Birmingham Airport - Retail and Food & Drink Outlets Thread

[Paulsstrange]

Do we know if/when the planned airside departure lounge expansion may restart ?

 

[pianokeys]

Preparations for the front of terminal remodelling continues. The existing Travelex Currency Exchange looks about to close, with a new smaller pop-up facility immediately in front of the Air India desk a hive of activity this afternoon as final touches were applied.

 

[Onlinespeedy]

The Burger King and Next units airside are currently closed for refurbishment. Rituals has closed permanently it seems as the entire concession is gone.

 

[Timberwolf]

Do we know if/when the planned airside departure lounge expansion may restart ?

Not heard of any restart date for this extension. The longer they leave it the more it will cost, re inflation.
However our passenger figures are below 2019s.So suspect when they get above those figures they will look to restart.
They are currently having to concentrate on phase 1 of the new security facilities required under new govt legislation front of the terminal
Also currently realigning stands 10-16 to get larger planes in for Jet 2up to A321 size.That work should finish start of April.
Then the stands the other side of old Eurotub 1-7 should follow next winter..maybe..

 

[SolihullSpotter]

The Burger King and Next units airside are currently closed for refurbishment. Rituals has closed permanently it seems as the entire concession is gone.

The next concession isn’t reopening. As “Next” anyway.
Also Costa Coffee in the North departure lounge is to permanently close end of this month.

 

[Onlinespeedy]

The next concession isn’t reopening. As “Next” anyway.
Also Costa Coffee in the North departure lounge is to permanently close end of this month.

Ah right, It said on the hoardings that it was a refurbishment so I just assumed. Looking forward to seeing what's opening in it's place. Interesting to hear that the costa is closing? It's a really big one, is it moving?

 

[SolihullSpotter]

Ah right, It said on the hoardings that it was a refurbishment so I just assumed. Looking forward to seeing what's opening in it's place. Interesting to hear that the costa is closing? It's a really big one, is it moving?

From what I’ve been told Next will be split down the middle and half taken for a larger JD store and the other half a larger WHSmiths.

Costa Coffee - No I believe it is closing permanently and will reopen as a Starbucks franchise by SSP. All the airport colleagues/crew I know who use the Costa concessions aren’t keen on Starbucks (amazing cold drinks, but for coffee…. not great) They’re thankful the Costa Coffee in the South Lounge and Arrivals hall is staying. They will continue to use the other Costas and the staff in the North Departures are actively making the airport staff aware that these 2 concessions aren’t also closing

Ah right, It said on the hoardings that it was a refurbishment so I just assumed. Looking forward to seeing what's opening in it's place. Interesting to hear that the costa is closing? It's a really big one, is it moving?

From what I’ve been told Next will be split down the middle and half taken for a larger JD store and the other half a larger WHSmiths.

Costa Coffee - No I believe it is closing permanently and will reopen as Starbucks franchise by SSP. All the airport colleagues I know who use the Costa concessions aren’t keen on Starbucks (amazing cold drinks but for coffee…. not great)

 

[Onlinespeedy]

From what I’ve been told Next will be split down the middle and half taken for a larger JD store and the other half a larger WHSmiths.

Costa Coffee - No I believe it is closing permanently and will reopen as a Starbucks franchise by SSP. All the airport colleagues/crew I know who use the Costa concessions aren’t keen on Starbucks (amazing cold drinks, but for coffee…. not great) They’re thankful the Costa Coffee in the South Lounge and Arrivals hall is staying. They will continue to use the other Costas and the staff in the North Departures are actively making the airport staff aware that these 2 concessions aren’t also closing



From what I’ve been told Next will be split down the middle and half taken for a larger JD store and the other half a larger WHSmiths.

Costa Coffee - No I believe it is closing permanently and will reopen as Starbucks franchise by SSP. All the airport colleagues I know who use the Costa concessions aren’t keen on Starbucks (amazing cold drinks but for coffee…. not great)

I always wondered why there was never a Starbucks in the airport, I personally don’t understand why they are putting it there because as you said that costa is quite well loved! Glad the others are staying.

If the WHSmith is growing in size does this mean that the corridor to the toilets and no.1 lounge next to the current smiths and will be moved?

 

[SolihullSpotter]

Because money talks..

Yes, I believe the corridor will be moved to go behind the new WHSmiths to the No.1 lounge and toilets. I think the entrance to the corridor will be as you enter the little incline towards gates 40-68.

Might just be me, but I find the timing of all this activity quite strange. I understand concessions have contracts until a certain point but it’s surely not in the airports best interests to have things closing end of February and March and potentially not have them reopening under new guises for many months, when the summer seasons kicks off beginning of April. To me would have made more sense carrying out work over the quiet winter months.

Take the work being done over at Gates 10-16. Works barely started, from what I can see workers are only seen on site Mon-Fri 9-5. These gates could have surely been realigned over the quiet Nov-March period and not Mar-June when they’ll be needed

 

[Onlinespeedy]

Because money talks..

