In all fairness hen drraig, accmans comments are valid. The gating/hard stands allocated to aircraft are down to what the airlines requests. VS always has a practice of gating one aircraft, and the second aircraft is put onto a hard stand.
Immigration speeds are all down to HM customs, not the airport. If customs want to spend longer examining documents, rather than just count the number of passports (yes, one time working in LHR, I had to escort a kuwaiti family through security as they were late. The guy at passport control just counted that there were 7 people, and 7 passports so he waived them through), then that is down to them.
I appriciate your comments about the speed you travel through BHX/LPL, but they are smaller airports in both size and pax numbers, which ever way you look at it. Quite frankly, Id be shocked if it took longer to travel through these airports than MAN.
Also, common sense would tell you if its 500m from gate to baggage in BHX for example, but 1000m from gate to baggage recliam im MAN, its obviously going to take you longer. Its not a matter of aircraft size or operator, but distance to travel and the amount of people getting off that plane, or getting off planes at adjoining gates.
I agree MAN could do better, but it is by no means as bad as you describe it.
Also, no matter how much experience you have, id defy you to find me 1 person that is an absaloute expert in all aspects of airport operations, I doubt even the managing director is aware of all things taking place at MAN.
Thats why I find it impossible for people to say that they know about passport control, as well as gates, as well as atc etc etc.
Anyway rant over
Last edited by virgin_cc_wannabe; 9th Jul 2008 at 13:38.
Reason: addition to text