Great news for the west...

soterpisc

Great news for the west... Will help a lot of businesses who bring their clients and customers to the west.


http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/new-ryanair-routes-link-knock-to-milan-frankfurt-paris-and-barcelona-2940774.html

New Ryanair routes link Knock to Milan, Frankfurt, Paris and Barcelona
BUDGET airline Ryanair is to launch four new European routes from Knock airport.
Passengers will now be able to connect directly from Ireland West airport to Milan, Frankfurt, Paris and Barcelona.
From next March more than 20 flights a week will operate to the new destinations and it means that Ryanair will fly to 14 destinations in Europe and the UK from Knock.

Mickeroo

Knock to Barca. That is sweet

Ilovelucy

Wasn't there always a Barcelona flight (Reus) though?

soterpisc

Ilovelucy wrote: »

Wasn't there always a Barcelona flight (Reus) though?

There was!!! I was looking at flights from knock to Reus for months. cost was about 900 euros for the week I wanted. I went to Dublin paid 400 euros less ... Hilarious the return flight from Reus to Dubin there was also the line for Reus to know. Knock is fine but it needs to be competitive.

nuac

Congrats to Knock on getting these extra flights - more traffic for the West

irishgeo

knock is only getting these flights as the landing fees are low.

jenno86

irishgeo wrote: »

knock is only getting these flights as the landing fees are low.

And?!?

YouTookMyName

Rather pay the €10 at Knock then waste more going to dublin or shannon

gustavo

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Rather pay the €10 at Knock then waste more going to dublin or shannon

I'd rather just pay the tenner than do both myself

PogMoThoin

irishgeo wrote: »

knock is only getting these flights as the landing fees are low.

Yes, if that's what it takes. Ireland West Airport makes absolutely nothing out of Ryanair, but the West stands to hopefully gain lots, hopefully floods of incoming tourists.

Imagine the sad place the West of Ireland would be with out this airport

alex73

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Yes, if that's what it takes. Ireland West Airport makes absolutely nothing out of Ryanair, but the West stands to hopefully gain lots, hopefully floods of incoming tourists.

Imagine the sad place the West of Ireland would be with out this airport

Its fantastic news... Knock Airport is 30-40 mins from Ballina or Castlebar.

Car park infront of the airport. 10 mins of security at most. Its great to see Mayo (of all places) connected to Barcelona/Paris/Frankfurt/London/Canaries.

Of all the taxes I pay. the 10 euro departure fee is no problem.. No stress airport. No Shuttle buses to long term carparks. No 30 min security Queue. No 2 km walk to departure lounge. Lot to be said for knock...

NewBeefFarmer

While the you may think the landing fees are cheap which they are, knock are just charging direct, skip the airliners and charge us a tenner.

There is no delvop at the moment and if there was its well paid for. Except for the mini digger going around outside blocking up any potential parking spots.


For a car park on a mountain, Parking charges are a disgrace . .
You dont need to charge that amount so why do it.

Parking or the 10. . One has got to go.
4 people to manchester for 1 night we left knock 58 euro. . . 40 plus parking 18. . .

Park in red in dublin for 50euro for 2 full weeks.

Ilovelucy

Don't forget you need to add in your petrol to and from Dublin and if it's an early morning flight over night accommodation.

Give me Knock any day. I am still lamenting the fact they didn't give us a Malaga flight.

mayo.mick

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

While the you may think the landing fees are cheap which they are, knock are just charging direct, skip the airliners and charge us a tenner.

There is no delvop at the moment and if there was its well paid for. Except for the mini digger going around outside blocking up any potential parking spots.


For a car park on a mountain, Parking charges are a disgrace . .
You dont need to charge that amount so why do it.

Parking or the 10. . One has got to go.
4 people to manchester for 1 night we left knock 58 euro. . . 40 plus parking 18. . .

Park in red in dublin for 50euro for 2 full weeks.

