WASHINGTON -- Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) has started charging
$1 to people who drive onto the airport to drop off travelers -- a
move that drew some criticism but may be emblematic of the
airlines' struggles to raise revenue amid falling business and
rising security costs.
The airport, which said it charged a 50-cent drop-off fee for 16
years but discontinued it in 1999, brought it back earlier this
month.
A spokesman said the airport brought back the fee because it is
losing $6 million a year on operations and services associated with
drop-offs.
"The cost to DFW for every car handled is approximately $2.42,
and any loss is shouldered by the airlines that serve DFW," the
spokesman said.
"The $1 drop-off fee doesn't cover the entire cost, but the
airport knows it will help and believes the fee is fair," he
added.
The airport's belief hasn't prevented criticism. Even before the
airport board approved the fee this summer, Fort Worth
Star-Telegram columnist Mitchell Schnurman complained the airport
should not raise money "on the nickels and dimes of relatives who
are dropping off Uncle Joe for his flight home to Omaha."
On TravelWeekly.com's forum, some agents in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area are spouting off, too. One declared, "Next time, I'm
gonna pay in pennies."
Airports, however, are caught in a squeeze. Many struggling
airlines are pushing airports to cut costs or increase revenue from
nonairline sources.
For example, Pittsburgh newspapers reported US Airways,
negotiating with Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania officials about
keeping its leases and hub there, has suggested offsetting some
airport debt by raising hotel, sales and car rental taxes.
In another example, Northwest president Douglas Steenland
suggested to U.S. and Canadian airport directors that they raise
money by increasing parking fees, concession prices and rent for
on-site car rental companies, said Stephen Van Beek, senior vice
president for policy and strategic development at Airports Council
International-North America.
Van Beek said airport directors weren't receptive. The goal of
airports is to serve travelers, "not extract every last dollar out
of them," he said.
Many airports have been moving the opposite way on concession
prices, enforcing requirements that stores charge the same amount
as their off-site locations because that seems to increase
sales.
There have been parking rate increases. But that's also been
difficult to do, Van Beek said, because of growing competition from
off-airport parking services.
Faced with such constraints, airports are turning to other
alternatives. Many have reduced workforces and are trying to
attract more airlines. There also is a lot of discussion about
increasing nonairline revenue -- but by getting customers to spend
more at the airport by offering more goods and services, not by
hiking prices, Van Beek said.
There also have been cooperative discussions with airlines about
new models for risk-sharing, he said.
Las Vegas, for example, put in common-use check-in kiosks, which
can be used by customers from multiple airlines. The airport buys
and maintains the equipment, and the airline pays a fee for use of
the machines.