AlicorporateUK

At least MAN & BHX are actually airports (or resemblances of, given the current state-of-affair) whereas EMA is literally a crowded shed with a few shops and direct access to the apron, there's no comparison whatsoever with the other two to be fair. DSA, in the middle of nowhere, is possibly the nicest regional airport I've visited so far in the UK (though I haven't been to LBA, NCL, BRS and a few others).

G

chris63

NewbieRunner

Do you mean the area before security for priority passengers and those who paid to jump the queue on the same floor where check-in counters (other than Jet2) are located? If so, you haven't seen the real dungeon where most passengers are sent. I had to go through the dungeon last summer when I was flying Icelandair in Y but ironically it was much quicker than the so-called fast lanes upstairs.

It used to be possible to take a shortcut by turning immediately right after entering the duty-free shopping area but they've rearranged the cosmetics display shelves and passengers have to navigate through the shops now.

The first phase of the T2 extension (multi-storey car park and one pier) is supposed to open on 1 April but the whole thing is not going to be completed until 2024. I expect much of T1 will have to last 5 more years!

beachmouse

People who don't fly US domestic routes are spared the 'joys' of New York La Guardia or the Gate 35X area of Washington National.

IAN-UK

yes. that bit is really, really awful: an embarrassment. Manchester is a great city - a shame it should be served by a dysfunctional dump like MAN.

I understand it's one of the more expensive UK airports for passengers and airlines.

I note the council (part owners) are taking a leisurely six years (plus) to renovate Manchester's town hall.
I imagine the councillors will make sure it's a tad more comfortable, more functional, than their dismal airport.

MichielR

NewbieRunner

I don't have experience of 1950s bomb shelters but it appears you missed the genuine MAN T1 dungeon security experience.

Instead of spending money on basic infrastructure in the existing terminals MAN is building a "private terminal", which sounds like a downmarket version of FCT.

chris63

beachmouse

You're reminding me of how the terminal replacement for VPS got pushed back a couple of years in the early 00s and the airport authority had the attitude that as long as the toilets were clean (and yes, this is important and appreciated), they didn't really have to do anything else to the scheduled-for-demolition buildings. You know, you can actually make a moderately fun game of pretending the mold and mildew stains on acoustic ceiling tiles are Rorschach test patterns and trying to figure out what the shapes really mean.

chris63

Nick Art

chris63

IAN-UK

To save those Googling fingers .... VPS is Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, in Florida. Known to many as Eglin Air Force Base, which is where it is. The code comes from the neighbouring city of Valparaiso.

IAN-UK

I guess someone's done a cost benefit analysis involving expected number of snow days, the costs of acquiring, housing, maintaining and operating snow shifting equipment and the costs of shutting the airport down.

In short it's easier and short-term cheaper to close down maybe a couple of half days each year than do a Munich.



Perhaps the same bean counters were involved in the selection of walkway "people movers" for MAN. None of the six between T1 and the station were working last week. Neither was the short escalator into the terminal building.

NewbieRunner

The Dutch do it much better (@ AMS).