Spain: Airports to start luggage cart fee

Airport operator AENA has said it would begin to charge for the use of luggage trolleys in some of its Spanish airports. ThinkSpain reported Tuesday that the fee of 1 euro, $1.30, would begin at Madrid's Barajas airport. After that, the fees would expand to popular tourist destinations, including Tenerife South, Alicante, Barcelona's El Prat airport, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and Gran Canaria. The airline operator is attempting to recoup $4.1 million in operating costs. The trolleys already cost $4.8 million a year to maintain, AENA said. AENA has yet to decide on a specific timetable for launching the fee at the various airports. When implemented, the trolley fees in Spain will be less than many major travel hubs. In Britain, the costs for trolleys ranges from $1.50 to $3. In the United States, baggage carts can cost as much as $4.