6/7 hour return journey from dublin airport, full tank of petrol, stop for food/rest on way up/down, your being charged fee's from dublin airport though its included in the flight ticket.
Forgot to include the two tolls, both up and down.

NewBeefFarmer

mayo.mick wrote: »

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

While the you may think the landing fees are cheap which they are, knock are just charging direct, skip the airliners and charge us a tenner.

There is no delvop at the moment and if there was its well paid for. Except for the mini digger going around outside blocking up any potential parking spots.


For a car park on a mountain, Parking charges are a disgrace . .
You dont need to charge that amount so why do it.

Parking or the 10. . One has got to go.
4 people to manchester for 1 night we left knock 58 euro. . . 40 plus parking 18. . .

Park in red in dublin for 50euro for 2 full weeks.

6/7 hour return journey from dublin airport, full tank of petrol, stop for food/rest on way up/down, your being charged fee's from dublin airport though its included in the flight ticket.
Forgot to include the two tolls, both up and down.

Why do people keep doing this? Your missing the point. . . Course id rather use knock. But. . . Whats with city aiport charges. . .


2 and a half hr drive to dublin, i would never stop. .

Keep in mind also a lot more cheaper flighs from dublin, and will stay cheaper for longer.

Anyway i hate comparing in this way.
Regional airport city prices.

Ps. Get a diesel

mayo.mick

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

Why do people keep doing this? Your missing the point. . . Course id rather use knock. But. . . Whats with city aiport charges. . .


2 and a half hr drive to dublin, i would never stop. .

Keep in mind also a lot more cheaper flighs from dublin, and will stay cheaper for longer.

Anyway i hate comparing in this way.
Regional airport city prices.

Ps. Get a diesel

With the price of petrol and diesel we'll have to go back to the ass & cart:D

YouTookMyName

The best thing about Knock is you can sit at the bar pint in hand and watch the 3 gates. No bother.

PogMoThoin

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

There is no delvop at the moment and if there was its well paid for. Except for the mini digger going around outside blocking up any potential parking spots.

Yes there is, they're extending the apron next .

Possibly new direct flights to the USA next year with another carrier.

oscarBravo

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

For a car park on a mountain, Parking charges are a disgrace . .
You dont need to charge that amount so why do it.

"Don't need to charge"?

The airport is a business. It has expenses. It needs income. If it doesn't earn that income on parking fees, it will have to make it up somewhere else.

NewBeefFarmer

Agree, need to make income. But rip off charges. . . Its easy know why they do it, people like yourself dont mind along with the two people that thanked you. . .

Lol . . Am i reading that correctly,. . . Thanked for defending high parking chgs. .

Ill say no more. . .we have no hope.

oscarBravo

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

Agree, need to make income. But rip off charges. . . Its easy know why they do it, people like yourself dont mind along with the two people that thanked you. . .

Lol . . Am i reading that correctly,. . . Thanked for defending high parking chgs. .

Ill say no more. . .we have no hope.

Instead of empty ranting, why don't you explain exactly where you think the airport should raise revenue in order to lower parking charges?

yop

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

Agree, need to make income. But rip off charges. . . Its easy know why they do it, people like yourself dont mind along with the two people that thanked you. . .

Lol . . Am i reading that correctly,. . . Thanked for defending high parking chgs. .

Ill say no more. . .we have no hope.

Ok, so give us an airport that does't charge for parking, Shannon is on the edge of the sea, so why should it charge for parking?

Your argument is baseless, tell us what airport you use and where you don't get charged for parking.

NewBeefFarmer

People, calm,. . . Please read. . . I said
charges a disgrace
no need to charge that amt. . . .

Did you actually think i wanted free parking? Lol. . . . 18 for two days, would be nice to have it 5, max 10.


Do ye all work in the airport or something?


Im fighting a loosing battle here. . .

Good to know you will pay without any trouble,

If i was ceo and read this thread id rise charges.

oscarBravo

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

Did you actually think i wanted free parking? Lol. . . . 18 for two days, would be nice to have it 5, max 10.

