Manchester Airport
Discussion
Not been to Manchester Airport for years but it was never a particularly nice place to be.
Part of me thinks that it's because the majority of its "customers" have no choice but to use it and/or don't really care - as long as the bar is serving beer at 7am, the duty free shop is selling cheap fags and the plane to Magaluf sets off on time then who cares?
Shopping centres have plenty of competition so have to work hard to keep the customers coming to their shopping centre - airports don't.
Part of me thinks that it's because the majority of its "customers" have no choice but to use it and/or don't really care - as long as the bar is serving beer at 7am, the duty free shop is selling cheap fags and the plane to Magaluf sets off on time then who cares?
Shopping centres have plenty of competition so have to work hard to keep the customers coming to their shopping centre - airports don't.
I guess you've never travelled though Luton airport before then!
On a more serious note. The airport is at the beginning of a £1bn redevelopment of terminal 2 and possibly terminal 1. The roadways are also being updated and changed to work "better" with estimated traffic flow. This is along with the new dual carriage way from the east (Manchester Airport Relief Road). Come back in a few years and I'm sure it'll feel a lot different. If in the interim, it'll feel like a building site!
On a more serious note. The airport is at the beginning of a £1bn redevelopment of terminal 2 and possibly terminal 1. The roadways are also being updated and changed to work "better" with estimated traffic flow. This is along with the new dual carriage way from the east (Manchester Airport Relief Road). Come back in a few years and I'm sure it'll feel a lot different. If in the interim, it'll feel like a building site!
NickCQ said:
MDMA . said:
Because : not London.
snore. Have you been to Luton or Stansted recently?It's also a private company so not sure how it fits into the North/South fiscal divide agenda.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/bu...
http://mantp.co.uk/
Loads of info out there, masses going on around the airport as well, loads of new industrial space, new link road from the east
http://www.semmms.info/
The airport is owned by MAG (Manchester Airport Group), a holding company which is in turn owned by the Manchester councils and some private investors, it also owns Bournemouth, East Midlands and Stansted, they did try to buy Gatwick but couldn't agree on a price.
NickCQ said:
MDMA . said:
Because : not London.
snore. Have you been to Luton or Stansted recently?It's also a private company so not sure how it fits into the North/South fiscal divide agenda.
Luton Airport is a f
king hole though. Every British airport I've been in seems like a complete dump.
I'm always surprised at some of the walkways back from the plane to passport control. Mr. fancy pants from Munich steps off the plane and his first experience of the UK is a sort of shabby behind-the-scenes corridor straight out of a Tesco stockroom, barely wide enough for three people, and winding around until it everything reaches passport control. It's weird! (I think that was at Manchester, but not sure)
I'm always surprised at some of the walkways back from the plane to passport control. Mr. fancy pants from Munich steps off the plane and his first experience of the UK is a sort of shabby behind-the-scenes corridor straight out of a Tesco stockroom, barely wide enough for three people, and winding around until it everything reaches passport control. It's weird! (I think that was at Manchester, but not sure)
Not sure what you are all expecting, runway, air bridge, passport control, baggage reclaim, transport and get the fk out asap, applies to any airport. On the way out Manchester is fine, the departures areas are the same as anywhere else, shops and overpriced restaurants, people forcing booze down at stupid o clock.
k out asap, applies to any airport. On the way out Manchester is fine, the departures areas are the same as anywhere else, shops and overpriced restaurants, people forcing booze down at stupid o clock.I prefer flying into Manchester to London. Means I am further away from London for a start.
I can get flights from Sydney to Manchester with Etihad, Singapore or Cathay with only one stop so serves my purposes well.
Airports are just boring places that you have to be in. I'm more concerned about quickly moving through customs and getting out than the quality of the carpet.
I can get flights from Sydney to Manchester with Etihad, Singapore or Cathay with only one stop so serves my purposes well.
Airports are just boring places that you have to be in. I'm more concerned about quickly moving through customs and getting out than the quality of the carpet.
There's one terminal (3?) where there's a gate between security and the departure lounge. If there's a flight disembarking you have to stand and wait for ten minutes while everyone gets off. Awful design and I've never seen it anywhere else!
As for the terminal buildings themselves I don't really know what they can do. They're old buildings with low ceilings and little space which is at odds with the modern airports with high ceilings and seemingly acres of open space.
On the other hand I think it functions well enough compared to anywhere else; everything is acceptably efficient it just looks a bit st and tatty in the process. Food is cheap if you take the Boots / Smiths meal deals as well!
I'd take Manchester over Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam any day!
As for the terminal buildings themselves I don't really know what they can do. They're old buildings with low ceilings and little space which is at odds with the modern airports with high ceilings and seemingly acres of open space.
On the other hand I think it functions well enough compared to anywhere else; everything is acceptably efficient it just looks a bit s
t and tatty in the process. Food is cheap if you take the Boots / Smiths meal deals as well!I'd take Manchester over Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam any day!
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