LCY8737

Just in OPO and on my way back to LGW. As on the outbound it is a bus gate again. While at the same time two Monarch aircraft are parked at the terminal and people boarding directly from the gate.

Out of interest - is this because BA is too cheap to pay for a gate, or just bad luck?

corporate-wage-slave

Buses are usually more expensive than gates, they certainly tie down more staff. It's usually the airport's choice about this, the airline generally has no say, and it's often a timing versus number of passengers issue more than anything else. So if Monarch would have needed three buses and BA just two, then guess who gets the bus.

elitetraveler

Are you sure this is true?

Maybe it varies airport to airport - and at some airports, it depends on the availability of piers (bussing is only done as needed) - but my understanding was that remote parking was generally priced cheaper than a pier. It seems to be cheaper for remote stands at CDG and ORY.

corporate-wage-slave

For most airports yes, I've no doubt there are exceptions. However I don't think OPO is a remote parking arrangement (or indeed charge) for BA.

KARFA

Thats just the parking part of the fees though.

elitetraveler

Feel free to look further - maybe I missed something

https://www.parisaeroport.fr/docs/de...6.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Also, looking at LHR - It seems the charge to park at a remote stand is also less:

"2.3 Remote stand rebate per Passenger is: £5.15
The remote stand rebate applies per Passenger for scheduled flights arriving or departing from a stand which has been designated as remote by us. Such rebate will not apply to the extent that it reduces the charges on departing Passengers to below the level of the relevant minimum charge on departure.

http://www.heathrow.com/file_source/...5April2014.pdf

Again - I am not seeing extra charges for the costs of buses as suggested by CWS unless I am missing something.

ahmetdouas

In ATH FR only uses bus gates, never normal gates. On the other spectrum, BA only uses airport direct gates, including overnighters!

KARFA

Not sure what this has to do with the topic. In any case FR does not use jet bridges full stop. That's why the aircraft all have their own stairs for door 1L.

elitetraveler

It looks like at OPO it costs more to use an airbridge than remote parking -

KARFA

Well common sense tells you those things can't be free so there is a cost listed somewhere.

At LHR I don't think HAL themselves run buses for remote stands. Certainly for T5 BA run their own. For other airlines at other terminals is it omniserve who run the buses?

corporate-wage-slave

I suspect that these are the tariff charges, typically used for one off, diversion and charter traffic. Usually BA makes a direct agreement with airports, certainly the larger ones, and it's an all-in price. And doubtless there would be a clause in their allowing airports to use bus gates under given circumstances.

Ryanair avoids airbridges since their modus operandi is all based on timing, and FR reached the view that not using airbridges could allow a standardised loading mechanism which is cheaper and faster than the various alternatives. So in many cases the airport authorities want FR to use airbridges, but FR won't sign an airport deal which prevents their 1L SOP from going ahead. However they do accept an airport footbridge to be taken to the rear door.

elitetraveler

I used to travel to Mexico quite a bit on AA and noticed that all of a sudden in ACA and SJD instead of going to airbridges we were being bussed. On one flight I was sitting next to an AA VP and he told me that the airport authorities had significantly increased the airbridge surcharge so AA had decided to use buses until they could get a better deal - now this is Mexico 10 + years ago, but I do recall LCCs stating it is cheaper to park remotely than using airbriges.

Now I'll speculate:

- Passengers on flights departing via airbridges are in the terminal longer and closer to the shopping areas generally so maybe they get more DF sales from pax at airbridges;
- Airbridges provide a premium experience for pax, so profit-minded airports know they can charge more
- Airports sell advertising on the airbridges (interior and exterior) so airbridges generate revenue - I can't say I ever recall see ads on buses but could be wrong - maybe a missed opportunity

I suppose you could ask - what's the cost of building and maintaining and airbridge vs. a bus - I have no idea - both are an expense.

Again - what CWS sounded wrong to me - so I just google researched it - and what you see is what I found - If you find anymore - I would be interested to learn.

elitetraveler

You're probably right in that they are retail rates and then each airline negotiates - and as we know, they can also get all sorts of subsidies and support to offset costs - so it's hard to tell.

I think the question from OP was whether BA is using remote parking because it's cheaper while at the same time he saw Monarch planes at airbridges?

My guess is if BA is only using remote parking at OPO it may well be they are getting a better deal by doing so and saving some money or gaining some benefit - If it is a mix, then it likely has to do with the availability of limited airbridges.

T8191

This is quite fascinating ... I confess to an Av-Geek moment!

A very good example of the minutiae of airline/airport operations.

KARFA

Well since both of us are commenting based on some level of ignorance here, let me comment on what I do know and have experienced - which is that after lots of shorthaul flying on ba I don't detect any tendency for ba to do bus gates where airbridges are free and available. In fact there are some airports I go to with ba with very limited number of airbridges and many remote stands and ba seem to always use an airbridge.