The concession scheme will save €1.3 million in airport costs throughout the five-year contract, with a charge of €2 a trolley.
It is forecast that over €1.3 million of airport costs will be saved throughout the period of the contract, which turned a free trolley service into a concession agreement in Q1 2008, at €2 a trolley.
Sven Stohn, managing director, bagport, said: “It is in our nature to want everything for free, but passengers do recognise and value good service and are willing to pay for it. Pay systems are quite common around the world. It is only really new to the UK.” International airports such as Munich, Düsseldorf, Milan Malpensa, and the majority of airports in the US – including New York and Los Angeles – charge passengers to use trolleys.
Paul Kehoe, managing director, Bristol International, said: “The reaction has been slightly miserable, but I take the view that passengers have never had it so good. The airport is not a public service. It is a business and it needs to be run like a business.”
Leading bagweighahead forward
Stohn: “It is in our nature to want everything for free, but passengers do recognise and value good service. Pay systems are quite common around the world.”
bagport entered a partnership agreement with Stewart, Stewart & Sons, a development company, and has begun to lead bagweighahead into the market. To reduce check-in queues and passenger-staff stress, the bagweighahead system enables passengers to weigh and tag their baggage before getting to check-in, with a minimal charge pitched at €2. If the baggage is over the limit, the machine calculates the cost and gives the option to purchase a hand luggage bag for excess baggage – costing around €7 – from bagweighahead.
Stohn said: “With exclusive rights for airport operations worldwide, bagport plans to include it in its solutions and also act as an investor. Airports battle with long check-in queues and airlines have to face stressed and unhappy passengers. With the bagweighahead system we intend to bring back the feel-good factor and make the check-in process less stressful and quicker.”
Linking services and finding new markets
To strengthen its concept, bagport is focusing on linking its services, including porter services, baggage wrapping, storage facilities, lost property offices and the trolleys.
“Through proactive marketing measures we have a proven track record at reducing costs, while sales and concession fees are being actively increased,” said Stohn.
bagport’s core markets are Europe and North America. Stohn continued: “We are developing country by country and will continue to concentrate on the UK. We have only just started and we see major potential for increasing sales and developing new business ideas with our airport partners within our current operations.”
Within its plans to diversify into new markets, bagport Sweden opens its first railway operation at Stockholm Central Station this February. There are also plans to provide for cruise ship terminals.
