Using Manchester Airport (Questions & Reviews)

[LS@MAN]

Just used T3 check in and security for the last time, as much as the check in area for Ryanair is bright and adequate, security certainly isn’t and I won’t miss that! Got to a long queue in lane 14 only for the machine to have a meltdown and the rejection rate at 37%!
Got moved to lane 13 where I went through with no rejection of my two trays thankfully!
Security was busy in general with only 3 lanes open, departure area looked very busy but that doesn’t take much around the Boots area, as there was a boarding announcement for gate 141, this area is far too small for a fully loaded 737 flight! As Ryanair now have two additional stands in T3 (141 & 142) it’s a shame this stand still has to be used!

Boarding for my flight was at gate 37, a first for me in T3. Not ideal travelling in the opposite direction of many oncoming passengers from security! Hopefully in the future a new route can be made for access to this area!

Finally, it would be interesting to see if the stand and gate numbers are re numbered gates 141 and 142 for example were used by BA for domestic flights. The numbering of T3 stands in general is all over the place so hopefully common sense will prevail.

 

[Jamman]

Kind of a review, a walk around T2 before a flight to Faro, the morning after Storm Claudia, this video is a collab between me and my teenage daughter to help her with her anxiety recording footage etc. and of course I get to go on a flight!

 

[marni1971]

^ wonder what’s wrong with the ceiling at 3:25 with all the scaffolding

 

[LS@MAN]

Kind of a review, a walk around T2 before a flight to Faro, the morning after Storm Claudia, this video is a collab between me and my teenage daughter to help her with her anxiety recording footage etc. and of course I get to go on a flight!

Great video, thanks
Best of luck to your daughter

 

[LS@MAN]

Friends of mine arrived at T3 on 31st Dec around 1pm, immigration and baggage delivery was great, but there was again only 1 gate working to exit the baggage hall!
I experienced this myself a few months ago but it’s things like this that are repeated and something passengers will remember of their airport experience, especially as there was a large queue to exit due to the fact there were three separate flights that arrived in close succession.

My trip through T3 at 6.30am on 31st December saw us arriving from Jetparks Ringway being dropped off outside T1 arrivals, I was expecting to be dropped off at T1A drop off area but not a big problem, although there weren’t any signs visible telling passengers where to go, luckily for our party I knew where to go!
Bag drop and security was an absolute breeze, the new scanners make all the difference, only 8 lanes now but plenty of space and equipment for the throughput of T3. The place has had new flooring in the security area which seems to be more resilient than some of the crap in the new T2!
Terminal was fairly busy and we boarded from gate 44 well ahead of schedule, a small delay on departure due to an ATC restriction, but we made that up en route to Tenerife.
Well done T3 I just hope the new investment coming up expands the departure areas, as during the peak summer months, this terminal is chaotic to say the least!

 

[michael]

quick question please, what's the current rules at Manchester regarding liquids in hand luggage? Are we still in little plastic bags? Travelling on Tuesday so getting prepared!

 

[MannyJon]

quick question please, what's the current rules at Manchester regarding liquids in hand luggage? Are we still in little plastic bags? Travelling on Tuesday so getting prepared!

Leave in bag along with electrical.

 

[lfc84]

Hello, I'm staying at the holiday Inn on site on Saturday night. My Loganair flight is Sunday morning at 1040. Loganair airport check in desk closes at 10am. The boarding pass says boarding at 10am.

I've got hand baggage only. How long is it from security to the gate (looked at the past few days and they seem to use B1, 2 or 3) ?

 

[marni1971]

Hello, I'm staying at the holiday Inn on site on Saturday night. My Loganair flight is Sunday morning at 1040. Loganair airport check in desk closes at 10am. The boarding pass says boarding at 10am.

I've got hand baggage only. How long is it from security to the gate (looked at the past few days and they seem to use B1, 2 or 3) ?

B is a bussing gate (escalators down just inside the entrance of pier 2) so give it 10-15 minutes after security. You’ll leave security, go up a floor, have to walk through duty free and then pier 2 is on the other side of the atrium and to the right. It’s well signed. Just remember security queues can be great or not so great!

