bhouse Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 3 hours ago, Alpha Delta 210 said: Stansted Airport encourages drop-offs at the Mid-Stay car park, which is free of charge for up to one hour, but means that you need to catch a courtesy bus to the Terminal. The last time I used the 'courtesy' bus, I finally arrived in the terminal about 45 minutes after being dropped off in the mid-stay car park. My return from the terminal to the same car park took over an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinbear Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 20 hours ago, Alpha Delta 210 said: Stansted Airport encourages drop-offs at the Mid-Stay car park, which is free of charge for up to one hour, but means that you need to catch a courtesy bus to the Terminal. The so-called Express Set-Down in front of the Terminal is £4 for 10 minutes and then £1 for each additional minute..... £4 for ten minutes and then £1 for each additional minute?? Shows how long it is since I flew from Stansted. This combined with the comments about Stansted in general provides all the encouragement I need not to use the airport! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinbear Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 17 hours ago, bhouse said: The last time I used the 'courtesy' bus, I finally arrived in the terminal about 45 minutes after being dropped off in the mid-stay car park. My return from the terminal to the same car park took over an hour. The perfect way to encourage passengers to use the service. Not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR2Don Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Sothend! Back from Faro last September, we touched down at 12:30 and we were at the bus stop for Chelmsford by 12:55, including picking up checked bag! Mind you, that was before Ryanair turned up, might be a bit busier now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albeback52 Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 (edited) Never been to C D G so I cannot comment. However, Edinburgh is pretty bad and, deteriorating ! Terminal not very well laid out, overcrowded,inefficient check ins/departure gates usually noted for the large crowds milling around aimlessly and in confusion....... Single terminal is simply not keeping up with increasing demand at what is now Scotland's busiest airport. Probably best thing about the airport is excellent 24 hour public transport that will get you away from the place! Allan Edited July 23, 2019 by Albeback52 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selwyn Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 Obviously none of you have never been to Jeddah airport, brings the term "dump" to another level! Selwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camper1 Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 28 minutes ago, Selwyn said: brings the term "dump" to another level! Hasn't changed much since the 80s then Riyadh airport in the 80s was much the same, the only good thing was our villa was just next to the landing lights and you had frequent approaches by F15s and F5s and also the based C130s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 10 hours ago, Albeback52 said: Probably best thing about the airport is excellent 24 hour public transport that will get you away from the place At a 100%+ premium! Bliddy thieves! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul821 Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 On 7/6/2019 at 7:41 PM, pigsty said: Perhaps it would be easier if we asked whether there's a single airport in the civilised world that's bearable. I would nominate Norwich. A couple of years ago my wife and I wanted to go to the South West of England without driving. It was cheaper for us to drive 2 hours to Norwich, park at the airport, and fly to Exeter, than a taxi from home and train via London. Long stay car park close to terminal, limited but docent facilities at airport, short check in. Exeter wasn't too bad. Norwich today reminds me of when I first knew Stanstead (1960's). I spent over 25 years flying in the UK on business and the experience got worse at every airport for reasons other have noted Most railway stations have gone the same way in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albeback52 Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 2 hours ago, pigsty said: At a 100%+ premium! Bliddy thieves! Not a problem mate! I'm 61 and I've got my Scottish Concessions Card! Free bus travel for me! 😂. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 Not sure I've been to any aiport anywhere in the World where I had a particularly pleasant experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albeback52 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 On 7/23/2019 at 7:12 PM, pigsty said: At a 100%+ premium! Bliddy thieves! Even worse now mate! Lothian Buses have just introduced shiny new buses on the service 100 route and, are ripping passengers off to the tune of £2.50 (as compared to the normal adult single flat fare of £1.70) for the privilege of using the service 100 within the city boundary. Apparently, too many of us unwashed plebs are using the service as it's the quickest (and most frequent) bus from the city centre heading west!! Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 One of the worst I've been to is Washington Dulles, when you arrive you have to use those stupid people movers to get from the arriving stand to immigration where you then stand for hours in a queue. Atlanta-Hartsfield used to be bad, when you arrived you cleared immigration/customs collected your bag then re-checked it, took a train from one end of the airport to the other and then had to collect your bag again! It used to take 90 mins just to get out of the airport, it was like landing at Heathrow then getting your luggage from Gatwick. Lagos Airport is also a contender. I've found Jeddah airport OK although I do have a slightly different experience going through it as a flight attendant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EwenS Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 McCarran International in Las Vegas. After travelling for the best part of a day to get there, sun going down, looking forward to a good nights kip, you get off the plane to face the noise and flashing lights of dozens of slot machines! The gambling starts there. It’s another world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted July 30, 2019 Share Posted July 30, 2019 Orlando. We went to D*s*e*l*n* three years ago. On the bus back to the airport at the end of our stay the on-coach video was extolling the virtues of the airport’s restaurants, shopping, art installations and God-knows-what-else. We arrived at check-in three hours before our flight: 45 minutes later we reached the head of the queue and checked in. Once checked in we wandered round the corner to find a further queue, also of 45 minutes duration, for Security so, after a quick loo stop and liquids top up, we joined this queue and, eventually cleared security, only to have to join another queue to go through more security checks. Once clear of this lot we then had to join another, shorter, queue for the rail transit to the terminal where our iron bird awaited us. By the time we got there our flight had been called for boarding so after, guess what, queueing again, we had a rushed Burglar King grot burger and then to join the final queue to board. Shopping? Restaurants? Art? No time for that lot! Just to rub salt in it the flight was delayed by nearly three hours as the airline had overbooked and six intending passengers and their baggage had to be located and offloaded. Please don’t get the wrong impression from my rant: I’m as much in favour of security as anyone else who doesn’t want to be hijacked, shot or blown up by some religious fanatic, politico-environmentalist, homicidal fundamentalist fruit-loop (other types of fruit-loops are available) but resource it properly if you want people to spend money in your airport rather than queue for ages admiring the cracks in the plasterwork and cobwebs in the corners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinbear Posted July 31, 2019 Share Posted July 31, 2019 I suspect one's experience of travelling thought an airport is partially dependent on how busy it is. London City Airport used to be great to fly in and out of as it so small and efficient but on my last visit (admittedly six years ago) it was so busy with long queues for security that it had become like any other busy airport. On my last couple of aircraft trips to Japan I found Heathrow T4 to be remarkably quiet with no queues to speak of at check-in or security in contrast to Gatwick which is increasingly zoo like as it has become so busy. I found Narita on the return trip to be a relatively pleasant experience. My most recent experience of flying into the US was arriving at Atlanta last August and leaving from JFK and both were poor. I find it odd for such a service orientated country that the travelling experience through its airports is so grim but that I think that reflects a well known consistent lack of investment combined with growing demand. The reality is that the only truly pleasant way of travelling is via private jet through a VIP terminal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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