The joys of STN
Jun 30, 2016, 7:09 am
#31
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: London
Posts: 1,117
Worth noting that the morning VivoPerLei was speaking of above (in post #29), Thursday just gone, was when the weather was pretty terrible in south east England - lots of torrential rain, which never makes things easy going on the roads.
Jul 28, 2016, 1:14 am
#33
formerly known as ravishah
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 195
Update we flew about a month ago on a Friday morning before school hols, getting there as okay not much traffic. But our flight was at 8 so after the really early morning rush. I used meet and greet priority which gave fast track for 6 of us for a fiver extra which was worth it.
The airport itself was a zoo - so busy glad we got fast track the queue through normal security looked like it would have taken ages. Despite all the shops and restaurants it was pretty packed even then so getting a space to have a coffee was more challenging then I would have hoped.
The airport itself was a zoo - so busy glad we got fast track the queue through normal security looked like it would have taken ages. Despite all the shops and restaurants it was pretty packed even then so getting a space to have a coffee was more challenging then I would have hoped.
Jul 31, 2016, 12:37 pm
#34
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,110
If you value your time, pre-book the short stay, that's the way to go. No buses to screw up your life there.
U\The airport itself was a zoo - so busy glad we got fast track the queue through normal security looked like it would have taken ages. Despite all the shops and restaurants it was pretty packed even then so getting a space to have a coffee was more challenging then I would have hoped.
Jul 31, 2016, 3:13 pm
#35
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, BD Blue (RIP)
Posts: 1,981
There's a coffee bar in the Ryanair pier (Gates 40-59) where I've set myself up before when waiting. Good views and plenty of power outlets. About a 10 minute walk from the main terminal (and you'll have to double back on yourself if your flight turns out to be boarding from elsewhere) but so much more pleasant than the zoo that is the main departure lounge.
Jul 31, 2016, 3:24 pm
#36
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,110
Can you walk back from the 40s/50s gates to the main terminal? How do arrivals work at those gates?
You can't do this from the 80s gate pier, you'll be made to turn right to passport control, not left to the departures area.
I must admit I have flown Ryanair 3 times in my life, so I don't go to that bit of Stansted often (and the last time I returned to Stansted on Ryanair, we were so late that we had to be bussed to the UK Border).
You can't do this from the 80s gate pier, you'll be made to turn right to passport control, not left to the departures area.
I must admit I have flown Ryanair 3 times in my life, so I don't go to that bit of Stansted often (and the last time I returned to Stansted on Ryanair, we were so late that we had to be bussed to the UK Border).
Jul 31, 2016, 5:38 pm
#37
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Scotland, Spain
Programs: Skywards Gold, Amex Plat, SkyTeam Silver
Posts: 1,164
This is what I wondered. I think 40/50 is just UK departures though so a quick flash of a valid boarding card and they should let you go back into the departure lounge?
Aug 1, 2016, 4:04 am
#38
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, BD Blue (RIP)
Posts: 1,981
There's a coffee bar in the Ryanair pier (Gates 40-59) where I've set myself up before when waiting. Good views and plenty of power outlets. About a 10 minute walk from the main terminal (and you'll have to double back on yourself if your flight turns out to be boarding from elsewhere) but so much more pleasant than the zoo that is the main departure lounge.
Aug 1, 2016, 12:51 pm
#39
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,110
Aug 1, 2016, 2:04 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: London
Posts: 1,117
This photo shows the corridor to the pier hosting gates 40-59 - the glass wall separates arriving and departing passengers, though as sigma421 says there is absolutely nothing at all to stop you, as a departing passenger, walking to and then back from the pier to the main terminal building (you'll just be going the other way to everyone on your side of the glass wall).
Like sigma421 says, there's a coffee bar and plenty of space on said pier - it's a much calmer place than the main terminal. If you don't want to sit at the coffee bar then you can just take a seat next to one of the gates - lots of seating and it's all open, i.e. there are no segregated individual 'gate compounds'.
Like sigma421 says, there's a coffee bar and plenty of space on said pier - it's a much calmer place than the main terminal. If you don't want to sit at the coffee bar then you can just take a seat next to one of the gates - lots of seating and it's all open, i.e. there are no segregated individual 'gate compounds'.
Aug 2, 2016, 4:48 am
#42
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK*G, Lots of Blue Elsewhere
Posts: 13,611
Isn't there also LTN-GDN on Wizzair?
LTN isn't a great building (especially with the current building works) but it works an awful lot more efficiently than STN. Mind you, Wizzair are even worse than Ryanair for the additional charging...
LTN isn't a great building (especially with the current building works) but it works an awful lot more efficiently than STN. Mind you, Wizzair are even worse than Ryanair for the additional charging...
Aug 8, 2016, 2:37 pm
#43
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 975
STN is sadly now a shadow of its former glory ... MAG have reduced it to being a shopping mall with a few planes attached. And the walk of shame through the glittery black perfumery is no better when there are very few passengers (yes it happens occasionally around 10H30 on a weekday) when it becomes muggers' alley as the assistants try to encourage you to sniff their scent ...
Aug 9, 2016, 9:51 am
#44
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,110
Meanwhile, Stansted's parking contactors had a complete charlie foxtrot at the laughably named "Meet and Greet" last weekend.
I note that the comments on that story suggest it wasn't a one-off occurrence either.
Hundreds of returning holidaymakers were forced to “camp out" for hours after staff at a Stansted Airport valet service were unable to find customers' cars or car keys.
The Meet & Greet service run by Empark is meant to allow people travelling to leave their car in safe hands while they are away.
But a mistake at the weekend led to “significant delays" when workers at the desk could not reunite drivers with their cars.
The Meet & Greet service run by Empark is meant to allow people travelling to leave their car in safe hands while they are away.
But a mistake at the weekend led to “significant delays" when workers at the desk could not reunite drivers with their cars.
Aug 9, 2016, 11:06 am
#45
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: East Anglia UK
Programs: BA-S UA LH-Sen KLM/AF-Plat.
Posts: 1,627
Oh for the days when Air UK flew out of STN, no queues to speak of, few shops and fewer people.
When I was younger I went to meet my RAF brother flying back from Singapore on a RAF flight. The airport at that time - about 1963 - was nissen huts with wicker chairs. I half expected Wingo to come running in to warn of Messerschmidts approaching.
When I was younger I went to meet my RAF brother flying back from Singapore on a RAF flight. The airport at that time - about 1963 - was nissen huts with wicker chairs. I half expected Wingo to come running in to warn of Messerschmidts approaching.