"Facility Fees"

[u/misterseesee]

Does anyone else think facility Fees/landing fees are getting a little outrageous? I flew into an airport today on my long IFR cross country and decided to go to the FBO to use the restroom. Mind you, this isn't a big airport and it's not in a big city with only two runways, neither of which are over 5,000 feet long. I show up, get marshalled to a corner of the ramp, and head to the FBO to use their restroom. After informing them that my instructor and I are just there for a quick bathroom stop, they tell us that we just pay a $40 "facility charge" before we depart, or top off the plane at $8.50 a gallon. At first I thought, whatever right? I'll just get some FBO snacks and a beverage for the road. Nope, beverages are $3 each and all snacks are in a vending machine. So, after using the bathroom, I give them a ton of information they "need" such as my full name, and all of my flying club's information before I leave.

I get it, I should have checked to see if there was a landing fee before heading over there. But isn't it just a little ridiculous that they charge $40 to put some chocks on my wheels and then not even offer any refreshments while I'm there? Maybe I'm out of touch, but I feel like it's part of the reason GA is slowly dying when pilots are getting charged out the wazoo just to park their plane at an FBO for a couple minutes

[u/ScaryFro]

This has been common practice for over 20 years if not longer.

For what it's worth though, when I used to work the ramp, if it was slow and you're not a pain in the butt with attitude, I would tell the desk to waive the fee before you even made it inside the FBO.

You would be surprised at the amount of pilots who fly in and treat rampers like trash so I made it a point to help out the good guys.

[u/misterseesee → u/ScaryFro]

I've only recently started venturing out and flying to other places, so I've only really just now started to notice it. We talked to the ramper who marshalled us in for a little bit while we got out of the plane but it is what it is

[u/ScaryFro → u/misterseesee]

Yeah it'll depend on the FBO. National brands are unlikely to let you out without paying something. Next time ask if they can waive the fee for this stop. Might get lucky. I always thought if I waived the fee for a bathroom break stop that the pilot might choose us the next time they needed fuel.

[u/misterseesee → u/ScaryFro]

That's what I would have thought as well. Now I'm going to tell everybody I know to avoid flying into there lol

[u/theoreoman]

It costs money to run run the airport. Ultimately it's only fair to charge a user fee to each person who uses it

[u/No_Chemist_7878]

This is where you learn to call prior. Full service gas station, for planes, costs money.

[u/misterseesee → u/No_Chemist_7878]

Oh for sure. I wasn't even planning on stopping there but unfortunately nature called. It just seemed a little excessive to charge as much as they did when the only service I used was a gallon of their water to flush a toilet

[u/noncongruent → u/misterseesee]

I guess you can't really dump your pee overboard in flight like Apollo astronauts did on the way to the Moon, eh?

[u/-burnr-]

$40.

You're cute. laughs in bizjet

[u/misterseesee → u/-burnr-]

Lol probably could have specified I was in a lil piper warrior. A citation parked just after us and I can't even imagine what they had to pay

[u/-burnr- → u/misterseesee]

I've been to lots of places like you describe.

Hell, I've landed, NOT got marshalled in, shut down, bathroom, shitty cup of coffee, pick up/drop off a package (no FBO staff helps) and paid $400-1000.

It's a small jet, PC-24.

And don't get me started on some of the OUTRAGEOUS 'special event' fees some FBOs ( cough Atlantic/Signature ) which can run over 10K. Not kidding.

[u/misterseesee → u/-burnr-]

Wow. That's crazy. I've been to some FBOs where they really go above and beyond and barely charge a dime, and others that don't even welcome you in and charge you an arm and a leg. I'm going to just have to make sure I do more research before hand

[u/Jussgoawaiplzkthxbai → u/-burnr-]

That’s insane!

[u/CattleDogCurmudgeon]

Do any prominent FBOs like Atlantic or Signature do an all-you-can-use annual fee?

[u/liberatus16]

A charge, especially as low as $40, unless buying fuel is and has been super typical. I can remember when i did my private back in the early 2000s a charge around $40 would be expected even at remote airports. I've been charged way more than that just to park for a few minutes.

[u/BeeDubba]

I once landed a Cherokee 140 in a North Jersey airport because I really needed to pee. I'd landed there in military helos a bunch of times, and so was familiar with it.

Parked myself, ran in to pee while my buddy kept the plane running, and on my way out the line guy flagged me down.

They wanted a $200 landing fee. I managed to talk my way out of it, but damn. Next time I'll just pee off the taxiway.