"Sydney Airport 'sorry' for sky-high prices"

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Airport 'sorry' for sky-high prices
By Byron Kaye
Australia - The Sydney Daily Telegraph

 
EMBARRASSED Sydney airport shop managers yesterday apologised to travellers
for the exorbitant prices they charge. 

But their apology is of little comfort to consumers who are forced to pay
double the normal retail price for basic refreshments because airport owner
Macquarie Group is gouging tenants with rents that allowed the tenants to
barely cover costs. 

"It's all rent," Kelly Stuart, manager of Astro Cafe in the international
terminal, said yesterday of the reasons for the high costs. 

For a regular cup of coffee, Astro charges $4 - compared to $2.40 for a cup
down the road at Doody Bird Cafe in Alexandria. 

Likewise a pre-packed ham, cheese and tomato sandwich at Astro costs $6.50.
Doody Bird charges $3.90 for the same sandwich. 

"If the rent was lower, we'd sell things lower," Ms Stuart said. 

Airport shop managers would not disclose their rent and Sydney Airport
Corporation refused to divulge what it charged struggling small businesses
for a slice of jet-setting real estate. 

But commercial rents are understood to have skyrocketed since the Macquarie
Bank-controlled company bought the airport in 2002 and started redeveloping
it into a multi-storey shopping centre. 

Bar Coluzzi in the airport charges $4.20 for a coffee - Bar Coluzzi in
Darlinghurst, run by different owners, charges $3. 

"You pay for the location," the manager of the airport cafe, who asked not
to be named, said. 

But airport users are not just being slugged exorbitant prices for food and
drink - just getting there by public transport or parking your car takes a
big chunk out of holiday money. 

Parking fees start from $7 for just 30 minutes and a train ticket to the
airport starts from a steep $13.80. 

A luggage trolley will set travellers back $4, while mothers are charged up
to $13 to store prams. 

Robert Biegalke was feeling ripped off after dropping his sister at the
airport yesterday and shelling out $30for lunch - on top of his parking fee.


Fernanda Grazziotin, who was picking up friends, said: "It's just the price
you pay but it could be cheaper." 

James Wallach, a bartender at Botany Bay Alehouse inside the international
Terminal, apologised for charging $6 for a stubbie of VB but said it was all
part of dealing with Sydney airport. 

"Our cost of goods and our rental mean we make little profit because the
airport sucks it out of us," he said. 

"There's no regulation stop to stop them so what they do is legal," he said.

SYDNEY AIRPORT PRICES 

Transport - Train 

$13.80 International to Central 
$13.60 Domestic to Central 
$15.40 International to Hornsby or Parramatta

Parking 

1/2 hr - $7 
1 hr - $14 
2hrs - $24 
24hrs - $41 (international) 
24hrs - $46 (domestic)

Food & drink 

Small chicken Caesar wrap - $8.90 
Capuccino/flat white - $4 
VB stubbie - $6 
Stella Artois stubbie - $7.80

Storage 

Large Bag - $9/6hrs 
Hand luggage - $7, $9 
Pram - $10, $13 
Luggage trolley - $4


 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php


*****************************************