 

[Scottie Dog]

Just adding to @marni1971's response, you also need to remember that Loganair normally park a distance from T2 terminal.

 

[LS@MAN]

Just adding to @marni1971's response, you also need to remember that Loganair normally park a distance from T2 terminal.

Loganair (at their request due to increased taxi times) now park at Pier B in T1. I have noticed on FR24 recently that this has helped improved OTP.

 

[lfc84]

Hello, I'm staying at the holiday Inn on site on Saturday night. My Loganair flight is Sunday morning at 1040. Loganair airport check in desk closes at 10am. The boarding pass says boarding at 10am.

I've got hand baggage only. How long is it from security to the gate (looked at the past few days and they seem to use B1, 2 or 3) ?

Its just taken 15 minutes from hotel reception to B1.

 

[LS@MAN]

Arrived into T3 at 17:30 with Ryanair from Dublin. I can confirm signage within T3 arrivals has been updated to take away any reference to T1.
Exiting the baggage reclaim area to the left and noticed the ceiling (lights, electrics?) are being removed at the old T3 check in area (where Flybe used to check in) I couldn’t make out if this extended into other areas, is this a sign that these areas will eventually become part of the T3 departure area?


Walked to the lifts in T1 to get up to level 7 as I was going to the train station and noticed passengers are now directed to walk through the old T1 arrivals area and then exit to the right to get the escalator up to the skylink. I did get into a lift and tapped level 13 to go and have a quick nosey from the car park, however, it seems this level has now become disabled from the lifts, the button is still there but it doesn’t move or illuminate when pressed, but you can get to level 11 and walk up to level 12/13.
Signage still to be updated in the skylink and at the station. The travellator’s within the skylink nearest to the station entrance are still being replaced. I do like the purple lighting inside, especially when it’s dark outside.

Finally, I later noticed an Etihad 787-10 taxiing out on FR24 and that according to posts on X, there are 4 A380 flights from Dubai due into MAN today as repatriation flights.

 

[LS@MAN]

I arrived at MAN via the station yesterday at 10.15am, firstly noticing the T1 signage is still in place - is this the responsibility of MAN / MAG or the station operator to replace such signs? Once in the skylink, the signage had been updated. Arriving into the now T3 departures area, I only had hand luggage so proceeded towards Security A, but before going through I noticed to the right side of the glass partition, there were a queue of people (some in wheelchairs) and above I saw a signed Security B...it looks like Security B has been relocated from the lower level to level 5 (same level as Security A), so I assumed these passengers were waiting for this area to open. I can only think this new security area is where the small check in / baggage drop off area used to be behind the desks to the right of the T1 check in hall, can anyone confirm?
The Security A hall is much improved, new lighting and flooring, better queuing system in place and of course, the new machines. The layout of the area where you place your tray to get your things together is also much improved. It was very quiet and I was through with no rejected tray in 2 mins.
Walk to the T3 departure area was also quiet, noticing that works are on-going in the gates 36/37 area with new glass partitions installed, high rise desks with plug sockets and USB charging points being well used. Lots of new seating along this walking route too. Looking behind, I notice a sign for gate 34, which happens to be on the ground level of Pier B...so for the first wave departures Ryanair are using stands 4 & 6 on Pier B, which means passengers will be called to gate 34, as if I remember rightly, you arrive at a seating area overlooking stand 1 (please correct me if I am wrong on that point).
Just before duty free, I noticed the sign for Sporting Chance is in place at the bottom of the stair and the walls and staircase are painted red. Looking up above the bar area, you can clearly see the works are almost complete. Had a quick coffee in T3 next to gate 49, again very quiet which was nice. We boarded through gate 49 on time and departed 23L at midday, as the dual runway ops are now in place, although slightly earlier this year due to the works on taxiway Juliet opposite T3.
Apart from the new bar opening upstairs (this month?) I can't see where any additional seating is going to be placed? I had heard Boots was closing and this area was made into additional seating, but Boots was fully open yesterday...

