Manchester Airport. How can it be so bad?
Discussion
I actually think my MAN experience (as I had only cabin bags) was better than my mates Leeds-Bradford experience. I had nothing but a 15 minute or so security queue. He had no queue for bag drop, but was in the security queue for 2.5 hours before they pulled him out of the queue as he was going to miss his flight.
The state of everywhere is just dire. I assume MAN is just so much worse as it's a big airport?
The state of everywhere is just dire. I assume MAN is just so much worse as it's a big airport?
Dog Star said:
I actually think my MAN experience (as I had only cabin bags) was better than my mates Leeds-Bradford experience. I had nothing but a 15 minute or so security queue. He had no queue for bag drop, but was in the security queue for 2.5 hours before they pulled him out of the queue as he was going to miss his flight.
The state of everywhere is just dire. I assume MAN is just so much worse as it's a big airport?
I've been through Stansted 3 times recently and had no issues at all, it really seems to be mainly Manchester and Leeds.The state of everywhere is just dire. I assume MAN is just so much worse as it's a big airport?
Each time I was travelling at a weekend (so peak), and everything seemed perfectly normal. On the last trip we arrived a bit early, and ended with way too much time in departures.
Flew out from Manchester on the 30th to Majorca, ended up with a 12 hour wait with a couple of delays, the crew for our original flight were then out of hours, finally flew at 6am on the 31st, on a flight which was supposed to be going to Alicante, so unfortunate for those people.
On the return, No issues at Palma until onboard the plane, where we were delayed from take off due to issues at Manchester, arrived at Manchester airspace where we then joined the whirlpool of aircraft circling, finally landed and were then stuck on the plane for around an hour as there were no pushers or buses available.
was just thankful to have had an holiday regardless.
On the return, No issues at Palma until onboard the plane, where we were delayed from take off due to issues at Manchester, arrived at Manchester airspace where we then joined the whirlpool of aircraft circling, finally landed and were then stuck on the plane for around an hour as there were no pushers or buses available.
was just thankful to have had an holiday regardless.
Flew back to Manchester from Gib yesterday, plane arrived from Manchester a couple of minutes late but took off on time for my flight. I was hand luggage only and was through passport control with almost no wait - about thirty seconds. So plane to Mrs DS in the car park must have been less than ten minutes. No wait for stairs either.
The experience at Gib airport was the usual pleasure. Got into my taxi outside the hotel at 9.05. Was standing in the most splendid duty free shop in the departure lounge at 9.32.
A bit off-topic - the revised duty free limits aren’t bad I don’t think. 4 litres of spirits per person. Ok it’s not the days of the French booze cruise but it’s better than the actual old duty free limit.
The experience at Gib airport was the usual pleasure. Got into my taxi outside the hotel at 9.05. Was standing in the most splendid duty free shop in the departure lounge at 9.32.
A bit off-topic - the revised duty free limits aren’t bad I don’t think. 4 litres of spirits per person. Ok it’s not the days of the French booze cruise but it’s better than the actual old duty free limit.
Dog Star said:
A bit off-topic - the revised duty free limits aren’t bad I don’t think. 4 litres of spirits per person. Ok it’s not the days of the French booze cruise but it’s better than the actual old duty free limit.
I always wish I'd have taken more, especially cigs - I've never ever been checked (hand luggage) in my entire life ! last time there was no one ever there to checkDog Star said:
A bit off-topic - the revised duty free limits aren’t bad I don’t think. 4 litres of spirits per person. Ok it’s not the days of the French booze cruise but it’s better than the actual old duty free limit.
The new DF limits are great for those of us who are often flying from outside of Europe. The only 1L limit was abysmal... The new 4L limit makes me look like a complete alco. Especially from the US where booze can be quite cheap compared to here.
