What services you are using?

[markietg]

Just flew up on the BA1344 LHR-LBA. I’d say about 70 onboard.

 

[jason1-11]

Just booked LHR – LBA (one way) during October half term for myself and my 2 cherubs for their continued Yorkshire indoctrination. Would have booked a return, but the Sunday flight back to Heathrow is scheduled far too early so on the train unfortunately.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Just booked 4 return 2019 flights to AGP with Jet2 up to November 2019, basically the same dates as this year, overall paid slightly less then the same 4 flights this year.
Would not consider Manchester, took 90 minutes to go through manchester customs three weeks ago for my son and family, on return son rang just before midnight to say on the way to passport control, I collected them at 2.10am.
On the drop off your given a maximum of 10 minutes (cost £4), by the time we found a trolley, taken out the push chair and tried to remove the car seat and base, base became stuck, our 10 minutes virtually gone.. Whilst my son trying to remove the base contacted a marshall, who just shrugged his shoulders and advised I would either get charged £25 more or be fined £50, in the end arrived at the barrier after 15 minutes, charged £29, nearly £2 a minute.
Have to say on the return paid £4 which gets you 30 minutes, no issues as my son rang when he was in the pick up zone, base in, seat in, children in, cases in, an away in 3 or 4 minutes.
Just fighting through customs with 3 children, enough reason for my son to decide, never again at manchester and unless he reads this he does not know about the £25 excess.

 

[White Heather]

Just booked 4 return 2019 flights to AGP with Jet2 up to November 2019, basically the same dates as this year, overall paid slightly less then the same 4 flights this year.
Would not consider Manchester, took 90 minutes to go through manchester customs three weeks ago for my son and family, on return son rang just before midnight to say on the way to passport control, I collected them at 2.10am.
On the drop off your given a maximum of 10 minutes (cost £4), by the time we found a trolley, taken out the push chair and tried to remove the car seat and base, base became stuck, our 10 minutes virtually gone.. Whilst my son trying to remove the base contacted a marshall, who just shrugged his shoulders and advised I would either get charged £25 more or be fined £50, in the end arrived at the barrier after 15 minutes, charged £29, nearly £2 a minute.
Have to say on the return paid £4 which gets you 30 minutes, no issues as my son rang when he was in the pick up zone, base in, seat in, children in, cases in, an away in 3 or 4 minutes.
Just fighting through customs with 3 children, enough reason for my son to decide, never again at manchester and unless he reads this he does not know about the £25 excess.

All of a sudden, the LBA drop off charge, with the option nearby of a free area, seems relatively good. I know many will object to paying any sort of drop off charge, but sadly there are few airports now that don't charge. Manchester's charges seem particularly harsh though, especially if you don't make the exit in 10 minutes. Last time I picked someone up there (my sister), I watched her Emirates A380 land from the viewing area, waited half an hour, then drove round to the terminal car park to pick her up. Big mistake - it was well over another hour before she got through customs and then I found the car park I was in was totally rammed. I was parked front in and the queue to get out was all the way around the car park, meaning I was blocked in. Nobody would allow me the space or time to reverse out, so we just had to sit there until it emptied and pay considerably more. Just to make life even more interesting, there was a serious accident on the M62 and the Motorway was closed. The queue on the motorway, then the diversion via Elland, Halifax and Bradford added over 2 hours to the return journey. Fly from Manchester? An absolute last resort.

 

[yorkguy]

Going out on the 07.00 Jet2 flight to AGP tomorrow morning. It’ll be interesting to see what the load is like given it’s the start of the school year for many. First year I haven’t been tied to school holidays so it’ll be a new experience. Not relishing making the 5am check-in, though the drive from Malton should be quiet

 

[2016 Bones]

Going out on the 07.00 Jet2 flight to AGP tomorrow morning. It’ll be interesting to see what the load is like given it’s the start of the school year for many. First year I haven’t been tied to school holidays so it’ll be a new experience. Not relishing making the 5am check-in, though the drive from Malton should be quiet

Last friday my partner dropped me off in the free drop off point at around 5am for the 7.15 Jet2 flight to Murcia...think there were just 4 seats free. Usual longish queue for check in, made more difficult because the conveyor belts were bust again. However I was through the check in & by using fast track I was sat downstairs by 5.45 am, which I thought was pretty good.Was bit concerned that my case, dropped off by myself at the check in area A, but not to worry it arrived at the other end.
Hopefully all will go well for her when she does the same thing herself tomorrow catching 7.15 to Murcia.

