Bergerac Airport - the changes have started

[Tony F Dordogne]

For anybody using Bergerac airport ..........

The changes in car parking are finally in, lovely new automated barriers into the new posh car park - on Wednesday last week the barriers were stuck down stopping access and on Friday, no charge, the barriers were stuck open!!!  But the prices are pretty good, even for a week or two.

NO CAFETERIA - the airport is a god forsaken place at the best of times and now the owners have finally evicted the cafe proprietors, there are no catering facilities there at all - so if your plane is delayed, tough whotsits.

There are legal notices all over the place, lots of restrictions for car parking off the new car park - and the word from somebody that works there is regardless of what they may be saying officially, all the old banger brit and french cars that are parked there (many without carte vert and/or VELs) are likely to be removed and disposed of.

Updates as things progress ..............

[WJT]

Very interesting Tony, thank you for the information and update.  We don't leave a car there but I do know that this could effect many people. I know the last few times I have been there to drop off, pick up my husband it has been chaos while the car parks were being constructed so happy to hear they are finished. Will be picking him up this Friday so will be interested to see the changes.

I for one thought all of the publicity with the bar/restaurant was unbelievable. Perhaps I am missing something but apparently they were renting the premises and in my opinion could have been quite lucky and in the right place at the right time for more than five years when Ryanair started flying there. I have said this before but if I was the landlord I would have been upset to say the least at the actions of the tenant.

I know hundreds (mostly Brits) signed the petition. I feel that the place was absolutely filthy a good example was one filthy rag in the toilets to dry your hands that was also used by the staff of the restaurant [blink]. The place was really dirty filled with cobwebs about the place not too mention all of the placards asking for help and signatures to stay among the filth.  I won't be too disappointed not to be able to eat there. [:)]

I did notice in the Sud Ouest paper the other day that violence broke out and they had to be forcibly removed, in fact one elderly lady fell over and was hurt.  I for one look forward to new management taking over. Having said that I am really looking forward (if or when it ever happens) to the new airport in Brive opening that will be more convenient to us anyway. [Www]

[La Vette]

I too am not sorry that the facilities are under new management.  Last time I was there the two ladies were propping up the end of the bar smoking and drinking.  I thought they were waitresses (they were dressed in black and white) and asked for a coffee only to be told quite abruptly that they did not serve people.  The place is filthy with cobwebs all over and rust from floor to ceiling on the window frames.  They had a goldmine there but let is go to ruin, mind you if it was not theirs to do up it may not of been their fault.  The place needs some money spending on it which hopefully will now happen.

[Tony F Dordogne]

Update ........

Just been back to the airport to drop some people off.  The barriers have broken AGAIN - only fixed yesterday and gone pop already.

And I spoke to the duty manager (who was at the barriers being nice to people) about the cars that are just parked there.  The old parking area (aka the muddy field) is now staff parking exclusively.  All the cars there which are not staff cars, French and English, will be moved by the airport authorities in the next couple of weeks so that they can start work on that part of the parking facilities.

All the cars there which are not staff vehicles are going to be removed and impounded.  If an owner/user comes back to claim the car in the future, they will have to pay the appropriate fee to liberate it.  Current thinking is that the French police/Gendarmes will be sorting out the legalities of the French cars apparently abandoned there.

Details of  the British registered cars are likely to be passed on to the UK for further enquiry.  Apparently, they have already identified a few cars to be scrapped come what may - those parked there for 'some time', which on today's thinking, is over 6 months without being moved and those over a year - apparently two for almost two years - are top of the list for junking.

Anybody who uses the airport for free long-term parking may get a nasty bill when they get back to retrieve their cars!!

As for the restaurant, it's all been said above but it WOULD be nice to have somewhere at least to sit down and get a drink.

 

[peterj]

Hi All

Thank you Tony for the information you have posted, and the fact the lack of seating facilities which at the present time is 6 seats in the checking in hal

As for WJT and La Vette this is was not the place to discuss the whys and where's of the the bar facilities.

Having known the staff at La Bataclan for the the last 6 or 7 seven years I have had no problems with them.

