Luton permanently closes the passenger drop off area.
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Luton permanently closes the passenger drop off area.
I had to read this twice as I didn’t believe what I was reading. Airport management have come up with a novel way of solving the congestion caused by the single entry barrier to the passenger drop off zone by deciding to permanently close it.
From February 7th all passengers being dropped off or picked up will have to use the short term car park. There will be no charge for the first 15 minutes.
So Mr and Mrs Smith and their 2 kids who are being dropped off by Uncle Bob will have to push a trolley across the car park from hell with potholes so deep that they risk loosing their kids and on their return spend half an hour trying to find where Uncle Bob has parked as he doesn’t want to walk to the terminal. Bad enough on a dry day but not much fun when it is raining.
I guess that the roundabout will become the unofficial drop off point from now on.
From February 7th all passengers being dropped off or picked up will have to use the short term car park. There will be no charge for the first 15 minutes.
So Mr and Mrs Smith and their 2 kids who are being dropped off by Uncle Bob will have to push a trolley across the car park from hell with potholes so deep that they risk loosing their kids and on their return spend half an hour trying to find where Uncle Bob has parked as he doesn’t want to walk to the terminal. Bad enough on a dry day but not much fun when it is raining.
I guess that the roundabout will become the unofficial drop off point from now on.
Same ludicrous system as at EMA. All probably in the name of security - the UK's obsession.
I believe at BHX you can still drop off outside the terminal, but you can't park. Don't know how long it'll be before that benefit is denied the ytavelling public though.
Last summer I picked up relatives at Hannover, and could park right outside the terminal. Same applies at Nürnberg. Much more convenient.
The UK has got itself into this total over-reaction regarding security. OK, being parked half way up Dubya's backside doesn't help, but we were well along the road before 11th September 2001 and Iraq, I just don't see it getting any better.
I believe at BHX you can still drop off outside the terminal, but you can't park. Don't know how long it'll be before that benefit is denied the ytavelling public though.
Last summer I picked up relatives at Hannover, and could park right outside the terminal. Same applies at Nürnberg. Much more convenient.
The UK has got itself into this total over-reaction regarding security. OK, being parked half way up Dubya's backside doesn't help, but we were well along the road before 11th September 2001 and Iraq, I just don't see it getting any better.
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It is inconvenient at EMA - but at least the traffic flow is ok, plus the distance from drop-off to Terminal door has not increased too much.
But LTN!? What a nightmare! The traffic flow into and out of the Drop Off Zone was a joke anyway. But into and out of the Car Park!? Man alive!!
And the increased distance to the terminal is significant. Plus there are queues to get out of LTN Short Stay alot of the time already!
Next they will move the drop off zone to the Parkway Station and expect people to take the shuttle bus.
But LTN!? What a nightmare! The traffic flow into and out of the Drop Off Zone was a joke anyway. But into and out of the Car Park!? Man alive!!
And the increased distance to the terminal is significant. Plus there are queues to get out of LTN Short Stay alot of the time already!
Next they will move the drop off zone to the Parkway Station and expect people to take the shuttle bus.
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I came to the conclusion years ago that anything to do with car parking, road design and road signs in the UK was probably invented by aliens on a bad day.
I think they must have a conspiracy to make using airports as unpleasant as possible. Of course, we should also be made to suffer for not choosing to use public transport to reach the airport.
After all, the main purpose of an airport is to turn it into a kind of expensive Tesco's so the punters can be parted from lots of their holiday money before even getting off the ground. Car parking? Nah! Bleed them dry, hard luck about the potholes. Your 84 year old parents have to be unloaded as close as possible to the terminal at 5 am on a cold rainy morning? Make them walk! Of course we have wheelchairs so you can have fun pushing them into potholes and negotiating pavement edges, and avoiding kamikaze drivers trying to find a space in the car park.
I was hoping that the new airport owners might inject the place with some imaginative Spanish design, rather like Mahon Airport, where the ground facilities and parking are a pleasure to use, but apparently not yet....
I think they must have a conspiracy to make using airports as unpleasant as possible. Of course, we should also be made to suffer for not choosing to use public transport to reach the airport.
After all, the main purpose of an airport is to turn it into a kind of expensive Tesco's so the punters can be parted from lots of their holiday money before even getting off the ground. Car parking? Nah! Bleed them dry, hard luck about the potholes. Your 84 year old parents have to be unloaded as close as possible to the terminal at 5 am on a cold rainy morning? Make them walk! Of course we have wheelchairs so you can have fun pushing them into potholes and negotiating pavement edges, and avoiding kamikaze drivers trying to find a space in the car park.