 

[robsh34]

Arrived this morning on an overnight flight from Sydney via Abu Dhabi with Etihad. A bit of a drag from the gate to Passport control but assistance available for those requiring it. Straight through Passport control and bags already on the conveyor belt ready for collection. From touching down to walking through my front door in Hazel Grove it took just under an hour. Very impressive.
All seemed fine at Abu Dhabi by the way. Etihad flight to Manchester probably around 70% full which is not too bad when all things considered at the moment.

 

[LS@MAN]

Arrived last night on the KLM flight from Amsterdam at 9.50pm, during taxi in I noticed a Ryanair parked on stand 47 at T3 so this stand is now back open and operational, good news.

On our stand at T2 (307L) by 9.55pm, upon entering the legacy pier I was very surprised to see two travellator’s both in operation, very surprising but pleased to see (for a change!). There were three flights ahead of us but passport control was very quick, I did notice a load of signs about which zone to use, there were passengers crossing each other’s paths as families use zone A (I think it was) and they were coming from the opposite direction and passing us in the opposite direction, so I can see this set up becoming a bit chaotic in the summer busy periods. I had only hand baggage so straight out, so it was 9.55pm on stand and in arrivals hall by 1010pm. I went up in the lift to the departures level to walk to the Tribe hotel via the Skylink, but I was surprised to see the signs for T1 are still present within the skylink, at the station and outside the station (when walking to and from the Tribe hotel). I thought all signs had been updated already?!
Lastly, the ceiling in legacy T2 arrivals STILL hasn’t been done, I don’t know what the hold up is but phase 2 of the TP really is taking it’s time!

A slight addition to the above, in the legacy arrivals hall there is only 1 lift available at the moment, the other is being either refurbished or replaced but the escalator going up seems to be taped off at either end so there are queues to get up to departures from the arrivals level, again something basic that should be functioning, again isn’t!

 

[LS@MAN]

Arrived at MAN T3 yesterday at midday for a flight to Dublin. I only had hand luggage so straight into security and through in 2-3 mins and without a bag rejection! Walked through into the southern front and noticed some glass partitions now next to gates 36 & 37 but these gates are not yet in use, the works that were taking place on the apron to reconfigure stands 16 & 17 for these boarding gates seems to be complete, but they are not yet in use.
Whilst on the southern front, I took a walk towards Pier B passing gate 35 (stand 1) which doesn't seem to be in use, downstairs to gate 34 where there is a fairly large boarding area for 4 flights (gates 34 A, B, C & D) I know Ryanair are using some of these stands / gates for the first wave departures, stands 4, 5 & 6 I think from what I have seen on FR24.
Into the main departure area of T3 and there are hoardings up where the bar was previously advertising a new Italian kitchen (forgot the name). There was someone at the bottom of the stairs to the new bar informing passengers of its existence, I don't recall but I didn't see any signs for this, although I'm sure they exist, but maybe I wasn't very observant.
The gate areas were rammed, especially around gates 50 & 51, two conjoining queues and people trying to get past made it an unpleasant experience, so I made my way down to where gates 44, 45 etc are as there was nobody there. It didn't help that those hoardings are in the way but until the new Italian kitchen is open, obviously there is nothing that can be done, but I think relocating that pop up WHSmith would be ideal, it's just in the way there between two gates, where there is a lack of seating anyway and with the "Boarding" announcement for Ryanair flights even before the aircraft has touched the ground, this area is rammed for around 45mins before departure of a flight.
Boarded at gate 51 for a departure off 23L at 14:15.

All in all, not the best but certainly not the worst experience I've had at MAN. I just hope the improvements to T3 are open ahead of the peak summer. The emphasis seems to be on departures, but the arrivals areas also could do with some form of expansion.

 

[lfc84]

Passed through T2 today. One walkway working between the station and T2.

Experience at security was ok until I got a 75ml deodorant taken off me.

Amazon.co.uk

The guy said it didn't pass a test twice so had to go in the bin.

Same item went through Gatwick North last Monday