LUTON -8
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With people jumping out of the backs of lorries at Toddington service station with no passports makes you wonder why bother checking passports at Luton?
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Why would Border Control hire people for just 3 months. People will have to wait 10 mins longer for better facilities for the future. All moan about the airport but soon as there try to improve we can't stand the little delays of waiting around a few minutes extra to save about an hour in the future.
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I had the exact same experience (1 hr+) arriving back at Luton immigration last week (on an aircraft - not a lorry), the loss of the e-gates has killed it. Eventually I did see a couple more border control staff come scurrying out to man extra desks but that was towards the end, not a good experience - just like the bad old days at Luton (or like Stansted on a good day 
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Unfortunately the UK Border Agency in my opinion makes arriving in the UK a most unwelcome experience and I am Brit coming back into my home country so what the non-Brits must think I shudder to think. This applies to arriving at ports as well as airports. A recent experience arriving at Dover from Dunkirk by the way being gawped at by several officers as one drives through a ´´shed´´ - that description is an insult to sheds by the way. On return via Portsmouth the security at the port - non Border Agency - asks us who owns the car, who packed our bags, looked in the engine compartment but not the boot, are we carrying any knives, cutlery etc. What the people in the following motorhomes and caravans were going to say I do not know who were on their way to the Le Mans 24 hr race!
On arriving at Caen the French Police - Bonjour I see you have Spanish car - Espanol - no we are UK living in Spain, I see, plenty of sun, Bon Voyage.
Have every sympathy with people waiting in the queue at Luton and other airports. Am surprised somebody hasn´t said write to Theresa May (M. Thatcher Mk2).
On arriving at Caen the French Police - Bonjour I see you have Spanish car - Espanol - no we are UK living in Spain, I see, plenty of sun, Bon Voyage.
Have every sympathy with people waiting in the queue at Luton and other airports. Am surprised somebody hasn´t said write to Theresa May (M. Thatcher Mk2).
Boeing737-8.......I certainly don't think the new e-gates will save the amount of time you mention! They are generally problematic when I have used them at various UK airports and an officer still has to be allocated to manually process the many passports that get rejected at the e-gates.
Even arriving at LTN when the old e-gates were supposed to be working was a miserable experience at peak times and I recall once queuing almost as long as the flight from Amsterdam took!
Even arriving at LTN when the old e-gates were supposed to be working was a miserable experience at peak times and I recall once queuing almost as long as the flight from Amsterdam took!
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Not just a UK problem it seems.
Recently arriving at Perth, Western Australia on one of four international flights which all landed within the space of 10 minutes, the queue to get through immigration stretched right back through the Duty Free area and took more than ninety minutes to be processed, even with the electronic gates operating.
Although not affecting myself and wife, families with young children were becoming increasingly frustrated and many were passed forward to jump the queue, which of course meant it took us even longer to get through.
To compound matters, even though the queue was still massive, two of the five immigration officials finished their shift and went home with no thought to helping the situation.
The relatives meeting us reckoned this is a common experience at Perth.
Recently arriving at Perth, Western Australia on one of four international flights which all landed within the space of 10 minutes, the queue to get through immigration stretched right back through the Duty Free area and took more than ninety minutes to be processed, even with the electronic gates operating.
Although not affecting myself and wife, families with young children were becoming increasingly frustrated and many were passed forward to jump the queue, which of course meant it took us even longer to get through.
To compound matters, even though the queue was still massive, two of the five immigration officials finished their shift and went home with no thought to helping the situation.
The relatives meeting us reckoned this is a common experience at Perth.
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A planning application has gone in for the pocket of land opposite the Ibis that has planning permission for a 6 story hotel. The land will be used for a temporary 150 space car park for the airports Meet and Greet Priority Parking. At the moment the short term car park is used after passengers drop their cars off next to the terminal.
What is interesting is the time scale. While the permission sort is for two years to allow for delays the document states that phase one, which includes the construction of a multi-story car park and the reconfiguration of the short term car park should be complete by June 2016, so it is looking like this time next year the CTA should be complete.
What is interesting is the time scale. While the permission sort is for two years to allow for delays the document states that phase one, which includes the construction of a multi-story car park and the reconfiguration of the short term car park should be complete by June 2016, so it is looking like this time next year the CTA should be complete.
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A new bus operator has started services from North London. Metroline now operates a limited stopping service between Barnet and the airport. Stops include South Mimms, London Colney, St Albans and Harpenden. 14 buses a day will operate the service initially.
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Latest update from LLA via hangar 89.....
From August the current set-down space for buses will close with a new facility opened near to the current car drop-off/pick-up point.
Work will also begin on the dual carriageway leading up from outside the Holiday Inn and the roundabout outside the hangar.
The building that was previously known as easyLand will soon be demolished and replaced with a new multi-story car park that aims to be completed by summer 2016.
Inside the terminal they'll continue the development of the new security hall, which is scheduled to open in August.
From August the current set-down space for buses will close with a new facility opened near to the current car drop-off/pick-up point.
