Using Birmingham Airport (Questions & Reviews)

[Brum X]

And may I ask was the escalator out of use from the arrivals section of the pier down to the immigration hall ?

95% confident that is was out of use but just hoping that 5% of me was wrong ?????????

I am praying to the gods, loooooooooooooool

 

[Ray Finkle]

And may I ask was the escalator out of use from the arrivals section of the pier down to the immigration hall ?

95% confident that is was out of use but just hoping that 5% of me was wrong ?????????

I am praying to the gods, loooooooooooooool

Out of use

Even though it was very quiet when we arrived today.

I can't remember the last time I saw it running.

 

[rollo]

To be honest it's probably rusted up.

 

[tompo]

Great news! I am now really looking forward to arriving at BHX next month from BNE. My choice of stopovers; SIN, DXB and IST will allow me lots of opportunity to experience some comparative facility sampling. You never know, I may be pleasantly surprised at having to climb down stairs irregularly designed for transporting stationary humans.

 

[HPsauce]

I travel through BHX regularly by bus, and am always appalled by the amount of litter and debris as you approach from the Elmdon side. Today it seemed particularly bad.
This gives a poor image to passengers travelling from here.
Some of the offending items have been in situ for an awful long time ( including broken traffic cones, for example).
Surely a joint effort by BHX and Solihull Council could put this right ?.

 

[richard winterbourn]

A general question about checking in at Birmingham.

On September 16 I am booked on the 6am flight to Amsterdam and then transitting onto the midday flight to Rio de Janeiro.

I am travelling to the airport by train and was thinking of taking the last train arriving at 2330.

The question is, will I be able to pass through security at that time of night or will I have to wait until 4am for security to open?

I am travelling with hand luggage only so, having already checked-in for my flight, i do not need to visit the KLM desk.

Taking a hotel room is not an option as I would have to be up by about 3.15am

Any suggestions?

 

[Brummiegem]

A general question about checking in at Birmingham.

On September 16 I am booked on the 6am flight to Amsterdam and then transitting onto the midday flight to Rio de Janeiro.

I am travelling to the airport by train and was thinking of taking the last train arriving at 2330.

The question is, will I be able to pass through security at that time of night or will I have to wait until 4am for security to open?

I am travelling with hand luggage only so, having already checked-in for my flight, i do not need to visit the KLM desk.

Taking a hotel room is not an option as I would have to be up by about 3.15am

Any suggestions?

Easy answer is no. Chances are,security will already be closed.It closes as soon as last flight passengers are through.Not sure of the departure time of the last flight on that day,Richard,but passengers on flights the following morning are rarely allowed to go airside overnight.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Any suggestions?

I believe Costa in arrivals is open 24 hours so maybe a coffee and a book until 03:00 when security opens?

 

[richard winterbourn]

Thanks all. Realising that security does actually open at 0300 eases matters.

So providing I have checked in online the day before, I should be able to get from security to the KLM gate in two hours...

Now, a cautionary tale for those who take food abroad in hand luggage.

I am often visiting my other home in Portugal and have long been in the habit of taking frozen meat with me. But last Sunday, my frozen lamb steaks were removed at security and binned.

A change in CAA rules a month ago banned frozen meat: fresh meat is ok...

The reason I was told is that scanning cannot analyse the liquids in frozen meat.

 

[Brum X]

I believe Costa in arrivals is open 24 hours so maybe a coffee and a book until 03:00 when security opens?

And maybe Greggs for a lovely hot sausage roll ;-)

 

[Ray Finkle]

I guess the other alternative is head across to Resorts World and blow all of your money at the tables

 

[LichfieldBlue]

Hi everyone, I’m flying out next Sunday on an early flight at 6.25am. Are the queues for security still horrendous and is 4am a reasonable arrival time?

 

[Vile8er]

Hi everyone, I’m flying out next Sunday on an early flight at 6.25am. Are the queues for security still horrendous and is 4am a reasonable arrival time?

Last week (Monday) I dropped my daughter and grandson off at 4.00am for their Jet2 flight at 6.45am. They had checked luggage in, through security and in Wetherspoons by 4.50am.

 

[LichfieldBlue]

Last week (Monday) I dropped my daughter and grandson off at 4.00am for their Jet2 flight at 6.45am. They had checked luggage in, through security and in Wetherspoons by 4.50am.

Thanks for your reply and KRO

 

[Nethercote2019]

Hi everyone, I’m flying out next Sunday on an early flight at 6.25am. Are the queues for security still horrendous and is 4am a reasonable arrival time?

Hi I’m on the FR476 to SDR this morning - this is my first experience of the new set up, arrived at a busy departures at 04:30 and thru security in 25 mins all very efficient lots of friendly staff, the lift is a bit odd as it would help if there was announcement as when doors open people stopped and said is this it or up another floor etc
The scanners were very quick but strange as random people asked to remove shoes - even flip flops ! Also a very high number of bags were rejected
All in all a lot better than expected and Ryanair did message me saying get here 3 hours before,
The departure lounge was very very busy ques at all shops and bars and as usual no seats anywhere
Hope this helps

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Hi I’m on the FR476 to SDR this morning - this is my first experience of the new set up, arrived at a busy departures at 04:30 and thru security in 25 mins all very efficient lots of friendly staff, the lift is a bit odd as it would help if there was announcement as when doors open people stopped and said is this it or up another floor etc
The scanners were very quick but strange as random people asked to remove shoes - even flip flops ! Also a very high number of bags were rejected
All in all a lot better than expected and Ryanair did message me saying get here 3 hours before,
The departure lounge was very very busy ques at all shops and bars and as usual no seats anywhere
Hope this helps

Thanks Nethercote,

Off to AMS on Wednesday with EZY - when I checked in, they quoted bag-drop open 2 hours before departure.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Well dad went to Glasgow last night all well and good before boarding.We measured the bag using check size case it was perfectly fine and it didn’t fit at all.He had to pay £48-£50 to use overhead to which I find scandalous especially for a 45 minute journey

 

[HPsauce]

Well dad went to Glasgow last night all well and good before boarding.We measured the bag using check size case it was perfectly fine and it didn’t fit at all.He had to pay £48-£50 to use overhead to which I find scandalous especially for a 45 minute journey

How much over was the case if you had checked the bag size checker?.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

How much over was the case if you had checked the bag size checker?.

He said he shoved it in but it wasn’t to be.They were rushing my dad to hurry up or they will close gate.To me that’s antagonistic and pressuring behaviour especially from an easyJet representative

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Well dad went to Glasgow last night all well and good before boarding.We measured the bag using check size case it was perfectly fine and it didn’t fit at all.He had to pay £48-£50 to use overhead to which I find scandalous especially for a 45 minute journey

I always try to book over-wing extra leg-room seats. The airline has to clear the emergency exit for safety reasons, so hand baggage must go in the overhead lockers, to avoid this kind of rip-off.

I had a similar situation to/from Edinburgh a few years ago with FlyMayBe. The size was perfectly OK on the outbound flight, but I was fined on the inbound with the same bag and contents!