BAA, the airport operator, has misled millions of passengers about prices at
shops and bars in its terminals, according to the advertising watchdog.
It has been forced to withdraw leaflets claiming that passengers are paying
the same prices as in their local high street.
The Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint against the leaflets
after finding that prices at airports were substantially higher. It found
that passengers paid the same as at outlets in the City of London and the
West End, where rents mean retail prices are the highest in the country.
A glass of house wine at a bar at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted cost 40 per
cent more than in bars run by the same company in regional towns and cities.
BAA makes almost half its revenue from retailing and has frequently been
accused of focusing so heavily on maximising income from shops that it
neglects airport facilities and fails to tackle the causes of delays.
One BAA leaflet, entitled Guide to Stansted Airport, stated: “The price of
all food and drink sold in BAA airports is matched with the UK high street,
so you won’t pay a penny more than you’ re used to.”
The leaflet listed airport food and drink outlets. A second leaflet, entitled
Taste, stated: “Don’t forget, our caterers are committed to matching the
price of all the food and drink they sell within their airport stores
against their high street equivalents.” BAA told the ASA that it had
contracts with retailers which demanded price parity with the high street.
It claimed that prices at each airport were compared with the local high
street, or, in cases where the retailer did not have a branch on that high
street, with the nearest outlet.
BAA also claimed it carried out spot checks on all retailers to ensure their
pricing matched the terms of the contract. But the ASA found that some
retailers, in particular W H Smith and J D Wetherspoon, charged central
London prices at the airports. W H Smith stores in Gatwick, Heathrow and
Stansted airports matched their prices with five W H Smith branches in
Central London: Holborn, Leadenhall, Oxford Street Plaza, Fleet Street and
Baker Street.
J D Wetherspoon pubs at the three airports matched the average price charged
at three of their premises in the City of London.
In its ruling, the authority said: “We considered that customers would see the
claims ‘matched with the UK high street, so you won’t pay a penny more than
you’re used to’ and ‘committed to matching . . . their high street
equivalents’ as a reference to prices on their local high street or high
streets near to the airports. We concluded the claims were misleading.”
A BAA spokesman admitted that “confusion may have been caused” by the
leaflets. He said that the offending leaflets had been withdrawn and that
the company would be taking action to ensure future communications with
passengers about prices were clearer. He said it was “too early to say” if
prices would be reduced.
What do you expect when the business is run by a former pork buying, beer selling retail marketeer, ably supported by a motorway toll booth consessions specialist. Enough with the retail experience!
Ferrovials "bargain buy" needs a bigger make over than they first assumed. City Grandees won,t help their cause until serious investment in people with facilities management skills takes place.
Michael J Morris, Alicante, SPAIN
When BA pulled out from Bristol I was transferred to Heathrow for a flight to the Continent (next month.) On thinking about this(since March)the thought of trekking up to H.row and the long queues,over-priced snacks etc.etc. I felt I could do without all the palava(it was only a leisure trip, not work-those poor travellers have my sympathy)Instead I'm off to Exmoor in my little car and the weather's set fair.Great!
H.D., W.s.M,
Can we now trust these airports not to be taking advantage of passengers when they confiscate items from us particular food. Clearly they have a financial interest in all aspects of our travelling needs, obviously more delay to passengers equals more profit for them. How necessary are these long check times? I bet they their balance sheets have increased due to the terrorists threats.
Michael Mallin, Sheffield,
In a free capitalist system firms can charge and do so what the market will bear. I take my home made excellent sendwiches to the airport and a bottle of tap water. I have free coffee (awfull instant) on the plain. Why complain? Just don't buy
Peter Kaldor, Woking, Surrey
Another example of 'Rip of Britain' .
For a spoksman to say “confusion may have been caused†by the leaflets is either incompetence or they are purposfully trying to con the public. I expect the latter
Someone signed off the leaflet as ok. It did'nt print itself.
Of course, no one will be accountable as usual.>
Douglas, Crawley, UK
Welcome to RIP OFF Gt Britain.
Great, no not really just poor quality food drink and accomodation all staggeringly overpriced.
Oxford Street and the West End of London are full of garbage, people being sick outside pubs and urinating in the streets which are probably the dirtiest streets in Europe.
Tate Gallery, Globe Theatre were excellent !
Would I come back ? Lifes too short to waste in such a dirty and expensive city. Try Chicago, Copehagen, Vienna for civilised society.
Judith, Zurich, Switzerland
judith, Zurich, Switzerland
They also charge a higher rate for hire car, if booked at the airport.
karen, amersham,
Pret sandwiches at Stansted seem high too. They don't advertise or charge a takeaway price without VAT. Anyone buying sandwiches to take on the likesof Ryanair pays the same as those eating in the Pret area.
I suspect this is another one that will be fun to look into!
Simon, Herts,
Could they fit any more shops into Terminal 2 at Heathrow? From the sorry-looking Hamleys to the Lamborghini lottery at £20 a ticket, the Starbucks, the currency exchange places -- there's barely room to walk.
If you think the prices are reasonable, go there with £100 and an hour to wait. You'll have spent the lot on a few sandwiches, some magazines, and some crappy travel accessories and still have half an hour to go.
iain carstairs, bedford, beds
Oh & that's not all, I was stranded at Stanstead the last time the French traffic controllers went on strike.
I went to a hotel booking agency there , who had a sign saying ' no commison charged ' they booked a hotel for me.
On arrival at the hotel i found my room was £10 more than the normal charge !
I spoke to the manager who gave all kinds of excuses , but finally it emerged the reason was , yes, I had used the agent at Stanstead airport.
It was clear deception on their part . I tried to lodge a complaint the next day at the airport but failed.
maggie millington, Brittany , France