Welcome to America. Now please fork over $3 for a cart.
Oct 6, 2004, 9:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,521
Welcome to America. Now please fork over $3 for a cart.
Just a small rant, but...
Does anybody else find it disturbing that our home town charges visitors $3 for a luggage cart at int'l arrivals at both EWR and JFK?
I could be wrong, but I believe almost every other major airport I've been to recently (MSP, DTW, ORD, LAX, LHR, LGW, PEK, PVG, HKG, AMS, TLV, etc.) had free carts at least in the int'l arrivals area to make it easier to get through Customs.
Charging for the carts at int'l arrivals is a bad idea for several reasons:
Does anybody else find it disturbing that our home town charges visitors $3 for a luggage cart at int'l arrivals at both EWR and JFK?
I could be wrong, but I believe almost every other major airport I've been to recently (MSP, DTW, ORD, LAX, LHR, LGW, PEK, PVG, HKG, AMS, TLV, etc.) had free carts at least in the int'l arrivals area to make it easier to get through Customs.
Charging for the carts at int'l arrivals is a bad idea for several reasons:
- It makes no sense, since pax haven't had a chance to change money, and although the machines accept credit cards, many overseas visitors don't necessarily have a card that will work in the USA.
- It makes the Customs line move less smoothly, since it's much harder to navigate a snaking queue lugging two 70lb bags by hand than if they're loaded on a cart--and the folks transporting 140lbs of luggage tend to be the least likely to shell out $3 for a cart.
- It's terrible PR. "Welcome to the USA. Get out your checkbook."
Oct 22, 2004, 2:52 pm
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
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Not only do they have the nerve to charge for a cart, but I recall that at some locations inside the international arrival areas the cart machines only take $US (no credit cards). Of course, since foreign guests will likely have just been fingerprinted prior to reaching the baggage reclaim area, it seems appropriate that we go one step farther and make a grab for their wallets as well to give them the full "Welcome to America" message..
Oct 22, 2004, 3:01 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,962
Many European airports (MXP comes to mind) have carts which you pay 1 Euro for and which accept either coins or credit cards.
If you return the cart to any of numerous areas you get a one Euro coin.
(Do this a few hundred times with your credit card and you can get a good cash advance without paying the ATM charge!)
If you return the cart to any of numerous areas you get a one Euro coin.
(Do this a few hundred times with your credit card and you can get a good cash advance without paying the ATM charge!)