WCZ said:
I always wish I'd have taken more, especially cigs - I've never ever been checked (hand luggage) in my entire life ! last time there was no one ever there to check
Me neither - my record is 8 litres (plastic bottles). However I only ever bought really cheap stuff if I did that as I could afford to have it confiscated; it’s nice to be able to buy something more expensive without the worry of it getting confiscated. A few years ago when it was Monarch flying that route it was ace as it landed at the same time as an Islamabad flight, so baggage and customs was chaos, people milling around everywhere with tons of huge cases, trying to get back inside from the arrivals hall etc, and in the midst of it I’d sail through with a suitcase full of rum
Dog Star said:
Me neither - my record is 8 litres (plastic bottles). However I only ever bought really cheap stuff if I did that as I could afford to have it confiscated; it’s nice to be able to buy something more expensive without the worry of it getting confiscated.
A few years ago when it was Monarch flying that route it was ace as it landed at the same time as an Islamabad flight, so baggage and customs was chaos, people milling around everywhere with tons of huge cases, trying to get back inside from the arrivals hall etc, and in the midst of it I’d sail through with a suitcase full of rum
haha, I've never taken any excess in a suitecase out of fear of it being x-rayed or somethingA few years ago when it was Monarch flying that route it was ace as it landed at the same time as an Islamabad flight, so baggage and customs was chaos, people milling around everywhere with tons of huge cases, trying to get back inside from the arrivals hall etc, and in the midst of it I’d sail through with a suitcase full of rum
the most i've done is 8 cartons of cigs in a backpack - could fit loads in though I think!
WCZ said:
I always wish I'd have taken more, especially cigs - I've never ever been checked (hand luggage) in my entire life ! last time there was no one ever there to check
I’m a strapping 6’1” 14 stone adult and I’m convinced I’m that way due to numerous childhood summer holidays where my tight northern father would make me carry hand luggage full to the brim of illicit litres of spirits through customs, the weight of which would have brought an Egyptian donkey to its knees.Mick Dastardly said:
I’m a strapping 6’1” 14 stone adult and I’m convinced I’m that way due to numerous childhood summer holidays where my tight northern father would make me carry hand luggage full to the brim of illicit litres of spirits through customs, the weight of which would have brought an Egyptian donkey to its knees.
Ah yes, caravan holidays to Spain. I remember once in 1983 or 1984 the family caravan was so heavily loaded with cheap wine (it was pennies in Spain!), plastic tubs of gut rot brandy etc that the thick steel coupling started to split when we bounced over the railway crossing in Samer, not far from Boulogne. We landed at palma from Leeds Bradford about 50 mins ago.
It was absolute plain sailing, jet 2 checkin well manned and clear. Fast track used but wasn’t really needed.
3pm baggage check in. They did say that it was different in the mornings, but implied that people need not come more than three hours early as they will always get people through.
Palma was plain sailing too except for my Covid pass didn’t appease them from apple wallet and I had to set data roaming on and get the NHS app open.
Very pleasant journey compared with expectations.
Masks mandatory on the coach. But we knew that.
It was absolute plain sailing, jet 2 checkin well manned and clear. Fast track used but wasn’t really needed.
3pm baggage check in. They did say that it was different in the mornings, but implied that people need not come more than three hours early as they will always get people through.
Palma was plain sailing too except for my Covid pass didn’t appease them from apple wallet and I had to set data roaming on and get the NHS app open.
Very pleasant journey compared with expectations.
Masks mandatory on the coach. But we knew that.
vindaloo79 said:
We landed at palma from Leeds Bradford about 50 mins ago.
It was absolute plain sailing, jet 2 checkin well manned and clear. Fast track used but wasn’t really needed.
3pm baggage check in. They did say that it was different in the mornings, but implied that people need not come more than three hours early as they will always get people through.
Palma was plain sailing too except for my Covid pass didn’t appease them from apple wallet and I had to set data roaming on and get the NHS app open.
Very pleasant journey compared with expectations.
Masks mandatory on the coach. But we knew that.
It's the 6-9am slot that seems to be the killer at Leeds-Bradford; though hardly a surprise as there are so many flights in that window.It was absolute plain sailing, jet 2 checkin well manned and clear. Fast track used but wasn’t really needed.
3pm baggage check in. They did say that it was different in the mornings, but implied that people need not come more than three hours early as they will always get people through.
Palma was plain sailing too except for my Covid pass didn’t appease them from apple wallet and I had to set data roaming on and get the NHS app open.
Very pleasant journey compared with expectations.
Masks mandatory on the coach. But we knew that.
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