I was hoping that the new airport owners might inject the place with some imaginative Spanish design, rather like Mahon Airport, where the ground facilities and parking are a pleasure to use, but apparently not yet....
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Can't see much will be gained. The queue will just go further around the roundabout as cars line up to get into the short-term car park for drop off/pick up, along with all the other punters who are paying an arm & leg for express parking.
Will traffic be routed through the current drop off zone or are there plans to use the area for something else ?. Isn't that area earmarked as land for extending the terminal sideways at some future date, as and when increasing pax numbers warrant it ?.
Will traffic be routed through the current drop off zone or are there plans to use the area for something else ?. Isn't that area earmarked as land for extending the terminal sideways at some future date, as and when increasing pax numbers warrant it ?.
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Will traffic be routed through the current drop off zone?
I was wondering why fencing was being installed on the kerb edges on the roundabout and on all the central area roads. Now I know, it is to stop passengers getting to the pavements if they get out of a car on the road.
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Gentlemen / Ladies,
Having read through this latest string, and from the admittedly comfy if smokey remoteness of my Bingo Hall up here in the 'Pool, I'll make a few half-educated guesses about what's going on...
* The present basic traffic set up at LTN has been in place for about 6 or so years as I recall, though the airport put in the barrier access control system into the drop off area about 2 years ago of course.
* In that time the passenger figures at Luton have greatly increased to the present 7+ million ppa with the appropriate extra numbers using public transport and taxis to get there - which equates to more buses and taxis in what is an already constained coaching area in front of the terminal.
* Last time I flew into to LTN I spied that the taxi rank had already been moved into the public drop off area from where it had been - in the coaching area.
* There is also, as we all know, a major redevelopment going on at LTN at the moment, and in addition to the buses and coaches there is now a lot of construction traffic accessing the front the Terminal road and the coaching zone.
* Thus logcally it would seem pretty obvious that in any event there was soon going to be a need to rearrange the traffic flows, plus the parking and drop-off.
* Looks as though the drop-off area might be re-designated as the new taxi rank, and so the public will now have to drop off and pick up in the Short Term Car Park which is about 100 metres to the South (?).
This all seems very reasonable to me - as there is one certainty in life, and particularly in the aviation world - and that is that nothing remains the same...
IMHO the worst that LTN management can be accused of is trying to put plans into place to more efficiently handle the arrival and departure of the extra pax they already have - and indeed proactively plan for the extra numbers expected now that Ryanair and Easyjet are expanding there.
Perhaps keep us posted LTNman?
Regards to all,
Fast Eddie
Having read through this latest string, and from the admittedly comfy if smokey remoteness of my Bingo Hall up here in the 'Pool, I'll make a few half-educated guesses about what's going on...
* The present basic traffic set up at LTN has been in place for about 6 or so years as I recall, though the airport put in the barrier access control system into the drop off area about 2 years ago of course.
* In that time the passenger figures at Luton have greatly increased to the present 7+ million ppa with the appropriate extra numbers using public transport and taxis to get there - which equates to more buses and taxis in what is an already constained coaching area in front of the terminal.
* Last time I flew into to LTN I spied that the taxi rank had already been moved into the public drop off area from where it had been - in the coaching area.
* There is also, as we all know, a major redevelopment going on at LTN at the moment, and in addition to the buses and coaches there is now a lot of construction traffic accessing the front the Terminal road and the coaching zone.
* Thus logcally it would seem pretty obvious that in any event there was soon going to be a need to rearrange the traffic flows, plus the parking and drop-off.
* Looks as though the drop-off area might be re-designated as the new taxi rank, and so the public will now have to drop off and pick up in the Short Term Car Park which is about 100 metres to the South (?).
This all seems very reasonable to me - as there is one certainty in life, and particularly in the aviation world - and that is that nothing remains the same...
IMHO the worst that LTN management can be accused of is trying to put plans into place to more efficiently handle the arrival and departure of the extra pax they already have - and indeed proactively plan for the extra numbers expected now that Ryanair and Easyjet are expanding there.
Perhaps keep us posted LTNman?
