Well said Barling Magna..
Ltnman is welcome to his opinion and I can't fault what he says most of the time. Southend does have it's teething problems especially rail
but SEN trains always were rubbish unless it's peak times. It's about time that changed. The terminal is small & does get busy at peak times plus there isn't a huge amount to do but then Stobart would never have got financial backing for a huge terminal first off, start small & extend when you have money/pax coming in. At the end of the day you choose where to go from: If you are looking for the holiday experience airport you go to Gatwick they cater for that. If you want fly cheap, pay the earth for food, parking and enjoy standing in pre-Imm' then go to Stansted. Luton sorry Ltnman but it's the last choice, exorbitant parking, station is a bus ride away, the terminal is awful and you don't move without paying for something. Like Barling Magna said if you want a coffee, paper and a short wait with a few other people, cheap parking and a quick getaway Southend is for you.