Using Leeds Bradford Airport Questions & Reviews

[LBA4EVER]

There are no easyJet staff at Leeds. They're Swissport staff in disguise!

The length of your flight might be only 40 minutes but if there's are a few arrivals, you can expect to take anywhere up to an hour to get out of the terminal, and it can take a lot longer than that at bigger, busier airports such as MAN

At least you know the situation at LBA will improve when the extension is a built and open . At present they have to hold passengers back, in the aircraft sometimes, , to maintain control of numbers in the terminal, which also delays boarding of the outbound flight. Not good all round, but better than queuing out if the door or having far too many in the baggage re-claim area.

You mean things might get better once the extension is built around 2045 with the ways things are going haha Joking!

 

[The Pole]

There are no easyJet staff at Leeds. They're Swissport staff in disguise!

The length of your flight might be only 40 minutes but if there's are a few arrivals, you can expect to take anywhere up to an hour to get out of the terminal, and it can take a lot longer than that at bigger, busier airports such as MAN

At least you know the situation at LBA will improve when the extension is a built and open . At present they have to hold passengers back, in the aircraft sometimes, , to maintain control of numbers in the terminal, which also delays boarding of the outbound flight. Not good all round, but better than queuing out if the door or having far too many in the baggage re-claim area.

Thanks for the response WH
However I don't think it was busy we were a domestic arrival. (Did we really need a bus when we could have walked quicker? As they did when we left on 23/13) Slightly early arrival and high winds may have contributed that was taken into account before I posted. We got off and bags where there as I got to the baggage claim, to be fair its not good. And I don't fly from anywhere other than LBA.

 

[White Heather]

Thanks for the response WH
However I don't think it was busy we were a domestic arrival. (Did we really need a bus when we could have walked quicker? As they did when we left on 23/13) Slightly early arrival and high winds may have contributed that was taken into account before I posted. We got off and bags where there as I got to the baggage claim, to be fair its not good. And I don't fly from anywhere other than LBA.

The bus may well have been the problem. They are used not only to transport of pax to the terminal, often for safety reasons, but be also to control the flow of of passengers into the terminal. If there is was a delay in the bus turning up, that could be the result of the ongoing staff shortages within Swissport .

 

[752]

Looks like LBA are pushing for some reviews on trust pilot - if anyone has a few minutes to write one: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/lbia.co.uk

 

[HX3]

Experience today was spot on- check in and security straight through. Boarded via gate 3 and the air bridge on 7. At security there was a neuro-diverse child and the team lead personally talked her through the process, really professional and calm. Bit of drama there was a shop lifter - not on a Wizz flight btw, she was going to Amsterdam. She became hysterical and bolted through gate 3 security doors and knocked one of those separating posts flying, that proceeded to whack the back of a person in a wheelchair. I didn’t see the rest but I saw a friend in the terminal at Alicante and she said that the person had been arrested- all v dramatic. Flight down to Alicante was good but very windy on landing- very similar to a typical LBA one Same again at Alc, cattle queue for British passports only. Fortunately, I was through with my scandipass in 30 secs.

 

[Seasider]

Passed thro' the Airport at lunch time today. Security 10 mins but there were only 6 people after me. Plenty of places to sit, Buzz and Wizz boarding + Ryan to AGP. Watching the arrivals at AGP from my room window but dark. Good all fliradar.

 

[White Heather]

I think there are a lot of people being unfair with their reviews on TrustPilot. I don't know they expect from a small regional airport. I tried to leave a glowing review yesterday but their server was so slow at the time I gave up. Granted it would've been slightly out of date but haha.

The problem with these review sites is it's far too easy to post a completely fictitious bad experience with the intention of giving the airport (any airport) a poor reputation. I wouldn't trust any of them as being genuine. I can certainly think of plenty of folk with an incentive to post negative reviews about LBA to suit their own agendas!!

 

[HX3]

The only area where I think there could be a good chance for improvement, would be a central area for passengers needing mobility support. Obviously, it would need to be accessed after people have the opportunity to eat and drink, so that the is no reduction of airport experience. But once people are ready, rather than gathering at multiple gate areas, the mobility staff could do loading from a central point. Again I saw a lot of interaction with people in various wheelchairs today, some totally immobile and others just needing some additional support, the guys were friendly and courteous, greeted each with their name and made no assumptions on support, asking open questions. I was pretty impressed, but the volume of wheelchairs around the gate was part of the issue when the shoplifter went off on one, it was very lucky that no one in a chair and including her, or her child were hurt.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

The problem with these review sites is it's far too easy to post a completely fictitious bad experience with the intention of giving the airport (any airport) a poor reputation. I wouldn't trust any of them as being genuine. I can certainly think of plenty of folk with an incentive to post negative reviews about LBA to suit their own agendas!!

