There's no such thing as a free lunch, they say. Well here's the worst news. There's no free breakfast either. Or dinner. Or anything, really. Everything costs. And these costs, they just keep going up. Our new grumpy man in residence Rick Wakeman investigates...
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"It wasn't always like this though. I'm old enough to remember when things like toilets in all train stations and directory enquiries were free. Going to the dentist was something else that cost nothing back then. They still are... if you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Which isn't much use if you live in Norfolk, like me. Mind you, wherever you are in the UK you can't escape parking charges. Once confined to main roads in big cities, they're now everywhere - from hospitals to train stations. Local authorities are using them to rake in extra cash too; from the Lake District, which is now charging for more and more of their car parks, to Winchester, where they've recently introduced Sunday charging, and then to Westminster, where you now have to pay to park your motorbike on the street. It costs a pound a day and as they've scrapped most of the meters you have to pay by phone, so there's the cost of the call too."
Some of our top attractions have also noticed the money-making potential, such as Chessington World of Adventures. We spoke to some people about the parking costs:
"I paid sixty six pounds to get in to the park and then I also had a two pound parking ticket to pay. I just think it's a bit of a joke. There's no need for it. They earn enough just from the tickets that we buy to get in".
"Two pounds, whilst it isn't much, when you pay for the food when you get in it all tots up and it makes for a very expensive day out".
"Yeah, that's right, charging your admission's no longer enough. They charge you for parking too, both at Chessington, and other Merlin-owned car parks such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Legoland.
Leisure breaks in Britain, eh? Maybe it's worth looking abroad if we don't want to get stung. Or it would be, if the airports and airlines weren't at it as well. For example, Edinburgh and Luton airports now hit you with a one pound fee simply for dropping someone off at the terminal. And once inside the terminal, some airports such as Bristol, have brought in a £2 charge for using a luggage trolley. And you know those little plastic bags they make you put your liquids in before you board? At Belfast International and Stansted they now cost twenty five pence each. And to cap it all, Durham Tees Valley Airport's started charging passengers a fee just to enter the departure lounge."
Watchdog spoke to James Fremantle from the Civil Aviation Authority and he said: "Previously passengers paid for all of the services that an airport provided through their air ticket. Now airlines are basically driving hard bargains with the airport operators and not paying as much as they did before, therefore what they're doing is going direct to the passenger and charging them for the services they provide. Passengers that travel on the train don't have to pay to enter a train station so why should they have to pay to enter an airport?"
Inventive? Absolutely, but not nearly as creative as some of the airlines who now charge for all sorts of things that used to be free. James told us:
"Ryanair have been one of the pioneers of bringing in these extra charges. Previously you paid one price and got all your services included. For example they and other airlines now charge for baggage, checking in online, using a credit card or even a debit card. They're basically finding more and more ways of charging passengers for additional services. By the end of the booking process they'll find that the initial price has often gone up by three or four times".
"If it was just Ryanair things wouldn't be so bad for us freebie-lovers. But it isn't, Virgin now charge from £50 for exit row seats. And Easyjet charge you to be first on the plane... it used to be you could just turn up early. Meanwhile others, like Thomson, now make you pay for something every tourist has always taken for granted - the privilege of sitting next to your family and friends!"
Watchdog spoke to Sally Bennett who told us: "Last summer, myself and my friend went to Ibiza on a package holiday with Thomson. A few weeks before I was due to travel I had a phone call from Thomson who said that, despite spending nearly five hundred pounds on the holiday I hadn't actually paid any extra to sit next to my friend and that if I wanted to do so we would both have to pay six pounds per person each way. The lady who phoned me said 'oh you are on a very full flight', the subtext for me being that if I hadn't booked then myself and my friend wouldn't be able to sit together and the whole point was that we were going on holiday together".
"There are times when I've just about had it with this country. Thankfully I'm off to America for my holidays. That's right, the "land of the free". Er, what was that James?
Bad news for passengers now who are flying from the UK to the US. It used to be that you could get a visa for free under the visa waiver scheme for UK citizens. Now the US have brought in a charge so that's going to be fourteen dollars I'm afraid. Aaaaarrrrggggghhhhh!!!!!!!"
Merlin Entertainments - Alton Towers Resort/Chessington World of Adventures/Thorpe Park/LEGOLAND
A significant proportion of our guests do not visit us by car and we pro-actively encourage the use of other transport. For those who want the convenience of parking our charges are nominal, well below many other equivalent attractions/sporting venues. This revenue is also reinvested in new attractions, and in improving the quality of the services, environment and infrastructure. In the case of Chessington for example a part of the revenue goes directly into the Park's Conservation Fund supporting some of its ground breaking animal projects.
As for general theme park charges - these are excellent value for a full day's entertainment. A family of 4 could go to Chessington this weekend for just £74 (ex VAT) - that's less than £2.50 per person per hour given the average 8 hour visit - compare this to around £160 for same family to go a premier football match of just 90 minutes!
