Is Manchester airport the worst in Europe?

55yr old teenager said:
Went there at 3.30 this morning to pick up some friends. What a nightmare. There was a traffic jam to get into the arrivals car park. Talk about unorganised chaos doesn't begin to cover it. Spent nearly an hour getting in there picking them up then queuing again to get back out. Will not be doing that again anytime soon.
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used to pick up years back in the early hours and wait on the airport hotel car park,then when the phone call came picked up at T1 Departures or the petrol station
 
rickmcfc said:
Can anyone help, I feel like I’m being a complete idiot even asking this. I need to park at Manchester airport from 4pm tomorrow until the early hours of Sunday morning. I’ve been on the website and all the parking companies, and there is zero availability. Now I find this rather hard to believe that an international airport, at the arse end of September doesn’t have any parking! I can’t get dropped off, taxi isn’t really an option either, what other options do I have?
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Taxi to train station, then train to the airport.
 
marco said:
used to pick up years back in the early hours and wait on the airport hotel car park,then when the phone call came picked up at T1 Departures or the petrol station
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Same here, arrivals was to be avoided, those hectors were bastards, they knew we were just doing a job and wanted to get moving as soon as possible but they wouldn't give you 2 minutes to find your punter. Like you I used to wait at either the Airport Hotel or over near Etrop Grange and collect from the petrol station.

These days I struggle to keep my bearings when I use the airport, everywhere looks the same and all I'm interested in is getting on and off that fucking plane and enjoying some sun on my shoulders. I much preferred it when it was Ringway, if you wanted to see someone off, which a lot of people did back then, you could just rock up, walk straight in from the covered carpark, through the swanky space age automatic doors, down the ramp, under the dust covered chandeliers and you got to the viewing/waiting area with a panoramic view of the airfield from behind the glass, a few rows of comfy chairs to slouch in. Mind you there was probably no more than a couple of dozen flights a day, if that. I've no idea how many flights there are these days but judging by the traffic that passes over us on their approach it's a lot.
.1663885421176.jpeg
 
nw42 said:
Same here, arrivals was to be avoided, those hectors were bastards, they knew we were just doing a job and wanted to get moving as soon as possible but they wouldn't give you 2 minutes to find your punter. Like you I used to wait at either the Airport Hotel or over near Etrop Grange and collect from the petrol station.

These days I struggle to keep my bearings when I use the airport, everywhere looks the same and all I'm interested in is getting on and off that fucking plane and enjoying some sun on my shoulders. I much preferred it when it was Ringway, if you wanted to see someone off, which a lot of people did back then, you could just rock up, walk straight in from the covered carpark, through the swanky space age automatic doors, down the ramp, under the dust covered chandeliers and you got to the viewing/waiting area with a panoramic view of the airfield from behind the glass, a few rows of comfy chairs to slouch in. Mind you there was probably no more than a couple of dozen flights a day, if that. I've no idea how many flights there are these days but judging by the traffic that passes over us on their approach it's a lot.
.View attachment 56418
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My Grandad installed those
Chandeliers.
 
55yr old teenager said:
Went there at 3.30 this morning to pick up some friends. What a nightmare. There was a traffic jam to get into the arrivals car park. Talk about unorganised chaos doesn't begin to cover it. Spent nearly an hour getting in there picking them up then queuing again to get back out. Will not be doing that again anytime soon.
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Must be very, very good friends..
 
I'll be in Rome next April and was considering a trip over to the UK (M/CR). This thread has put me right off doing that :)
And I'm not flying into fucking London, those airports do my head in.
 
Apparently it’s just fine after 10am bit still absolute chaos for the 6.30am to 9am flights, all to do with security staff
They offered every bouncer and supermarket security dickhead in Manchester double their money, as long as they had an SIA badge, to help cut down queues and training time
Sadly many of these rubes and gimps have been found wanting and unfit for purpose, which tbh says a lot about the value of an SIA badge
Knock on effect on the likes of Showsec, City and united have found it really hard to get stewards this year.
 
Just 1 observation.

Terminal 1. Mens toilet. Amongst other things. The toilet door was propped up against the wall outside the toilet cubicle. Not on, hanging off, but off and against the wall. Apart from that the toilets were a f*cking disgrace!

Fast flight to Munich Airport there and back. The toilets were that clean I would eat my breakfast, dinner, and tea in them.
 
Barcon said:
Worst airport in Europe? Luxury.
Try living in the City with the worst airport in the world (official).
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Never seen a bag pile like it on arrivals, and this was 4 years ago. Was only a couple of hours wait. Outbound with the ipad beer ordering though, I'll take it.
 
nw42 said:
Same here, arrivals was to be avoided, those hectors were bastards, they knew we were just doing a job and wanted to get moving as soon as possible but they wouldn't give you 2 minutes to find your punter. Like you I used to wait at either the Airport Hotel or over near Etrop Grange and collect from the petrol station.

These days I struggle to keep my bearings when I use the airport, everywhere looks the same and all I'm interested in is getting on and off that fucking plane and enjoying some sun on my shoulders. I much preferred it when it was Ringway, if you wanted to see someone off, which a lot of people did back then, you could just rock up, walk straight in from the covered carpark, through the swanky space age automatic doors, down the ramp, under the dust covered chandeliers and you got to the viewing/waiting area with a panoramic view of the airfield from behind the glass, a few rows of comfy chairs to slouch in. Mind you there was probably no more than a couple of dozen flights a day, if that. I've no idea how many flights there are these days but judging by the traffic that passes over us on their approach it's a lot.
.View attachment 56418
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Or you could pay 10/20p and go on top of the terminals with the plane spotter's.

What a wonderful safe world it was as a kid.
 
Was there a big stained glass "window" at the end of one of the terminals, it was depicting what the parachute trainees saw during their war training.
Or am I making things up again?
 
I was at a seminar yesterday with the MAG construction leaders.

They are investing £1.5 billion over the next several years

The hope/ plans are to :
Both runways are beyond their design life and are being resurfaced
Lots of airfield taxi ways ditto
Terminal 2 will get a new pier to mirror image the new pier 1
Terminal 2 will be adapted to take the A380
Terminal 2 will become the new main terminal
Terminal 1 services infrastructure is knackered and will restrict future operations
Terminal 3 is getting an extension for security and baggage reclaim

Top priority was for staff recruitment and baggage handling which is well on with.
MAG ( 3 airports) are back at 85% pre pandemic passengers and they all need to grow the numbers to remain sustainable.

They are aware of their shortcomings and are trying to address them prior to HS2 /car parking expansions.
 
blue b4 the moon said:
Or you could pay 10/20p and go on top of the terminals with the plane spotter's.

What a wonderful safe world it was as a kid.
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In about 1986 me n pals used to go the airport for the day. Not plane spotting, just pissing about. It seemed no where was off limits. Would be going through all sorts of doors, behind walls, mental really that we had so much access
 
rickmcfc said:
Can anyone help, I feel like I’m being a complete idiot even asking this. I need to park at Manchester airport from 4pm tomorrow until the early hours of Sunday morning. I’ve been on the website and all the parking companies, and there is zero availability. Now I find this rather hard to believe that an international airport, at the arse end of September doesn’t have any parking! I can’t get dropped off, taxi isn’t really an option either, what other options do I have?
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Get the JustPark app that lets you park on someone's drive. Loads of availability in, for example, Heald Green for £15 to £30. Then another few quid to the airport by taxi, or even on a bus.
 
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