Regards PeterJ

 

 

 

[WJT]

Peterj, I didn't mean to imply that I knew the tenants of the restaurant/ bar personally because I do not. I have been using the airport on and off since the first flights from Stansted, more in the last two years since owning a property here but have never met them and have never had a problem with them either.

I did read an article in the Sud Quest that said because they have not accepted the judgement of the recent court hearing, they will be taking it further. In the meantime, the owner of the restaurant will not be able to operate until the matter is sorted. So it looks as if those using Bergerac airport will have to make do with very little seating and no restaurant until the decision of the new case is made.

[Piggy on Air]

Hello,

 

If anyone wants to see some piccy's of Bergerac with new car parks then go to http://www.perigordvacance.com/2006/12/a_pea_souper_at.html#more there is a picture of the new tarrifs there too:)

 

All the best

 

Piggy on Air

[WJT]

Hi Piggy on Air, thank you for the information. I have noticed this link in regards to a tender on the restaurant/bar on another site. It appears it could be a wait before anything is up and running.

http://aquitaine.angloinfo.com/forum/ccdetail.asp?CCID=94

[Piggy on Air]

Hi WJT

 

I heard it was already a done deal and a relative of the Mayor taking on the Franchise?

Perhaps my info was just 'gossip' or they have to be seen to go through the motions?

 

I always thought that alternative parking would be a money spinner for someone but these rates here seem a bit steep. http://www.bergerac-aeroport-parking.com/index.htm

 

[Bob T]

I think that 100€ per month is pretty cheap when compared to all the UK airports. I remember paying well over double that in most places.

[pip24]

Thanks for the information Tony. I'm surprised it has taken them so long to wise up to the parking. I can't think of another airport that provides long term parking for free. Sad to see the perk go though !.   I'm also sad to see the cafe go as well, whatever it's condition and for whatever reason. We have had some good coffee on arrival and departure there on many occasion . I also have a memory of and photograph of "The duty free" shop there. It must have been the smallest of any airport.

On October 14th last we were delayed at Bergerac for seven hours. It was a lovely hot sunny day.  We were given 20 euro each to spend on food/ alcohol, people seemed calm and relaxed. Probably because they were outside and not locked in a lifeless sterile looking room.  We also made several new friends over the period of being grounded.

 I can not imagine what it would be like now if the same problem of a seven hour delay was encountered. With the weather as it is, it would probably be standing in the car park with an umbrella.

I hope the new cafe is not a plastic type fast food outlet like others. The more things in France change the more they begin to look the same. Call me old fashioned but I liked the place as it was.

[Babbles]

You all are a lot more tenacious (is that how its spelt who knows!) I've given up on Bergerac airport and now use Bordeaux it takes less than 10mins more to get to our house and its such a lovely clean, friendly airport I now use Europecar which give far better service and prices than I was getting from Hertz in Bergerac and planes seem to be able to land in fog, I'd love to know how many planes get diverted from Bergerac but it sems to happen a lot, but if Ryanair started to fly in Agen I would use that as it would be sooooo easy and I'd put up with muddy carparks and no coffee or be able to buy a magazine, there seemed to be a lot of rumours last year about it happening in2007 but I've not heard anything lately.

[AnOther]

Still awaiting announcement on who (if anyone worthwhile) is going to take up Brive later this year of course...please G.O.D. don't let it be RA...!

http://www.aeroport-brive-souillac.com/

Would RA really want to dilute their Rodez/Bergerac passenger base. Sounds like an ideal opportunity for Easyjet to muscle in but what do I know?.

[Hoddy]

I'm almost as interested in where they fly from as I am in which airline will use it. If it's the dreaded Stanstead I think I'll give it one of Miki's famous swerves.

Hoddy

[Tony F Dordogne]

Update .........

The cafe has reopened but check your change ....... essentially faster food service, very disorganised, no meals as such.  Plastic/garden tables and chairs.

Last Friday you had to take a ticket to get into the car park but the exit barrier was stuck up!  So how many people paid to leave an open/broken barrier?

The plans look good though but it's a wait and see I think.

And for those who have cars still on the muddy field, the airport people are counting down now, use it or potentially loose it seems to be the order of the day. 

[AnOther]

[quote user="Hoddy"]..the dreaded Stanstead..[/quote]Still my airport of choice at the moment, one man's meat and all that............