Great, so you'd cut a significant portion of the airport's revenue stream from car parking. Now all you have to do is explain how the airport can make that revenue up again - in other words, where do you want them to raise prices when they lower the car park charges?

It's a simple question.

Do ye all work in the airport or something?

No; we just have a grasp of business realities.

NewBeefFarmer

Business realities

Your talking as if what comes in must go out. . .
Sher. . . Do you actually think if it costs x amt then you chg x



Hold on a sec. . .
have you done your figures, ok good,

tell me gross income for year to date, .


Dont forget also
Food
bar
Retail
car hire subs

Making a mint. . . .

If you dont think so. . Well theres the diff of opinion . . . .


Enjoyed the debate Though.

oscarBravo

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

Enjoyed the debate Though.

There was no debate. There was you whining about the cost of parking, and then repeatedly refusing to state where you think they should make up the lost revenue if they cut the car parking charges. Which makes it just another uninformed rant, I'm afraid.

yop

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

Business realities

Your talking as if what comes in must go out. . .
Sher. . . Do you actually think if it costs x amt then you chg x



Hold on a sec. . .
have you done your figures, ok good,

tell me gross income for year to date, .


Dont forget also
Food
bar
Retail
car hire subs

Making a mint. . . .

If you dont think so. . Well theres the diff of opinion . . . .


Enjoyed the debate Though.

Its not a debate, a debate is 2 sided affair where questions are asked and answered.
I already asked you where you fly from and what you pay or would it be a case that you don't but are just on here having a moan?

Yes we all work at Knock Airport.

Do you actually think if it costs x amt then you chg x

So you are saying that if it costs 10 euro then you charge less than 10 euro? As OB your business sense is, well, lacking.

Not to worry, continue your rant, we are just trying to educate you here.

NewBeefFarmer

YouTookMyName wrote: »

The best thing about Knock is you can sit at the bar pint in hand and watch the 3 gates. No bother.

It sure is buddy. . . .and you can watch to join the last of the que without rushing your drink. . .

I usually wait till all is on before me. Less time sitting on tarmac

dec25532

The parking charges at Knock are extortionist. The airport is handy for people from the West of Ireland but they are being charged for this convenience. Prices at Dublin Airport are cheaper because there is competition from nearby hotels who are offering parking and shuttle bus service to the airport. There is no competitioin of this kind in Knock so they can effectively charge what they like and get away with it. Add that to the development charge and the cost of flying out of Knock keeps mounting.

Knock Airport should look at what has happened in Shannon and take plenty of heed. Ryanair had two million passengers passing through the airport five years ago, now there are 250,000 and it is reminsicent of a ghost town. They should not try and screw the passengers because things are good at the moment.

oscarBravo

dec25532 wrote: »

The parking charges at Knock are extortionist. The airport is handy for people from the West of Ireland but they are being charged for this convenience.

Great, maybe you can supply the missing answer: if the airport reduces parking charges, where should they increase charges to compensate?

Prices at Dublin Airport are cheaper because there is competition from nearby hotels who are offering parking and shuttle bus service to the airport. There is no competitioin of this kind in Knock so they can effectively charge what they like and get away with it.

Cool, you've identified a second business opportunity: as well as a restaurant in Westport (how's that going for you?) you can operate a competing car park for the airport, complete with shuttle bus, and clean up.

Knock Airport should look at what has happened in Shannon and take plenty of heed. Ryanair had two million passengers passing through the airport five years ago, now there are 250,000 and it is reminsicent of a ghost town.

It seems to me that Knock has learned that lesson extremely well, and this announcement makes that plain.

yop

dec25532 wrote: »

The parking charges at Knock are extortionist. The airport is handy for people from the West of Ireland but they are being charged for this convenience. Prices at Dublin Airport are cheaper because there is competition from nearby hotels who are offering parking and shuttle bus service to the airport. There is no competitioin of this kind in Knock so they can effectively charge what they like and get away with it. Add that to the development charge and the cost of flying out of Knock keeps mounting.