Work will also begin on the dual carriageway leading up from outside the Holiday Inn and the roundabout outside the hangar.
The building that was previously known as easyLand will soon be demolished and replaced with a new multi-story car park that aims to be completed by summer 2016.
Inside the terminal they'll continue the development of the new security hall, which is scheduled to open in August.
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Once the bus station is moved work can start on the terminal extension.
Regarding the move of the security hall in August. This will be only into the existing old arrivals hall so will be half its final size. At some point it will eventually continue across the terminal and end by the check-in desks.
Also I suspect it will initially mirror the layout of upstairs as the arrivals hall is longer than it is wider. On the final plans the security arches are turned 90 degrees and run from left to right if you stood outside and faced the building.
The info on the multi-story car park confirms my news a few posts back about the car park being finished by June next year.
Part of the staff car park was closed at Midnight so I think from next Monday work will start on phase 1.
There is going to be a lot of pain over the next 12 months as the existing CTA, short term car park, and terminal are already at over capacity before large chunks are closed off for redevelopment. First issue will be queuing traffic into the CTA due to restrictions.
Regarding the move of the security hall in August. This will be only into the existing old arrivals hall so will be half its final size. At some point it will eventually continue across the terminal and end by the check-in desks.
Also I suspect it will initially mirror the layout of upstairs as the arrivals hall is longer than it is wider. On the final plans the security arches are turned 90 degrees and run from left to right if you stood outside and faced the building.
The info on the multi-story car park confirms my news a few posts back about the car park being finished by June next year.
Part of the staff car park was closed at Midnight so I think from next Monday work will start on phase 1.
There is going to be a lot of pain over the next 12 months as the existing CTA, short term car park, and terminal are already at over capacity before large chunks are closed off for redevelopment. First issue will be queuing traffic into the CTA due to restrictions.
Last edited by LTNman; 1st Jul 2015 at 08:02.
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This link, which was revised 6 months ago, has been seen here before but today is a timely reminder what the airport will end up looking like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afZIJxLaPAE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afZIJxLaPAE
Paxing All Over The World
Thanks for the video link LTNman. I do hope that, in the new pier they put travalators - thus far all expansions have meant long walks.
Also, hteir snaking coloured lines for vehicles and pax show with horrible clarity just how many twists and turns will remain. We all appreciate that cramped space of the airport and that the 'new' terminal was built on the cheap - the price is going to be paid for a long time. We all know the difficulties of redeveloping a building and parking that has to continue functioning without break but ... once the pretty video was done, someone might have asked why the lines have to twist so much.
Also, hteir snaking coloured lines for vehicles and pax show with horrible clarity just how many twists and turns will remain. We all appreciate that cramped space of the airport and that the 'new' terminal was built on the cheap - the price is going to be paid for a long time. We all know the difficulties of redeveloping a building and parking that has to continue functioning without break but ... once the pretty video was done, someone might have asked why the lines have to twist so much.
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From August the current set-down space for buses will close with a new facility opened near to the current car drop-off/pick-up point.
Now the question is if the bus station is moving next month why do the work? Also the new crossing like the old one is within the footprint of the terminal extension.
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I do hope that, in the new pier they put travalators
thus far all expansions have meant long walks.
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Don't think any travalators are being installed. The new pier is still a shorter walking distance than gates 1-6.
Part of the staff car park has indeed closed today although there is nothing going on. The easyjet car park remains open so I don't think that was ever due to close last night.
Part of the staff car park has indeed closed today although there is nothing going on. The easyjet car park remains open so I don't think that was ever due to close last night.
Last edited by LTNman; 1st Jul 2015 at 13:00.
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Just run that video a couple of times and paused it in places. The canopy is actually larger than the terminal extension and is massive. Well you can see the next terminal extension as no doubt they will eventually wall in the sides of it.
From the video it looks like the arrivals immigration area will remain the same as it is now... Is that correct? They want 6 million more ppa through an area that is already too small for the airport?!
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10 e-gates are under test now so when they open later this month there should not be the queues of the past. With that in mind you could argue that as queues will be shorter the area can remain the same.
(Edit) actually at the 51 second mark there is shown a terminal extension at the back of the terminal where immigration is located so it looks like it it being made bigger.
(Edit) actually at the 51 second mark there is shown a terminal extension at the back of the terminal where immigration is located so it looks like it it being made bigger.
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EasyJet
New route
Luton - Vienna
Starts on the 23rd of October and will be 2 weekly. Friday and Monday
Also I've now just seen that Innsbruck is now book able from the 20th of December. This will be 1 weekly on a Sunday but will run extra flights on Chritmas eve and New Year's Eve.
Luton - Vienna
Starts on the 23rd of October and will be 2 weekly. Friday and Monday
Also I've now just seen that Innsbruck is now book able from the 20th of December. This will be 1 weekly on a Sunday but will run extra flights on Chritmas eve and New Year's Eve.
Last edited by Boeing737-8; 2nd Jul 2015 at 09:58.