I also think that people who have had a bad experience are far more likely to write reviews than those who've had a good experience. It seems almost human nature to want to complain, rather than praise.
Take two possible scenarios. -
The first, someone has a considerable flight delay, security/baggage reclaim is very slow and staff/flight crew are impolite/unfriendly.
The second, everything runs seamlessly. The flight is on time, security/baggage reclaim is quick and efficient. The staff/flight crew are courteous and friendly and the traveller arrives at home/destination in a short time after landing.
You can almost guarantee that it will be those who have has the bad experience who will want to vent their anger, rather than those who have had a good experience will want to praise (although there are some good people who will pass on their appreciation).

 

[752]

Manchester airport overall reviews are lower, hopefully they can get some more positive ones to bump up the score

 

[Seasider]

When I flew back last night (pleased to land without any problem) we were told that there would be a delay of 5 mins max for the buses as they had been seeing to an ALC flight. The wait was 12 mins and when boarding the bus I had to "fight" my way to get on (people standing in doorway) to find loads of seats empty at the rear.
Apart from that, everything was fine.

 

[HX3]

Arrived back at LBA today. 30 minutes from doors opening to sentinel car park, which I think is very good going. Immigration was very quick, bags took maybe 5-10 minutes max. The most irritating thing was listening to the noise of the ancient carousel. Overall, I was pretty happy with the LBA experience

 

[Easy289]

The sooner that baggage reclaim hall is consigned to history, the better. Embarrassing facility as is domestic baggage reclaim.

 

[Bhowani]

LBA/AMS/OSL/AMS/LBA over the last weekend using our only "link" hub. (Sorry but I never want to go West!) All 4 flights rammed (190/737/190/190) with the LBA terminal coping nicely at 0410 when I arrived, the mid morning KLM not running. I see todays mid-morning KLM has been canned too. Sad that Smiths newsagent were not expecting a paper delivery until after 0800 but it's franchise I suppose, though. It is no good yearning for the BA days of yore when the first flight to LHR greeted you with a Yorkshire Post at the Viscount's door. Return from OSL was delayed as Schipol was only running one one runway, so 30 mins late, and an interesting landing and waiting on a taxiway as Schipol had no stand to offer us. HUGE building works going on for new Pier B. Arrival at LBA delayed a little by KLM engineer checking something on plane at AMS, and, of course the inevitable15 mins wait for Swissport to find a flight of steps for us, the airbridges being u/s as we all know. But home for tea, just in ,which for this 76 year old ex-mariner is a big plus. 8/10!

 

[White Heather]

LBA/AMS/OSL/AMS/LBA over the last weekend using our only "link" hub. (Sorry but I never want to go West!) All 4 flights rammed (190/737/190/190) with the LBA terminal coping nicely at 0410 when I arrived, the mid morning KLM not running. I see todays mid-morning KLM has been canned too. Sad that Smiths newsagent were not expecting a paper delivery until after 0800 but it's franchise I suppose, though. It is no good yearning for the BA days of yore when the first flight to LHR greeted you with a Yorkshire Post at the Viscount's door. Return from OSL was delayed as Schipol was only running one one runway, so 30 mins late, and an interesting landing and waiting on a taxiway as Schipol had no stand to offer us. HUGE building works going on for new Pier B. Arrival at LBA delayed a little by KLM engineer checking something on plane at AMS, and, of course the inevitable15 mins wait for Swissport to find a flight of steps for us, the airbridges being u/s as we all know. But home for tea, just in ,which for this 76 year old ex-mariner is a big plus. 8/10!

Bhowani, only air bridge 8 is broken (again). Air bridge 7 is operational - but KLM are no longer using it.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Presumably they use both stands but just don't connect the airbriges?

 

[White Heather]

Presumably they use both stands but just don't connect the airbriges?

Yes. They don't connect 8 as it's broken. They do connect 7, usually to Jet2 now that KLM don't use it.

 

[a300boy]

We used the airbridge on stand 7 last friday night on our return from Tenerife on B738 G-JZHX and entered the one hour queue through immigration behind the first Wizz Air arrival just before us.
I noted the queue went all the way down as far as I could see behind us when another Wizz Air arrived plus a Jet 2. Too many flights and not enough immigration staff but that has been going on for as long as I can remember. Picked our bags up and walked home via the tunnel as no taxis available.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

We used the airbridge on stand 7 last friday night on out return from Tenerife on B738 G-JZHX and entered the one hour queue through immigration behind the first Wizz Air arrival just before us.
I noted the queue went all the way down as far as I could see behind us when another Wizz Air arrived plus a Jet 2. Too many flights and not enough immigration staff but that has been going on for as long as I can remember. Picked our bags up and walked home via the tunnel as no taxis available.

Thats a pretty poor passenger experience. The airport need to get their act together.

 

[Aviador]

I actually disagree to an extent. If you're transiting through a larger airport they will have you walking much further before you reach immigration allowing the queue from previous flights to clear before you get there. I'm not saying things are perfect but the terminal can't be transformed overnight. As for staffing levels at immigration, it is out of LBAs hands as @White Heather and I have mentioned many times previously.