 

[2016 Bones]

Last week booked 2 Jet2 return flights to Almeria, Aug B/Hol weekend 2019. Good price, offered half price luggage & long leg seats....bonus, esp for me as I am 6'4".....noticed though it was still a 737-300 scheduled though.

 

[2016 Bones]

Had similar problrm to Tarn Spotter in July. Went to a family wedding/holiday to Zante. No input just had to go with the flow & block booking through TC & Manchester T1.. Never again will I use either TC or Man T1. First flight out, nowhere open to get food & drink in comfortable time, the TC flights were terrible (seen cattle better looked after) upon return just after lunch a week later over an hour to get through customs. Too many border staff busy with the 50 non EU arrivals compared to the near 1500 normal arrivals.....absolute shambles! From now on its to continue to support just LBA & Jet2......I might add ManT1 looks a very tired terminal.

 

[yorkguy]

Full Jet2 flight to AGP this morning. The airport was heaving. Jet2 check in hall was at capacity at 5am and queuing back as far as the arrivals doors. But with 15+ check in desks operational they were shifting people through efficiently. Similarly security had all channels open and loads of staff. So the wait was minimal even though there were large volumes of people. Seating was scarce so we waited in Starbucks which was busy but had space. LBA is getting pretty slick at dealing with that early morning surge when so many flights go out. The schools may be back but the summer is still in full swing at the airport. Great job today, LBA and Jet2

 

[White Heather]

It is funny how many people I have heard complain about the length of the check in queue at LBA, first thing. This includes my much travelled sister. I have often pointed out that given the large number of check in desks in there and the fact passengers can use any of them, the queue moves very quickly and the actual waiting time isn't usually as bad as one might think - except perhaps when the conveyor packs up - something that seems to be happening more often, although I suspect the next terminal development will provide new conveyors as well as the new enlarged check in hall. In my experience, it can take significantly longer to clear a queue at a dedicated check in desk for a flight than it does to get through the very crowded Check In Hall B at LBA at peak times - a fact my sister acknowledged this year when flying to Rome. It is fair to say she has gone from very negative to quite positive about the LBA experience and believe me when I say there aren't too many major airports she hasn't flown from across her career.

 

[paully]

Due to a very sad family bereavement we have had to change our late September holiday plans and cut a holiday in Fuerteventura a bit short. As a result we have got £29 seats with Ryanair out there and return as per the published programme. The very great upside is that we no longer have to face the unfolding horror of T3 Manchester going out..Even the worst of LBA has got to be better than a Manc T3 adventure..

 

[yorkguy]

Came in at midnight last night with Jet2 from AGP with over 180 other pax. Around 6 other flights were arriving within a tight window, and passport control & baggage reclaim were struggling a bit with the large volume of people. We waited 30 minutes for our belt to start, and I guess others waited longer. That’s a really busy time of night at LBA

 

[airforced]

Arrivals (Border Control and luggage handling) isn't very good at the best of times with the facilities currently in use but when there is a surge of arrivals at the same time it becomes quite horrendous and demonstrates that LBA is not fit for purpose. It also shows (if such were needed) that the terminal redevelpment and facilities overhaul is long overdue so let's hope they get their permissions and crack on with the work asap.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Arrivals (Border Control and luggage handling) isn't very good at the best of times with the facilities currently in use but when there is a surge of arrivals at the same time it becomes quite horrendous and demonstrates that LBA is not fit for purpose. It also shows (if such were needed) that the terminal redevelpment and facilities overhaul is long overdue so let's hope they get their permissions and crack on with the work asap.