Knock Airport should look at what has happened in Shannon and take plenty of heed. Ryanair had two million passengers passing through the airport five years ago, now there are 250,000 and it is reminsicent of a ghost town. They should not try and screw the passengers because things are good at the moment.

Ah Declan, now your the same man who moans about the prices in Westport but yet returns

Knock is 9 euro per day.
Shannon airport is 9.50.
Quickpark in Dublin is 7 euro per day,
Bewleys you have to stay in the place to get the parking.
Dublin airport charges 20 euro per day.
Long term is 7.50 per day.

So how 1.5/2 euro is extortionate is laughable. A pint in Dublin is about 1 euro more than down here, does that stop you from going to Dublin?

Some people spend their lives looking for a moan, would you 2 lads like nominations for 2011

Neworder79

I think the car-park charges were to be changed as part of the landslide area re-design which would have added more space and better layout linking the new terminal. It was well advanced back in 2008 but the planning objection from FOTIE delayed that 2 years, and though eventually approved they probably don't have the funding now.

Plans included a new entrance road and drop-off at the departures terminal, bus stands, new car hire compound linked by walkway from arrivals and a separate long-term parking area with covered walkways to departures.

TopTec

I wonder if I might be allowed to join the "debate".

I first came to the West of Ireland a couple of years ago - looking for a property to buy. I flew in to Knock and hired a car.

When I flew back out, with plans to return for further research, I and a lot of my fellow passengers were bemused by the 'development tax'. It seemed to most of us that it was a rip off, forcing people to pay without question as the penalty for not paying was being prevented from boarding our flight.

When returning a few weeks later my decision to fly into Dublin was partly made due to the bad taste left by this extra tax.

I have travelled reasonably widely and can only remember a local airport in Mexico charging an additional tax on entry. Even now I am still left slightly irritated with having had to pay. I cannot think of another situation in industry where you have to pay an added charge so that the business you used could 'develop' their premises!

TT

YouTookMyName

TopTec wrote: »

When returning a few weeks later my decision to fly into Dublin was partly made due to the bad taste left by this extra tax.

Bad taste over a tenner? Jesus. You know, it would be added to the fare if it wasn't paid in the terminal and they'd be adding a tenner in and a tenner out.

Masala

How do people Knock to offer 'low charges' and still keep an airport going??? Knock has to make its money from Car Parks, Franchises, Bars etc.... running an airport is costly. Well done to Knock.....my only worry is Barcelone and Milan is going to bring f-all business into the area - these will be outbound only. Same with PAris to a degree....why do the French want to go to Mayo!!! They have their own Shrine in Lourdes!!!

oscarBravo

Last time I flew from Galway airport, my fare included €17 in "fees", €40 in "taxes and charges" and €3 in "government tax". The €40 breaks down as €26 "airport service charge", €10 "insurance and fuel charge", and €4 "airport security charge".

And then I had to pay another tenner in the airport, same as in Knock.

Additional charges are par for the course when flying. If the tenner makes you not want to fly from Knock, fine: don't fly from Knock. But make sure you check your fee breakdown to see how much other airports are charging you through the airline.

TopTec

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Bad taste over a tenner? Jesus. You know, it would be added to the fare if it wasn't paid in the terminal and they'd be adding a tenner in and a tenner out.

If added to the fare then I and many of the people who were with me walking the maze to the iffy looking booth would of known it was part of the fare when we booked the flight and we would of made our decision based on the fare quoted.

Ryanair would not tolerate adding this charge to the fare. There was nothing to indicate this tax either in the airport or anywhere else. Ot was done by stealth... that was the bad taste.

TT

mayo.mick

TopTec wrote: »

If added to the fare then I and many of the people who were with me walking the maze to the iffy looking booth would of known it was part of the fare when we booked the flight and we would of made our decision based on the fare quoted.

Ryanair would not tolerate adding this charge to the fare. There was nothing to indicate this tax either in the airport or anywhere else. Ot was done by stealth... that was the bad taste.

