Well I'm back after my first from SEN ...
First off having not flown from the airport before I must say the airport is not well sign posed until you almost get to Southend unless I missed it there was no sign on the A12 at the A130 junction also once at the tesco roundabout there is a sign that points in two direction poss an alternative route but very confusing to my partner when I was insisting on driving to where I thought we should be going but it might just be me but if I got confused others will also not all but some.
Outbound.
Parking.... very easy and close to terminal a total joy.
Check in... Very easy nice and clear total joy.
Cafe ... Very small and only one member of staff took 25 mins to order.
Security... Easy nice change from Stansted.
Shop in departures... to small to crammed again only one staff member.
Bar... lovely modern bright friendly staff.
Boarding ... Fast track confusing not enough definition in what line to stand in passengers formed a line for fast track by the window only to be told there is no line even though the arrow on the sign pointed to where people went.
Like the outside shelter though good idea in bad weather.
Return flight. ( sorry for the rant )
Arrived back on time border control loads of staff nice surprise.
Baggage hall from hell !!! 2 tiny baggage belts that can't cope with one Easyjet flight never mind two we landed 10 mins before anothe Easyjet flight people wanted to know where to stand belt 1 or belt 2 the only info on the belts were for trains not arriving flights so people stood in between both which blacked the exit from passport control staff came and moved everyone to the second belt bags started to come up the first belt about 25 mins after arriving which seemed a long time I could almost touch the aircraft anyway the bags arrived but they were for the second flight that had landed 10 mins after us the bags filled the belt with no one collecting them because the passengers were stuck behind us at passport control so the belt would not let more bags on staff moved us all away passengers started to collect bags.
45 mins after landing our bags slowly started to come up the same belt as the other flight it was a shambles the bags were dripping wet and the size of the belt and the amount of bags going round unclaimed ment no more bags could get on the belt people started to get mad as the same bags went round about 10 times then one more bag was allowed on the belt it was like a comedy sketch.
Overall arriving back at Southend was bad about the same time was taken as what I would expect at Stansted maybe a one off but very disappointed.
Before you southenders start with the .... I'm a Southend bashed .... I'm not this is just what I found and experienced nothing more nothing less.