Regards to all,
Fast Eddie
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EG
Probably correct in your conclusion but do these changes ALWAYS have to be for the worst. Why can't this country plan properly, we constantly make small changes when pushed and end up with a patchwork result. Other countries plan for expansion (CDG is an excellent example). Heathrow plonks a new terminal wherever it can find space (separated by miles from the others) whereas CDG (after a false start) can expand whenever it chooses just by adding a (matching) section on the end of the existing terminals. Back to Luton, what a mess, just trying to keep up with increasing numbers of pax, but any long term plan? Unlikely!
Probably correct in your conclusion but do these changes ALWAYS have to be for the worst. Why can't this country plan properly, we constantly make small changes when pushed and end up with a patchwork result. Other countries plan for expansion (CDG is an excellent example). Heathrow plonks a new terminal wherever it can find space (separated by miles from the others) whereas CDG (after a false start) can expand whenever it chooses just by adding a (matching) section on the end of the existing terminals. Back to Luton, what a mess, just trying to keep up with increasing numbers of pax, but any long term plan? Unlikely!
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This is really mad.
The barriers where a bad idea, why they needed them no one knows.
Surley someone employed to move on cars from the area would be sufficent. Oh then again no body moves any cars on from Heathrow Terminal 1, 2 and 3 not even the Traffic warden do this.Today I queued from the m23 to the terminal to get onto to the ramp to drop my FO off today just to find cars parked outside on dropping zones.
At Southamptom they had a good way of moving traffic, a Car Wheel clamp on a trolley and was pushed slowly towards you if you not moved.
The barriers where a bad idea, why they needed them no one knows.
Surley someone employed to move on cars from the area would be sufficent. Oh then again no body moves any cars on from Heathrow Terminal 1, 2 and 3 not even the Traffic warden do this.Today I queued from the m23 to the terminal to get onto to the ramp to drop my FO off today just to find cars parked outside on dropping zones.
At Southamptom they had a good way of moving traffic, a Car Wheel clamp on a trolley and was pushed slowly towards you if you not moved.
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eddie
You may well be right about the taxi rank. However, after several years of neglect, some serious money must now be spent on a major improvement of ALL the carparks, if the airport is to be taken seriously and new business attracted to the airport.
Tarmac and proper marked bays are required in EVERY carpark, not " park your car to the left of that pothole, miss that heap of stones to your right", that we have now. Lets just hope the new operators begin to show some positive input asap.
As far as the short-term car park is concerned though, this sits on what may well be the next place for apron expansion, so in some respects, the airport is probably unwilling to shell out for improvements here if it is to be dug up in the not too distant future.
You may well be right about the taxi rank. However, after several years of neglect, some serious money must now be spent on a major improvement of ALL the carparks, if the airport is to be taken seriously and new business attracted to the airport.
Tarmac and proper marked bays are required in EVERY carpark, not " park your car to the left of that pothole, miss that heap of stones to your right", that we have now. Lets just hope the new operators begin to show some positive input asap.
As far as the short-term car park is concerned though, this sits on what may well be the next place for apron expansion, so in some respects, the airport is probably unwilling to shell out for improvements here if it is to be dug up in the not too distant future.
Paxing All Over The World
I suspect that this is nothing to do with security and everything to do with money. The drop off zone can now be used for:
[list=1][*]Big taxi rank for which taxi owners are charged[*]Expand the cow shed (aka terminal) and make more money that way[*]Allow use for mini-bus also chargable[*]Franchise for selling space[*]etcetera[/list=1]
Since my mother is 79 years old and uses a walking stick, I shall now tell her to request a wheelchair and then see if they issue me with a pass to park in the taxi rank to meet her or watch them push her into a pothole in the car partk.
Once again LTN are learning too much from BAA.
============
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
[list=1][*]Big taxi rank for which taxi owners are charged[*]Expand the cow shed (aka terminal) and make more money that way[*]Allow use for mini-bus also chargable[*]Franchise for selling space[*]etcetera[/list=1]
Since my mother is 79 years old and uses a walking stick, I shall now tell her to request a wheelchair and then see if they issue me with a pass to park in the taxi rank to meet her or watch them push her into a pothole in the car partk.
Once again LTN are learning too much from BAA.
============
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
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As usual LTNman is slagging of the airport operator for attempting to be proactive in dealing with a massive increase in vehicular traffic as Luton expands!
LTNman let me remind you that TBI/Aena-Aberetis did not design the current terminal location, or its access. That is history; they have to deal with ‘now’! Airports have to be environmentally friendly, whether that is keeping aircraft noise down for its neighbours, or meeting Government pressures to keep car journeys down to a minimum.