My son after flying from manchester for many years and in July experiencing unacceptable delays especially through customs, pushed by his father flew out of LBA this month.
On returning (just after midnight) and exiting the airport 60 minutes after touch down, his reaction was to go home and book another family holiday out of LBA as compared to Manchester a delight.
From entering LBA terminal to sitting down for his first pint took 55 minutes, half the time to get through Manchester security and not the huge crowds and the pushing, unsettling for small children you experience. His return similarly the same, expected the baggage area to be packed as a number of flights had arrived and all belts in operation and even though his cases were virtually the last on the belt and my daughter in law in panic mode, still out the terminal in one hour.
It took me 5 minutes to drive in to pick up and collect him, cost £3, £29 at Manchester, dropping off the only negitive as driving rain and everyone got soaked before we reached the terminal, good thing is I had 30 minutes for the rain to pass, not the 10 minute rush at Manchester.
Overall he would give LBA high marks, yes its not perfect in any way, but it is far better then some other local airports. The only tongue in cheek comment was he thought he was turning in to his mother, as arriving at the Saltaire bar all the empty tables full of drinks etc, he had to go to the bar for a tray and cloth and clear a table, but carried on a cleared all the empty tables, as his mother would have done.
Even though he lives nearer Manchester airport, he wont consider a change back unless LBA get a lot worse then at present.

 

[KARFA]

From entering LBA terminal to sitting down for his first pint took 55 minutes...

That seems a very long time. Was most of that queuing to bag drop? I don't often check a bag, but other than that I rarely take more than 5-10 minutes from entering to being airside at LBA.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

That seems a very long time. Was most of that queuing to bag drop? I don't often check a bag, but other than that I rarely take more than 5-10 minutes from entering to being airside at LBA.

I think if you have a family this time not long.
Arriving at the terminal involved a 60 minute car journay, the children immediatley wanted the toilet which turned out to be in the opposite direction from the jet2 booking hall say 15 minutes, going to booking hall and dropping hold cases getting say 10 min, walk to security checking they have everything then going through security say 15 minutes, then locate lifts to upper floor hidden behind escalator, clear glasses from saltaire tables and obtain chairs for 5 people including baby chair, then queue for own drinks another 15 minutes. Total 55 minutes
Remember a Manchester terminal user, had no idea the terminal layout, where booking in desks, where toilets, where lifts or bars etc. I took him in to the terminal to the jet2 and dumped him, as I left children needed toilet, he was at the wrong end of the terminal. In addition going to the toilet with three children means at least two runs as one adult stays with the cases.
I thought the timings on the fast side to get through.

 

[paully]

Back out of LBA on the 1st October to Fuerteventura, only silly O clock this time (6.30am)..well it is for us, but we`ll be dashing through security to the first coffee port of call, mucho caffeine and a breakfast buttie of any sort..hopefully start to wake up by top of descent into FUE

 

[Gray Ham]

Just returned from a week’s holiday in Cornwall. Out on 7th Sep, return today. Flybe Embraer 195 both ways (LBA-NQY) almost completely full on both legs, definitely well beyond capacity of their175’s. One wonders why frequency and aircraft size appear to be reduced for next summer season, though in fairness schedule only available as yet up to early summer. Long time since I used Flybe and experience was positive

 

[Seasider]

Going to DUS on Tuesday (18th) for a couple of days at the airport. Advantage is with the timing of the flights I can travel across from the East Coast on the train - cheaper than 3 days car park.
It will be the first time, for a while, I have used the airport at a "busy time".

 

[AirBingley]

Travelled out on LS231 (14/9) and returned today on LS232 from Barcelona. We used the new meet and greet parking which worked very well. Arriving at LBA at 07.15 for an 08.40 departure, we hoped to miss the morning peak and indeed at check in we did - all Jet 2 desks manned and not a single other passenger in the check in hall B! Security was different story - queued past Check In Hall A but to be fair every scanner was open and we waited maybe 15 minutes. As ever the flight was called at 08.00 and we were sat awaiting doors closed just before 08.30. On the return the turnaround at BCN never seems a s smooth, either slower handing agents, or a long taxi despite the inbound being early - there always seems to be something but we finally took off about 35 minutes late and arrived 10 minutes late with a very bumpy landing. The queue at passport was back to the windows of the cafe and it wa s little slower as there was an international football team many of whom were not EU citizens on board - Jet2 didn't do Landing Cards, however 45 minutes after landing we were in the car on the way home so still pretty good!

Both flights had only a handful of spare seats and given that 2 years ago there were upto 9 flights a week (now only 4) with 3 operators there must be some scope to increase capacity on this route!