TT

I have no problem paying the €10 when i use knock, i know when booking flights that i have to pay this charge, and i agree with you toptec, this charge should be advertised more, both on airline websites and in the airport itself (at least i have'nt seen it advertised in the airport)

PogMoThoin

mayo.mick wrote: »

I have no problem paying the €10 when i use knock, i know when booking flights that i have to pay this charge, and i agree with you toptec, this charge should be advertised more, both on airline websites and in the airport itself (at least i have'nt seen it advertised in the airport)

It's plain as day on the Airport website.
http://www.irelandwestairport.com/airportguide/airportdevelopmentfee.aspx
It's up to Ryanair or whoever you book with to inform you of this charge if you book on their website, they don't for obvious reasons.

Airport Development Fee is a common practice around the world, not just limited to Ireland West. Here's a few you may not know about:
Blackpool International
Durham Tees Valley Airport
Norwich International
Newquay Cornwall Airport
Galway Airport

http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/travel-tips/uk-and-irish-airports-with-development-fees/

TopTec

PogMoThoin wrote: »

It's plain as day on the Airport website.

Airport Development Fee is a common practice around the world, not just limited to Ireland West. Here's a few you may not know about:
Blackpool International
Durham Tees Valley Airport
Norwich International
Newquay Cornwall Airport
Galway Airport

/

I, probably like I guess most others, don't check my destination airports website as a matter of course. You are right that Ryanair should make it plain but...... it is Ryanair after all.

I have used none of the airports you list but have used, Exeter, Bristol, Southampton, Gatwick, Luton, Stanstead, Manchester, Glasgow and Bournemouth.... none of which make a charge.

I also note that the reports says that Ryanair have left airports due to this additional tax....... I would be interested in a before and after comparison with how much was raised pre and post Ryanair service.

Anyway - the point I am making is that it is not necessarily a wise charge to make, especially when not obvious, as the results can mean dissatisfied customers and airlines,

TT

oscarBravo

TopTec wrote: »

Anyway - the point I am making is that it is not necessarily a wise charge to make, especially when not obvious, as the results can mean dissatisfied customers and airlines

Given the thread topic, I don't think Ryanair are too upset with Knock airport just at the moment.

Neworder79

TopTec wrote: »

I have used none of the airports you list but have used, Exeter, Bristol, Southampton, Gatwick, Luton, Stanstead, Manchester, Glasgow and Bournemouth.... none of which make a charge.

Most of those airports you list are on a different scale, carrying between 5-20 million passengers annually with services from premium airlines and hub links serving business community as well as leisure markets. Most of them are part of BAA or other large airline groups which can cross subsadise their operation with profits from larger airports and operations as necessary. Even the two smallest were carrying over 1m in recent years and have large local populations with far higher densities than the West of Ireland, and more business traffic off which they can demand higher fees at peak times.

Beyond the major runway and terminal infrastructure, airports have to provide a basic level of equipment and services to meet IAA, airline and passenger demands. Fire, ATC, Security, Weather, Handling, ILS, Communications, IT, Energy, Fuel Farm, Marketing and Management all require associated infrastructure, equipment and staffing not to mention overheads like regulation fees, energy costs, local charges, tax, legal, liability insurance to name but a few....

Whether carrying 100,000 or 1 million+ these services have to be paid for, and below a certain threshold it's very difficult for a regional airport to cover those running costs from airline fees alone. Even more so for airports in areas where there isn't huge demand for premium business services and regional/low-cost airlines are the only operators interested demanding subsidy to access their aircraft and routes.

The Irish Government have brought large-scale operational subsidies to an end which has seen the closure of two regional airports to commercial operations this year. Local authorities aren't rushing to provide funding either leaving survival solely up to the airport to secure through their own charges.

Knock is competing with 60 other European airports for access to Ryanair routes, airports with the backing local authorities willing to pay 10s of millions to secure visitors. Without the low fees model I doubt Ryanair would give Knock a second look.