I know that when e.g. we have the Elba fly-in, with €3.50/litre avgas there, some people did a stop elsewhere to fill up. If you can get avgas for say €2 then it’s obviously worth doing.
Similarly most would avoid the Fraport-owned airports in Greece, to save some €300.
However, how many people are really influenced by a fuel difference of say €2.00 versus €2.20? Or a landing fee of €20 versus €30?
We hear stories on social media – particularly on the UK sites – of people choosing a destination according to the price of the all day breakfast
but does anyone really do that? I mean anyone who flies to a destination, rather than just a 15 min flight to another airport cafe?
I find it hard to believe that such small differences matter to a significant % of pilots because flying itself is expensive enough and the destinations themselves vary dramatically in their attractiveness.
I don’t, unless there is a choice of airports at destination (not uncommon in the US) and the price difference is huge. What also goes into the equation is the fuel uplift / discount policy of the various FBOs. You can end up saving real $$$ in the process, as most (All?) FBOs waive their ramp fees if you buy a set amount of fuel. For me the most important aspect is always the ground infrastructure. No use in saving a few bucks on fuel if I then need a $100 taxi.
Peter wrote:
but does anyone really do that?
I think nobody does that. What I`m doing is to land at a different airport for refuelling where fuel is significantly cheaper as at the actual destination. Last year we flew to Menorca, on the way we refuelled at Montpellier because everyone knows the fuel prices in Spain. If I have no special destination, but need to fly in order to protect the engine, I choose a destination with a low fuel price. The fuel difference is sometimes 2,35 versus 1,80 Euro. Then I take some jerry cans with me.
It’s certainly a factor for me. But then again so is friendliness and excessive regulation.
First of all I’ll see what airfield options are about where I want to go, all of the above will play a factor, I’m not so fussed about paying a bit more if it’s more convienent and works better. Fuel isn’t a big deal, but I’ll usually try to work it to uplift somewhere with good value en route.
I normally don’t have a choice. Where I’m flying decides where I’ll refuel. No choice because there are few fuel sources, and my 2 shared aircraft have ~4 hours safe endurance.
Same with landing charges.
In general. I think one can say that most European private pilots like a cheap or no landing fee, and certainly do a lot of due diligence during preflight on landing fees and how to save ten Euros here or there. What is interesting is that many of them (not only renters, who usually don‘t care) but even owners don‘t do nearly as much due diligence on fuel prices, i.e. they will chose a place which has lower fees, but then more or less just accept higher fuel prices as a given, and never do the math on the total properly. Often this is because fuel prices are not as transparent as landing fees (well, even landing fees sometimes aren‘t, but that‘s a different story.) When I am flying to some general destination, and have a choice of airfields for refuelling, I usually even call ahead to ask about fuel prices (never trust those numbers entered into Skydemon and similar). By the way, it is funny how often airport staff have no clue about fuel prices…
Doing an additional stop for cheaper fuel on the other hand almost never makes sense, but sometimes, we are just not very rational when making these decisions.
I do take it into account when it makes sense.
e.g.
If there are two suitable airfields serving a place and one is significantly cheaper than the other and is better for GA, I would chose that one.
I would plan fuelstops when necessary onto airports which have low taxes and low fuel price if possible. e.g. Belgrade for anywhere to southeastern Europe.
I would land at Lausanne or Annemasse and take the train to Geneva or similar.
For training flights, I would rather go to e.g Leutkirch, where circuits are cheap, than to Memmingen or Grenchen.
For a destination, my criteria is : what can I do there ? Which means, what is there and how easy is it to get there from the airport ? Sometimes I fly for lunch because I like the airfield restaurant, sometimes to see vintage aircraft, sometimes to visit an old town. As an example, I wouldn’t have flown to Bagnoles LFAO if the center wasn’t within walking distance from the airfield.
If the area is worth it, I don’t mind paying fees or handling.
For a fuel stop, I always look at airfields with Total pumps, and try to use those first. For the price and for the ease of fueling (no money to pay upfront, no need to ask an invoice to be reimbursed by the club). Most are automatic pumps so I can refuel myself, when I want.
It is biaised by the way things work in France : no dramatic variations in fuel price, very few expensive fees, but complicated airport/fuel procedures sometimes (like fueling in LFRD).
If I go abroad, fees are negligible versus cost of flight 
but I would look on SD and eddh the fuel prices and plan stops accordingly. Again, ease of fueling to me equals about 30 cents per liter.
Peter wrote:
However, how many people are really influenced by a fuel difference of say €2.00 versus €2.20? Or a landing fee of €20 versus €30?
Those differences are lost in the noise, even for Auster operating costs. If the 30eur airfield offers better service (e.g. good opening hours, low bullshit quotient, closer to a nice town to go and get lunch) I’ll go there.
For example, I was on a very long trip in a rather greasy Piper TriPacer a few years ago in the US, and it became apparent that the line of thunderstorms ahead was a lot more severe and moving a lot faster than forecast. I had the option of: divert to an airfield in the middle of nowhere (free), or go to the big Class C airspace airline airport, with a $ignature FBO. The choice was easy – go to Signature despite the parking fee and higher fuel cost. It had been a long day, and within minutes of me stepping through the door, the FBO had arranged a car and a hotel for me, and given me half a dozen good suggestions for Mexican food. Getting effortless service is worth something in my book.
For me the most important thing is: what would we like to do at this destination. If it is just to make a short stop over to change the pic or to refuel, I will have a closer look on fuel price and landing fees. For the destination itself it is more, how easy is it to get us to the final place we would like to reach. So more important is i.e. car hiring, bus, train or Uber connection.
Under some circumstances we even pay landing fees although it is not necessary. EDFO as @boscomantico has written in another post does not charge landing fees at the moment due of Sars-Covid-19. It is in their notam. But they still offer service and they need also to stay alive after the crisis. So, as they are part of aeroops, you can pay contactless via smartphone. And we did as we give regularly a bit into the caisse of a club as donation although many fields don‘t expect this.
