Travellers Comments on UK airports

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What travellers had to say about Manchester Airport

M Faulkner

Manchester

Posted on 09 March 2008 12:19

Coming in so much easier than going out MA could learn something from BIA

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Fatima Blush

Manchester

Posted on 26 February 2008 18:28

Here is where my story begins.....

We weave our way through confused drivers and diversions as we approach Manchester Terminal One. My husband and I (no not royalty) were dropped off by our polite and talkative taxi driver at departures. We battle through plumes of cigarette smoke which amasses outside the departure doors - mostly staff in uniform with passes showing to the departure and check in areas.

My husband is asked whether we want priority boarding and the usual questions about bags by a check in girl who seems more interested in plastering on more foundation having been egged on by her coworker on the next desk.

We wind our way through the temporary boardings that propagate what a world class airport Manchester will be - personally a team of dynamite experts and a digger would be the solution having seen the smelly dirty toilets with broken door handle and seat. I tried to convey this to the cleaner who said she could not understand what I was saying - broad Burnley accent. It so happens we had a euro phrasebook to convey on our concerns. She leapt to it to sort out the mess.

We make our way into a Boots to join a queue to be told that we had to buy drinks airside. My husband saw a drinks machine and commented that the price of the diet cola was cheaper landside than airside- an e-mail to the city council and the trading standards council is my next step.

We shuffle slowly to the security point to have our bags placed through a scanner. My husband is told by someone who looks like he is doing work experience out of school to take his shoes off. Thankfully my husband's choice in socks mean that the dirt on the grubby carpet would not leave a souvenir reminder of the airport.

We end up in the post security zone where we are bombarded with airport staff asking me to test the latest perfume, my husband is pestered again (having been asked landside) to take out a credit card. All we want to do is sit down and eat breakfast - albeit it at a price that I think was extortionate and not good value for money.

We make our way to the gate to go up and down up and down various glass like corridors. A woman in a wheel chair must have been in umpteen lifts. So much for planes trains and automobiles as she added wheelchairs and lifts to the list.

We finally get to our gate to be advised that the airbridge was broken and there would be a delay in boarding. Not including the passengers who were on board waiting to get off.

Anyhow we leave the wonderful world of Manchester to return a week later........

Airbridge - not fixed. Delay exiting airplane we had to go down slippery steps wheeled up next to the plane only to have to go up and down again and again to make our way to passport control.

We joined another queue to come back into our own country. It took over an hour. In fact it was several queues. We approach a sign that says we are going to be waiting no more than 15 minutes - a blatant untruth. There must have been 1000s of people crammed in like sardines it was diabolical. Only 4 officers carrying out checks on passports.

The only consolation being our bags were waiting for us on the carousel.

We then have to fit through more corridors and Manchester Airport's last ditch attempt to sell you booze and chocolate into a dull depressing and dark arrivals area that has not changed one iota in years.

Fatima Blush

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Stella Rigby

Manchester

Posted on 25 February 2008 15:23

Manchester Airport Terminal One - 10 oclock/evening 19.02.2008 return from Frankfurt - LH4858

Appalling wait at passport control. Only 4 officials on desks. Assured by address system that all staff were available. 1000s of passengers. It was like the United Nations.

I travel frequently to Germany and can accept these delays in the summer. February? What is it going to be like in August?

Somehow I do not think it will get any better and judging by the comments I have read will get worse before it begins to improve.

Stella Rigby from Lower Biddulph

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Richard Hodson

Manchester

Posted on 22 February 2008 01:05

At last I have arrived at MAN T1 to find the Iris machine working. I was amazed at how quickly it gave me access over the UK border.

The main problem is that you cannot see the machine (to determine whether it is working) from the back of the immigration queue. By the time you have walked up to check if Iris is functional the queue will be much longer if you find it not to be.

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Terry Blagden

Manchester

Posted on 21 February 2008 21:37

Returned to Manchester on Sunday morning with Continental Airlines. Dreadful queues at passport control. Several flights on the ground. Was advised by public announcement that all available staff were dealing with passengers. There were only a handful.

If this is what it is like in February 2008 what about the summer?

Terence Blagden
New Mills Derbys.

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Mrs W McGreavy

Manchester

Posted on 10 February 2008 19:51

The problem we had was with Thomson airlines check in. It was chaotic. We waited in the queue that said Thomson but when we looked again 10 mins later it had changed to Air Malta & we (along with about 20 other people) were told to move queues. We were instructed to go to a lady who would print off our boarding pass before waiting to get rid of our bags but she couldn't find us on their system so we had to queue without it but by the time we got to the check-in desk there were about 50 people behind us who had already had their boarding passes printed & as a result there were no seats together available - even though all these people had come AFTER us.

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