't comment on semi-state companies now that my taxes pay for without been accused of anti something or other ??

Get off your high horse.. ffs!

1) I was referring specifically to premium sport channels not FTA (Free to air) in case you don't understand.
A friend of mine works in a pub and they pay 700 a month for Sky Sports so one can imagine what the DAA bill is.
BTW the bars are run independent at the airport and they pay directly for what service they want.
Incidently Thomas Reads in the arrivals hall were showing the hurling game on RTE.

2) Don't know whats your point here is! The escalators WERE
running. I actually waited for a DAA employee standing nearby to come off the phone before asking but was been collected from the airport so had to leave.

3) Did I say anything about T2? Which I actually welcome if a little on the large size.

I am not trotting out any tripe as you say. Just saying MOL was proved right in more than a few occasions.
He is a CEO of a very successful and profitable company whereas the DAA chief awarded himself a bonus in the last year even though the airport made a loss amid plunging passenger numbers.

So maybe YOU get you facts right when coming on here again!

My, my... so angry!

Anyway, To address your points. They have Sky - so what? I clearly explained the reasons to you above why the have a cable subscription... how do you know what deals they might have with Sky or NTL for those services considering they probably have quite a sizeable contract?

The escalators were on - as I told you, the basement is used for other things.

As for T2, no, you didnt mention it, but others on the thread did.

If anyone is ona high horse, i believe its the person criticising the fact that an airport which handles 20 odd million pax per year has a subscription to sky sports.. come on! If you didnt show those games around the airport, people would be going crazy.

And no, MOl has never hit the nail on the head. He just resists anything that will add to the costs of his Dublin services - services that are subsidising his initially loss making overseas expansion. Thats MOL - yes, he runs a good enterprise - but dont think he has Dublin's or Ireland's interests at heart - he only has Ryanair's!

KevR

runway16 wrote: »

If anyone is ona high horse, i believe its the person criticising the fact that an airport which handles 20 odd million pax per year has a subscription to sky sports.. come on! If you didnt show those games around the airport, people would be going crazy.

+1

If you pass through Dublin Airport at any weekend you will see a huge number of people with football/rugby replica shirts who are obviously heading to Premiership games in England or Heineken Cup rugby games anywhere around Europe.

Also, Sky Sports have exclusive rights to many of Ireland's international football games - could you imagine if there was an important Ireland game on and nowhere in the airport showing it?! You couldn't not have Sky Sports to be honest.

technocrat

runway16 wrote: »

My, my... so angry!

Anyway, To address your points. They have Sky - so what? I clearly explained the reasons to you above why the have a cable subscription... how do you know what deals they might have with Sky or NTL for those services considering they probably have quite a sizeable contract?

The escalators were on - as I told you, the basement is used for other things.

As for T2, no, you didnt mention it, but others on the thread did.

If anyone is ona high horse, i believe its the person criticising the fact that an airport which handles 20 odd million pax per year has a subscription to sky sports.. come on! If you didnt show those games around the airport, people would be going crazy.

And no, MOl has never hit the nail on the head. He just resists anything that will add to the costs of his Dublin services - services that are subsidising his initially loss making overseas expansion. Thats MOL - yes, he runs a good enterprise - but dont think he has Dublin's or Ireland's interests at heart - he only has Ryanair's!

Look your the one coming on here having a go.
This is my last reply to you because yet again your wrong!

The cable news channels you said are required for monitoring emergencies are FTA which is fine.
Its idiotic for you to say people would be going mad if they can't watch a cricket game on SS!
Most people passing through airports are on the move and don't have the time to watch a 90min game.

Did you not read where i said there was permanent bollard at the entrance to area 14 ?
So its not possible to get safely on the escalator and anyway if been rarely used why not switch them off.

MOL's puts his company interests before Ireland's?? Quelle surprise!
Imagine any other Irish CEO doing something like that..

runway16

technocrat wrote: »

Look your the one coming on here having a go.
This is my last reply to you because yet again your wrong!

The cable news channels you said are required for monitoring emergencies are FTA which is fine.
Its idiotic for you to say people would be going mad if they can't watch a cricket game on SS!
Most people passing through airports are on the move and don't have the time to watch a 90min game.

Did you not read where i said there was permanent bollard at the entrance to area 14 ?
So its not possible to get safely on the escalator and anyway if been rarely used why not switch them off.

MOL's puts his company interests before Ireland's?? Quelle surprise!
Imagine any other Irish CEO doing something like that..

I didnt come on here having a go.. I came on here to try to put forth an arguement contrary to the "perceived wisdom" that seems to be doing the rounds in relation to the airport, whereby everyone laps up what o'leary has to say without ever questioning! it!

People DO watch matches at the airport. Believe it or not, they are not all constantly moving - with 3 hour pre departure check ins, most people have plenty of time to sit watching sports. I work in the place - im in a position to know!

So you admit O'leary is self serving then? Of course, that is what he is meant to be, but please add a modicum of critique to what he says, because a lot of it IS LIES. He has lied repeatedly over costs and capacity at Dublin airport and the facts are there to prove it.

Regards the escalators, I will repeat again - they have motion sensors and automatically switch OFF after a few minutes when no one uses them.

Oh, and finally NOT ONE PENNY of your or my prescious tax money goes towards funding the DAA - its a commercial body, that raises revenue through charges and finances development through revenue and debt.

dowlingm

For me it would be important to ensure that any TVs like that are past security, to encourage people not to leave getting through to the last minute.

runway16

dowlingm wrote: »

For me it would be important to ensure that any TVs like that are past security, to encourage people not to leave getting through to the last minute.

I agree with you... there are none in departures as far as I know - until you get past security, but there are some down in arrivals, which is fair enough for people awaiting passengers.. if delayed, you could be there for a few hours, which the thread starter seems to forget.

We have really sunk to a new low of cynicism and bad mindedness if having SKY TV in one of Europe's busiest airports is such a big deal.

When the airport didnt have TV's in public areas - people complained. So now they have - but its now a waste...... you really wouldnt blame some companies in this state for just not caring what the public thought anymore.

bazzachazza

I was working in Paris earlier in the year with 12 colleagues and when we went over together each month we went to the airport early to sit in the bar/outside the bar and watch the Match. We weren't the only ones either. That's the reason why. One person whining about why they have it versus how many hundred everyday whining about them not having the match.

How do you not know that there weren't staff working down in the basement who needed the lights on to work there.

Maybe the escalators were only working as someone switched them on by mistake.

You'll probably find that the subscription for the SKY gets subsidised by the bars/cafe's to attract custom.

If you believe everything the Mo'L says then you're a fool. 95% of what he say's is purely said for maximum media attention also known as free ADVERTISING.