Luton - 3rd World Airport
Having managed to avoid Luton for 20++ years, I had to come back though it earlier today.
I've been very rude, justifiably in my view, about LHR T4 and LGW, both of which herd their unfortunate customers into a badly designed, badly lit and badly run waiting area before struggling through the "UK Borders" channels. (For balance, I've also been complimentary about T5).
But, the 30+ minutes it took in the queue from the arrival pier to the Immigration desk at LTN gave me ample opportunity to reflect on an airport management so bad that it apparently thinks that this kind of dreadful facility is acceptable. Dear God, it makes even the BAA look professional.
I have been to over 200 airports in my career, spanning 30 years, mostly in the Middle East, Africa and various ex-USSR Republics, and I've never seen anything quite so bad; a kind of jerry-built tunnel with, today at least, some 600 - 700 people crowded into it, then the usual stupid maze to walk though, presided over by something that really frightens me, semi-trained coppers toting sub-machine guns and trying to look tough. (What in hell's name do they think they would do with those weapons in that situation? Start a fire-fight? God help us all.)
The comments from all around were in many languages, but the general astonishment that such a place could exist in the UK, a country many of its visitors still admire, was evident. The comparison with some of the worst in the world isn't mine alone. I heard many people make it to others in their groups, speaking French, Polish, German, even Arabic.
If I were in charge at Luton I would resign in shame that I preside over such a disgraceful shambles.
There's no necessity, if anyone were prepared to spend some of the profits. Even if the whole shambolic edifice cannot be torn down, there's enough space between the present UK Borders comb and the baggage reclaim to double, even treble the through-put rate and reduce the queues dramatically.
The management that couldn't give a toss about this situation is of course the same management that tries to charge £1 to use a trolley; luckily an employee pushing some of these through the hall saw the sense in allowing people who had disembarked some 50 minutes earlier to grab one without the £1. It's not the £1 that matters, it's the fact that few visitors land with £1 in their pocket. Ah yes, there's a convenient money exchange bureau right there; anyone ever check their x-rates?
Did I say 50 minutes? Wasn't the delay to UK Borders 30 minutes? Right, but the baggage carousel broke down, didn't it. What else would you expect in this 3rd world, badly-run, rip-off shambles of an airport?
And for God's sake lose the armed police; if they were to get over-excited it would be bloody carnage.