Response from Thomson Airways:
When did Thomson Airways start charging passengers to reserve seats?
We've always allocated seating at the airport and incurred the cost rather than provide unallocated seating arrangements like some of the low cost airlines. We introduced the choice to reserve your seats together before the day of departure in 1996 and our records indicate it was chargeable since 1999.
Why did Thomson Airways introduce such a charge?
The decision was taken because a significant proportion of customers felt it was very important that they sat together, and without the ability to reserve their seats in advance, there was a danger that allocating seats on the day of departure would mean that not everyone could be sat with the rest of their party. We introduced the choice to pay in advance to have pre-allocated seats together for customers who wanted this peace of mind before their departure. Allocated seating also allows customers to avoid the rush to the plane you would associate with certain low cost airlines. Customers who select seats together with Thomson Airways are then also given the added option of choosing the exact location of their seats, free of charge.
What is Thomson Airways response to customer allegations that the charge is nothing more than a 'stealth tax'?
This is utterly without foundation. A 'stealth tax' implies a compulsory charge that is applied to all customers; but this is an added-value service and optional - it is available to give customers choice and peace of mind.
What is Thomson Airways response to customers who feel that this is an unfair charge?
No. This charge is optional. We will endeavour to sit parties together at the airport but can't guarantee this will always be possible unless customers choose to reserve seating in advance.
What other charges does Thomson Airways plan to introduce in the near future?
We can't speculate on our plans as our products are always under review in our efforts to give customers the greatest choice when booking their holiday.
With regards to Ms Bennett's case:
Thomson Airways strongly believes that its seating policy is fair, and beneficial for the vast majority of customers.
Thomson Airways recognises that their customers have many needs when it comes to seating and therefore plans the seating arrangements well in advance. At the airport, we will endeavour to sit parties together although we can't guarantee that this will always be possible. Therefore, the option to reserve seats together is offered in advance of the departure date in order to give customers peace of mind that they will be seated together. Customers who select seats together with Thomson Airways will also be given the added option of choosing the exact location of their seats.
Ms Bennett decided to select seats together, therefore guaranteeing that her party were seated together on the aircraft. Once selecting this option, Ms Bennett was then able to choose the actual seats they wanted on the aircraft free of any additional charge either online or via the call centre prior to departure.
The best things in life were free?
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
(Do you have something to say about this story? Tell us what you think by emailing us here. Don't forget to include 'Rant' in the subject line. Watchdog will publish a selection of viewers' comments underneath each story, both throughout and after the programme is on air. Please remember to include your name as you would like to see it published).
"It wasn't always like this though. I'm old enough to remember when things like toilets in all train stations and directory enquiries were free. Going to the dentist was something else that cost nothing back then. They still are... if you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Which isn't much use if you live in Norfolk, like me. Mind you, wherever you are in the UK you can't escape parking charges. Once confined to main roads in big cities, they're now everywhere - from hospitals to train stations. Local authorities are using them to rake in extra cash too; from the Lake District, which is now charging for more and more of their car parks, to Winchester, where they've recently introduced Sunday charging, and then to Westminster, where you now have to pay to park your motorbike on the street. It costs a pound a day and as they've scrapped most of the meters you have to pay by phone, so there's the cost of the call too."
Some of our top attractions have also noticed the money-making potential, such as Chessington World of Adventures. We spoke to some people about the parking costs:
"I paid sixty six pounds to get in to the park and then I also had a two pound parking ticket to pay. I just think it's a bit of a joke. There's no need for it. They earn enough just from the tickets that we buy to get in".
"Two pounds, whilst it isn't much, when you pay for the food when you get in it all tots up and it makes for a very expensive day out".
"Yeah, that's right, charging your admission's no longer enough. They charge you for parking too, both at Chessington, and other Merlin-owned car parks such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Legoland.
Leisure breaks in Britain, eh? Maybe it's worth looking abroad if we don't want to get stung. Or it would be, if the airports and airlines weren't at it as well. For example, Edinburgh and Luton airports now hit you with a one pound fee simply for dropping someone off at the terminal. And once inside the terminal, some airports such as Bristol, have brought in a £2 charge for using a luggage trolley. And you know those little plastic bags they make you put your liquids in before you board? At Belfast International and Stansted they now cost twenty five pence each. And to cap it all, Durham Tees Valley Airport's started charging passengers a fee just to enter the departure lounge."
Watchdog spoke to James Fremantle from the Civil Aviation Authority and he said: "Previously passengers paid for all of the services that an airport provided through their air ticket. Now airlines are basically driving hard bargains with the airport operators and not paying as much as they did before, therefore what they're doing is going direct to the passenger and charging them for the services they provide. Passengers that travel on the train don't have to pay to enter a train station so why should they have to pay to enter an airport?"
