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Airport Parking - anti-competitive practices ?

dillydilly
Posts: 171 Forumite
I've been trawling the internet to find the cheapest parking at Stansted for a week and am baffled as to why the cheapest is £52 when the cheapest for a week at Manchester is £16 and Birningham is £20 ? Not a London pricing issue as Heathrow is £42 whilst Gatwick is £37...
it's odd because there are plenty of carparks near Stansted, yet none better this £52 price. Surely if market forces are at play a company would step into the £30-40 range ?
I read one forum comment that you can get a better deal with local farms, but they couldn't say which as they'd get into trouble. On the assumption we're not talking a local protection racket, does this imply such services need to be licenced by the local authorities ? If so, are they guilty of not making conditions for healthy competition ?
it's odd because there are plenty of carparks near Stansted, yet none better this £52 price. Surely if market forces are at play a company would step into the £30-40 range ?
I read one forum comment that you can get a better deal with local farms, but they couldn't say which as they'd get into trouble. On the assumption we're not talking a local protection racket, does this imply such services need to be licenced by the local authorities ? If so, are they guilty of not making conditions for healthy competition ?
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Comments
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There are NOT plenty of car parks near Stansted. Effectively there is just one, which is split over 3 locations - short term (by the terminal), mid term (half way out) and long term (on the periphery). All owned and controlled by BAA, like the airport itself.
Organised car parks require planning permission. The local authorities are not willing to grant it in the Stansted area. They hate the airport anyway and take the view there is enough parking, which (price apart) is probably true. It's not part of their remit to promote competition.0 -
dillydilly wrote: »I've been trawling the internet to find the cheapest parking at Stansted for a week and am baffled as to why the cheapest is £52 when the cheapest for a week at Manchester is £16 and Birningham is £20 ? Not a London pricing issue as Heathrow is £42 whilst Gatwick is £37...
it's odd because there are plenty of carparks near Stansted, yet none better this £52 price. Surely if market forces are at play a company would step into the £30-40 range ?
I read one forum comment that you can get a better deal with local farms, but they couldn't say which as they'd get into trouble. On the assumption we're not talking a local protection racket, does this imply such services need to be licenced by the local authorities ? If so, are they guilty of not making conditions for healthy competition ?
Yes. It is hard to get planning when the authorities consider that there is already sufficient provision. Also, they have (central government set) targets to encourage alternative transport use and decrease car travel. (Hence why, at Gatwick, for example, where there is a shortage of parking in the peak months, it's still hard to get permission for temp car parks).They deem him their worst enemy who tells them the truth. -- Plato0 -
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dillydilly wrote: »I suppose my comment was based on the 4-5 options which come back from the various parking websites out there. Thanks for comments, that would explain it
Exactly. They are all quoting for the same car park.0 -
We parked our car at woodland lodge who also offer a meet and greet service. The guy there said that lots of people park their cars in nearby villages and get a taxi to the airport, also the local football club and school used to run unofficial parking, but don't know if they still doThe common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.0
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