Yes, I believe the corridor will be moved to go behind the new WHSmiths to the No.1 lounge and toilets. I think the entrance to the corridor will be as you enter the little incline towards gates 40-68.

Might just be me, but I find the timing of all this activity quite strange. I understand concessions have contracts until a certain point but it’s surely not in the airports best interests to have things closing end of February and March and potentially not have them reopening under new guises for many months, when the summer seasons kicks off beginning of April. To me would have made more sense carrying out work over the quiet winter months.

Take the work being done over at Gates 10-16. Works barely started, from what I can see workers are only seen on site Mon-Fri 9-5. These gates could have surely been realigned over the quiet Nov-March period and not Mar-June when they’ll be needed

Just found out the WHSmith's will be closed for a round 10 weeks so about 2 and a half months which takes that well into the summer season. WHSmith was meant to move to the new north departure lounge extension which makes me think what's happening with that now this is happening.

I totally agree, I don't understand why they are doing all this now, I think they must know something we don't... Or it's just poor planning. While they are at it they could fix the air conditioning in the departure lounge, it's sizzling in there during summer

There's also that tiny unit that was occupied by The Watch Collection which has been vacant for well over a year now, from what I heard a shoe outlet was supposed to take that space back in Oct/Nov but that never happened.

 

[Scania1800]

Just found out the WHSmith's will be closed for a round 10 weeks so about 2 and a half months which takes that well into the summer season. WHSmith was meant to move to the new north departure lounge extension which makes me think what's happening with that now this is happening.

I totally agree, I don't understand why they are doing all this now, I think they must know something we don't... Or it's just poor planning. While they are at it they could fix the air conditioning in the departure lounge, it's sizzling in there during summer

There's also that tiny unit that was occupied by The Watch Collection which has been vacant for well over a year now, from what I heard a shoe outlet was supposed to take that space back in Oct/Nov but that never happened.

Don’t think the Ryanair and EasyJet fliers will be happy

 

[Timberwolf]

Take the work being done over at Gates 10-16. Works barely started, from what I can see workers are only seen on site Mon-Fri 9-5. These gates could have surely been realigned over the quiet Nov-March period and not Mar-June when they’ll be needed

I was very surprised to see 2 diggers and small dumpers trucks working by gates 12 and 13 at 3.30pm on Saturday.
Assume they are digging out channels in preparation of larger APU installations and extended stand lighting ?.
The NOTAM shows work should be completed end of March..

 

[SolihullSpotter]

I was very surprised to see 2 diggers and small dumpers trucks working by gates 12 and 13 at 3.30pm on Saturday.
Assume they are digging out channels in preparation of larger APU installations and extended stand lighting ?.
The NOTAM shows work should be completed end of March..

Hopefully the end date of 23/03/31 is a typo

 

[Timberwolf]

This is BHX.. abandoned the NCP 7 work again !

 

[Coathanger16]

The stands that are being reconfigured are ones that can only fit Loganair/Eastern sized aircraft and there are more than enough for those airlines. It may have been a case that when Flybe 2 went under, these works were moved forward.

23/03/31

Read in reverse that is 31st March 2023.

 

[Timberwolf]

The stands that are being reconfigured are ones that can only fit Loganair/Eastern sized aircraft and there are more than enough for those airlines. It may have been a case that when Flybe 2 went under, these works were moved forward.



Read in reverse that is 31st March 2023.

No, in the masterplan rollout in 2018 it states the stands would be reconfiguered within 5 years.So that fits with 2023.
The other side should be done next winter 2023/4.

 

[Coathanger16]

in 2018

A little something called a global pandemic happened between then and now though...

 

[Timberwolf]

A little something called a global pandemic happened between then and now though...

They are doing the work they promised to do within the time they set in 2018 irrespective of COVID ??

 

[Coathanger16]

My point was the "within 5 years" of 2018 likely isn't accurate anymore, so just because its being completed within that timeframe, doesn't mean the planned works haven't been moved forward.

 

[SolihullSpotter]

My point was the "within 5 years" of 2018 likely isn't accurate anymore, so just because its being completed within that timeframe, doesn't mean the planned works haven't been moved forward.

It’s my understanding that the work being done around the Eurohub is mainly to accommodate the entire operation of Jet2, whilst it mentioned in the 2018 Masterplan, I don’t think back then anyone would have envisaged Flybe 1 going under and no one would have predicted Jet2 having potentially their own terminal at BHX.
So whilst the work is being done within the 5 year time frame stated, the reason for it being done has very likely changed. It’s my opinion that work is being done now out of necessity of needing to move Jet2 over there. If it wasn’t for this I doubt work would have started on these gates as soon as it has.

Regardless of this, I am sure the retail outlets in the Eurohub are counting down the days until the terminal has some real passenger throughput