SFO charges $8 to rent luggage cart for 100 meters - is that a bit excessive? (cost, airports)
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Returning to SFO for the first time in 2 years, and I was greeted by this machine that charges $8 for a push cart. It was shocking to me because:
1. From the baggage claim to Arrival curbside it's 100 meters max.
2. Amount of money aside, many travelers are caught without cash. I was lucky to have some forgotten cash in my bag; I did not prepare USD because I didn't think I need any (have someone picking me up). Using foreign currency credit card will incur outrageous bank fees. Also, it's not clear if the machine gives change; and there is no change machine. I saw many foreign visitors gave up on getting a cart.
3. I've been to many first class cities; all airports provide push cart as a free service. Only SFO is this cheap.
I think this a very poor first impression for travelers. Quite embarrassed for my hometown.
Returning to SFO for the first time in 2 years, and I was greeted by this machine that charges $8 for a push cart. It was shocking to me because:
1. From the baggage claim to Arrival curbside it's 100 meters max.
2. Amount of money aside, many travelers are caught without cash. I was lucky to have some forgotten cash in my bag; I did not prepare USD because I didn't think I need any (have someone picking me up). Using foreign currency credit card will incur outrageous bank fees. Also, it's not clear if the machine gives change; and there is no change machine. I saw many foreign visitors gave up on getting a cart.
3. I've been to many first class cities; all airports provide push cart as a free service. Only SFO is this cheap.
I think this a very poor first impression for travelers. Quite embarrassed for my hometown.
Well i had 2 pieces of checked luggage at 23 kg each. Then one carry on and one backpack with 3 laptops. It is a lot of stuff to haul. Customs is not a place where you want to move stuff one piece by one piece...
I know SIN, HKG, TPE, PEK, NRT, KHH, CGK all offer free carts. Some are backwater places too but they still have the sense to do the right thing for travelers.
I know SIN, HKG, TPE, PEK, NRT, KHH, CGK all offer free carts. Some are backwater places too but they still have the sense to do the right thing for travelers.
Luggage carts in the USA are provided by a company called Smarte Carte. While the exact contract details are confidential, the airport lets Smarte Carte operate in return for a portion of the rental fees.
In other more civilized countries, luggage carts are seen as a basic amenity such as toilets and air conditioning and provided free of charge.
That's called a "concession". If you want to sell a product or service in a closed venue, you bid for the rights to do business. The highest bidder gets a monopoly. In this case, the cart supplier may be paying SFO $6, in order to outbid someone who only bid $5, and makes $2 for a business with practically zero overhead. It's why a beer costs $8 at Fenway park -- the Red Sox get $7 of that and another vendor who bid $6.99 gets locked out. It.s why an ATM at a race track charges a $20 fee. -- the track gets $18 to let the ATM owner in.. You buy your six-buck novie popcorn at a "concession stand".
It could be worse, if illegal bid-rigging didm't work in the consumers' favor.
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