Royal Mail to increase stamp prices by 30%

Today it was announced that Royal Mail will increase the price of a First Class stamp to 60p from April, along with other planned price rises.

Currently, the price of a first class stamp is set at 46p, however Ofcom - the post office regulator - has lifted some price controls on products, allowing Royal Mail to increase the prices. For first class stamps, the price will increase by 30%.

From 30th April, a second class stamp will increase from 36p to 50p, a 39% increase. There will also be increases to large stamped letters, air mail and business class post.

The news has angered the public, who over the last ten years ago, have seen the price of a first class stamp increase by over 100%.

However, Royal Mail described the plans as "necessary", after revealing that since 2006, there has been a 25% decline in the volume of post. Royal Mail worries that without the planned increase, the reliability of their service will remain vulnerable in the tough economic climate, and the advancement of technology.

From my point of view, I'm rather worried about these plans too. If you were to ask me a few years ago what the cost of a first class stamp was, I would have been able to tell you. Now, however, the prices seem to increase every year.

On the face of it, 60p might not sound like much, a point the Royal Mail chiefs were making today. OK, so it might be the same price as a chocolate bar, but that is not the point. Compared to other countries, the cost is ridiculously high, and the service is unrelible, despite Royal Mail being keen to point out that the price rise reflects an improvement in service and speed.

But does it? Who are they fooling. Since the last price increase, I've had mail lost, returned and delivered late. Last Christmas, I sent a package three months beforehand to New Zealand with the promise of guaranteed Christmas delivery. It didn't even make the New Year!

The customer service is appalling, and what with the Royal Mail and the Post Office acting as two separate companies, it's painful trying to solve a dispute like a late delivery.

The postal service still plays a vital role in the UK. The Royal Mail chiefs may argue that technology is forcing them out of business, but at the end of the day, there is nothing quite like receiving a letter in the post then an email. It's always going to be used, it just needs to wake up to the 21st century and think ahead.

With the government agreeing last year that 90% of the Royal Mail will be privatised - likely to happen by 2014 - the postal service remains in the spotlight. I'd like to think the Royal Mail will still be here for years to come, and I'm sure it will be. But it needs to focus on the public demands. Forget technology and investment, focus on the small things that matter. After all, it's an important part of our infrastructure that needs protecting.

Pictures Courtesy of Wikipedia

Come fly with Manchester Airport...just don't expect any change!

I almost feel my blog should become a specialist in Travel, for it seems I spend an increasing amount of my time writing more and more articles criticising the Travel Industry - from airports to customer service.

But the latest news to come from the aviation industry really takes the biscuit. I was shocked to read that Manchester Airport, one of the biggest airports in the UK, is going to start charging customers to use their new luggage trolleys.

Not content with already asking travellers to pay a pound to use the contraptions - which is refunded once the contraption is returned - it seems bosses at the northern-based airport want to punish holidaymakers even further.

They claim the £1 trolley fee is to help replace the currently dated trolley collection with a brand-spanking new one. The new design comes with a range of glitzy features, which presumably put any car you have just hired through Hertz to shame. A lightweight, easy-to-manoeuvre, GPS enabled trolley which reflects the 21st century traveller. Because it is these tiny and patented details you really care about, as you rush to get to the Easyjet check-in before Stelios closes the desk.

A spokesman for Manchester Airport claims the £1.3 Million overhaul will benefit all customers, despite the airport admitting that only 5% of passengers currently use the luggage trolleys.

But don't despair! If you have only Euro's in your pocket, or just a credit card, you can still pay to use the fad-ulous vehicle. So you can still take it out for a test drive, only after you have forked out on car parking, coffee, administration fee's and everything else.

The new system comes into force in early April. In my view, I would keep a close eye on any local Manchester refuse sites. Because a whole load of trolleys are going to be dumped their soon, and it may just be a cost-effective investment if you can get your hands on one, before Manchester Airport gets their hands on your wallet!

Picture Courtesy of Yahoo!