stut

YGPM

tupungato

I've been to Stansted in April and it has improved over years. It's not a good airport, but I have visited worse. Quite recently, Corfu (CFU). Holy moly, it's still early '90s there.

shefgab

I flew out of STN a few weeks ago (£25 o/w to ATH!). Awful traffic meant I arrived 20 mins not 2 hours ahead of departure as planned (a LOT of poeple on the bus missed their flights). A lovely lady let me through fast track (although i've never queued for more than 10 mins at STN before, even at busy times), then through the maze of never ending torment, all the while seeing "Gate Closing signs". Made it to the gate (40 something) 10 mins before STD, to find boarding hadn't started. Phew. Time to buy dinner from the handy WHS. After all the "excitment" I didn't even mind having a middle seat and being forced to check my hand luggage. What a way to start my 900th flight

I really wish there had been a shortcut through the maze! I imagine for the average passenger on holiday, they don't even realise how far they are walking. When you're sprinting for a flight with a wheelie bag, you certainly know about it!

rcspeirs

I hadn't flown out of STN since 2007 - until yesterday.
Newer train to the airport - the same as used on most services to Gatwick. Comfortable, quiet. But the journey seems longer than it really is because the driver is constantly having to brake then accelerate - waiting for the signaller to close level crossings. Endless automated announcements in Spanish (why Spanish and no other languages?)
Loads more security check-points than before, and yesterday at least, swift and smooth. Even more welcome, smiling staff and no hectoring shouting. Joy.
The shopping mall.... Blimey. I'm used to having to walk through the shopping area at Glasgow, but STN makes Glasgow look like rank amateurs. If you've cut your arrival fine, having to fight your way through this mini Westfield would not be welcome.
Used the Escape lounge (priority pass). Pretty busy, not many free chairs. But way better food options than most "pay" lounges. Loads of newspapers and some magazines. Better than I expected.
Easyjet boarding surprisingly poor. Gate staff seemingly unable to summon assistance for a wheelchair user then let a number of passengers board with bags that were clearly bigger than easyjet rules - so no surprises that they wouldn't go in the overheads and we were delayed while these were tagged and put into the hold.
Summary. Better than it was, but still low on my personal ranking of London airports. But bearable if the flight is cheap enough - yesterday it was.

Mizter T

On the topic of Stansted, I wonder what forumites might make of a daft plan I am pondering...

Hand luggage only. International flight due to arrive 11.15 (so passport check - I hold a chipped UK passport), self-connecting (or not!) onto a flight leaving at 12.30... do-able? (With Fast Track security of course.)

The second flight is very cheap (Ryanair), though missing it might not be so cheap! That said, the Business Plus fare is also pretty cheap too, and provides for a 'free' change of flight on the same up to an hour after the originally booked flight has left (and there are indeed later flights to my destination).

I've cut things pretty tight at STN before - if they had conformance (a la LHR T5) I'd have failed it more than once - so I'm tempted...

...though actually a 12.10 flight (rather than 12.30) would be more convenient, but a 55 minute unprotected self-connection is getting a bit too daft I think... (right?)

flatlander

If you are HBO with e-passport and you flights are on time the 11:15 to 12:30 seems possible, if tight.

Get fast track security, obviously - if you can't buy it in advance, pay on the day by the fast track entrance. I am assuming you can walk fast if you need to. Don't hesitate to get off the arriving aircraft and proceed ASAP to the train, if applicable.

Passport check time is variable at Stansted but I would estimate you will be landside within 20 minutes of landing on most airlines (eg Easyjet).

The 11:15 to 12:10 is implausible. 20 minutes to get landside, 30 minutes to get from landside to the aircraft door - you're not going to make that.

VivoPerLei

Drove up to STN this morning and spent 25 minutes in the queue just to drop somebody off, then if that is not irritating enough, there is the obligatory charge for having done so, which appears to have gone from £2.50 to £3.00 since the last time I passed through.

I also read online after I got home - did not see it posted at the airport - that if you stay past ten minutes in the drop-off zone there is an obligatory £50.00 charge!!

Mizter T

They bumped up the price on 1st April, and changed the rules for stays exceeding 10 minutes (before and now).

Given your wait of 25 minutes just to get to the drop-off zone, perhaps this is an attempts to manage heavy demand?

It might perhaps be quicker for you and your passengers if you were to drop them at the Mid Stay car park and they then take the shuttle bus to the airport? The bus takes 5 minutes and runs every 10 minutes. The Mid Stay car park is free for up to an hour, in order to facilitate this.

stut

Second this. I actively try to avoid STN, and particularly driving there, but this is a much more civilised option.

(FWIW, I recommend the same at LTN. Given the congestion that now builds up there due to construction work, it can actually be quicker. Always used to use this - the alternatives, where you don't get penalised for stopping, aren't that easy to find for the uninitiated!)

VivoPerLei

If I had my way I'd put them all on the underground and train, willingly paying their fares to avoid the drive. If only it were that easy.

I think Ryanair's scheduling has a lot to do with it. I think that large morning bank of departures puts an excessive strain on the system at STN. I have not seen queues like that at other times of day.

GRALISTAIR

When I retire back to the UK I was going to do several airport runs - and STN is on the list. Only ever been through MAN/BPL/LPL/EDI/EMA/LGW/LHR. Sounds like STN should be bottom of the list and by the time I get to it the airport could have improved. Oh dear.

flatlander

I think there's a sign at the airport threatening the £50 charge for staying longer, if you look carefully. Not that that makes it any more acceptable.

The queue to enter the front door drop off zone was so long on Thursday morning that it was backing up onto the access road past the roundabout. I had to wait there in the queue for several minutes before I could get to the short stay car parks.

You can drop off in the mid stay and the passengers take the bus, but you can also drive up to the Radisson entrance round the side of the airport and drop off, then passengers can walk across half the Green short stay and into the terminal building at the arrivals end. The signage at the Radisson claims a charge for 0-15 minutes parking, but there's no barrier. If I get charged for my recce this morning I'll report back

If you're trying any disapproved parking manoeuvres, keep an eye out for the small white parking enforcement car with the black cylindrical camera rig on top.

I see they are constructing away at more car parking to the east of of the existing car parks (access via the road to the Radisson), it may be a walk from the terminal but it's not that short.

Easyjet has a bunch of early departures too - all the LCC schedules start early and with the aircraft based at Stansted there is a cluster of departures. Meanwhile public transport is less of an option for the earlier departures for more distant passengers, so more of them arrive by car.

rollingdeep

Hmm.... I am driving next Friday morning for a morning departure at 8:45. I have fast track and am using meet and greet. Do you think there will be a queue to get into the short stay car park based on the queue you talked about for drop-offs or is it a totally separate ine unlike T5 where you only split off as you get closer to the drop-off area?

I was planning to get there about 7:15 but maybe earlier is better!

Thanks

VivoPerLei

The biggest queues I have seen are in the 0530 to 0600 time frame. I believe 0715 is probably past the peak, but will stand corrected if someone has better anecdotal experience.

I hope no one was driving up to STN this morning, or LHR for that matter. My short drive to the office was a nightmare and when I finally got in I pulled up the live M25 traffic map. Looked pretty solid red in most areas, as well on most of the roads in and around London.

rollingdeep

Thanks will leave some extra buffer as well.