Inventive? Absolutely, but not nearly as creative as some of the airlines who now charge for all sorts of things that used to be free. James told us:
"Ryanair have been one of the pioneers of bringing in these extra charges. Previously you paid one price and got all your services included. For example they and other airlines now charge for baggage, checking in online, using a credit card or even a debit card. They're basically finding more and more ways of charging passengers for additional services. By the end of the booking process they'll find that the initial price has often gone up by three or four times".
"If it was just Ryanair things wouldn't be so bad for us freebie-lovers. But it isn't, Virgin now charge from £50 for exit row seats. And Easyjet charge you to be first on the plane... it used to be you could just turn up early. Meanwhile others, like Thomson, now make you pay for something every tourist has always taken for granted - the privilege of sitting next to your family and friends!"
Watchdog spoke to Sally Bennett who told us: "Last summer, myself and my friend went to Ibiza on a package holiday with Thomson. A few weeks before I was due to travel I had a phone call from Thomson who said that, despite spending nearly five hundred pounds on the holiday I hadn't actually paid any extra to sit next to my friend and that if I wanted to do so we would both have to pay six pounds per person each way. The lady who phoned me said 'oh you are on a very full flight', the subtext for me being that if I hadn't booked then myself and my friend wouldn't be able to sit together and the whole point was that we were going on holiday together".
"There are times when I've just about had it with this country. Thankfully I'm off to America for my holidays. That's right, the "land of the free". Er, what was that James?
Bad news for passengers now who are flying from the UK to the US. It used to be that you could get a visa for free under the visa waiver scheme for UK citizens. Now the US have brought in a charge so that's going to be fourteen dollars I'm afraid. Aaaaarrrrggggghhhhh!!!!!!!"
Merlin Entertainments - Alton Towers Resort/Chessington World of Adventures/Thorpe Park/LEGOLAND
A significant proportion of our guests do not visit us by car and we pro-actively encourage the use of other transport. For those who want the convenience of parking our charges are nominal, well below many other equivalent attractions/sporting venues. This revenue is also reinvested in new attractions, and in improving the quality of the services, environment and infrastructure. In the case of Chessington for example a part of the revenue goes directly into the Park's Conservation Fund supporting some of its ground breaking animal projects.
As for general theme park charges - these are excellent value for a full day's entertainment. A family of 4 could go to Chessington this weekend for just £74 (ex VAT) - that's less than £2.50 per person per hour given the average 8 hour visit - compare this to around £160 for same family to go a premier football match of just 90 minutes!
Response from Thomson Airways:
When did Thomson Airways start charging passengers to reserve seats?
We've always allocated seating at the airport and incurred the cost rather than provide unallocated seating arrangements like some of the low cost airlines. We introduced the choice to reserve your seats together before the day of departure in 1996 and our records indicate it was chargeable since 1999.
Why did Thomson Airways introduce such a charge?
The decision was taken because a significant proportion of customers felt it was very important that they sat together, and without the ability to reserve their seats in advance, there was a danger that allocating seats on the day of departure would mean that not everyone could be sat with the rest of their party. We introduced the choice to pay in advance to have pre-allocated seats together for customers who wanted this peace of mind before their departure. Allocated seating also allows customers to avoid the rush to the plane you would associate with certain low cost airlines. Customers who select seats together with Thomson Airways are then also given the added option of choosing the exact location of their seats, free of charge.
What is Thomson Airways response to customer allegations that the charge is nothing more than a 'stealth tax'?
This is utterly without foundation. A 'stealth tax' implies a compulsory charge that is applied to all customers; but this is an added-value service and optional - it is available to give customers choice and peace of mind.
What is Thomson Airways response to customers who feel that this is an unfair charge?
No. This charge is optional. We will endeavour to sit parties together at the airport but can't guarantee this will always be possible unless customers choose to reserve seating in advance.
What other charges does Thomson Airways plan to introduce in the near future?
We can't speculate on our plans as our products are always under review in our efforts to give customers the greatest choice when booking their holiday.
With regards to Ms Bennett's case:
Thomson Airways strongly believes that its seating policy is fair, and beneficial for the vast majority of customers.
Thomson Airways recognises that their customers have many needs when it comes to seating and therefore plans the seating arrangements well in advance. At the airport, we will endeavour to sit parties together although we can't guarantee that this will always be possible. Therefore, the option to reserve seats together is offered in advance of the departure date in order to give customers peace of mind that they will be seated together. Customers who select seats together with Thomson Airways will also be given the added option of choosing the exact location of their seats.
Ms Bennett decided to select seats together, therefore guaranteeing that her party were seated together on the aircraft. Once selecting this option, Ms Bennett was then able to choose the actual seats they wanted on the aircraft free of any additional charge either online or via the call centre prior to departure.
The best things in life were free?