Originally Posted by
sportzbar
Cam I just ask which airline you were travelling with? I only ask as most airlines recommend arriving at the airport 2.5-3 hours before departure. From what you are saying (not sure how long it took you to check in), but it would appear you left a lot less time to get through than advised.
Travel agents usually advise turning up 3 hours before a flight just to cover their backsides. Even when travelling out of super-strict airports, being at an airport 2 hours in advance is usually sufficient, unless you are a complex case or there's a particular problem (and yes, I have had the "we think you are a terrorist" treatment when departing from Tel Aviv so I know how long it takes). For flying from a normal UK airport to a normal destination, being at security 1 hour before a flight should be enough - if that's too short, then something somewhere has gone wrong. Manchester should be able to cope with this expectation, just like any other UK airport.