FACT. Any further large expansion of Luton will probably have to go to a public enquiry. To appease local anger at more ‘apparent’ damage to the local environment, Luton must follow Government guidelines, one of which is to reduce the percentage of passengers and staff arriving by private car. Forcing folk to park and walk a few yards can only be good for the health of the nation! One of the last considerations of folk buying low cost flights from Luton, at the time of booking, is car parking. Luton is only playing ‘catch up’ with the other London airports re parking?
Remote parking was inevitable once Luton got really busy with the current Tinminal access! The current airport operator has to live within these constraints, but did not conceive them.
LTNman let me remind you that TBI/Aena-Aberetis did not design the current terminal location, or its access. That is history; they have to deal with ‘now’! Airports have to be environmentally friendly, whether that is keeping aircraft noise down for its neighbours, or meeting Government pressures to keep car journeys down to a minimum.
FACT. Any further large expansion of Luton will probably have to go to a public enquiry. To appease local anger at more ‘apparent’ damage to the local environment, Luton must follow Government guidelines, one of which is to reduce the percentage of passengers and staff arriving by private car. Forcing folk to park and walk a few yards can only be good for the health of the nation! One of the last considerations of folk buying low cost flights from Luton, at the time of booking, is car parking. Luton is only playing ‘catch up’ with the other London airports re parking?
Remote parking was inevitable once Luton got really busy with the current Tinminal access! The current airport operator has to live within these constraints, but did not conceive them.
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Remote parking was inevitable once Luton got really busy with the current Tinminal access! The current airport operator has to live within these constraints, but did not conceive them.
Compared with the amount of money being spent at the airport it would not cost a fortune to resurface the car park. Remember first impressions count, which is not helped by the sheer amount of rubbish that always seems to be clinging to the fence.
I think Buster needs to get out of his cage and make a trip to the middle of the short-term car park. Once there he needs to find a trolley and load 100lb of luggage on it and then attempt to get to the terminal.
Last edited by LTNman; 4th Feb 2005 at 23:06.
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Terminal front parking??
From my experience, terminals with arrivals and departures on one level simply don't work. People abandon their vehicles outside the terminal. You see them running inside to check on flight times, use the loo, see where aunt Jean is. Meanwhile the vehicle is basically a potential bomb as far as the security and police are concerned. If thats the only way to make the airport more secure then so be it.
Airports around the country are handling unpresidented levels of passengers in terminal biuldings biult for pehaps a couple of million passsengers. East Midlands (sorry Nottingham), Leeds Bradford. The list is endless, they're all in the same boat. If they're going to handle the passengers, they have to handle the vehicle traffic.
Airports around the country are handling unpresidented levels of passengers in terminal biuldings biult for pehaps a couple of million passsengers. East Midlands (sorry Nottingham), Leeds Bradford. The list is endless, they're all in the same boat. If they're going to handle the passengers, they have to handle the vehicle traffic.
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Much of Luton’s problems stem from the location of the bridge. The original plan was to locate the bridge around 100 yards further down the road towards the hotels which would have made a huge difference to the size of the central area. I heard at the time that it was ATC who objected as it would have restricted movements due to its location in respect to runway 08 and the inability to hold more than one aircraft at the holding point without affecting aircraft that had landed getting to the apron. Not sure this story was true but it was what I heard at the time.
I still have an artists impression of a dual carriageway disappearing through a tunnel just by the exit from the Ibis roundabout.
I still have an artists impression of a dual carriageway disappearing through a tunnel just by the exit from the Ibis roundabout.
Last edited by LTNman; 5th Feb 2005 at 06:25.
Paxing All Over The World
If the drop off area had two barriers in and out and a human being permanently stationed to chase people out and ticketing those that abandon their cars with the hazard flashers on.
Ooops, silly me, that would cost money.
--------------------
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Ooops, silly me, that would cost money.
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"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
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Its a money generation scheme... Joe Public brings Aunt Mable to the airport, and now has to go into the car park. By the time he's assisted the old biddy across the car park and into the terminal, then gone back to his car, chances are he's been there over 15 minutes and viola, revenue for the airport. Even worse when Aunt Mable returns, as she either has to schlep around the car park looking for her ride home, or again the poor sod picking her up has to hike into the terminal to meet her - either way, by they time they get sorted, chances are they're into the charging period again. Even if its the 15 minute minimum charge, its better for the airport than nothing.
Same thing happens at East Midlands, although whilst the signs say you pay after 15 minutes, in actual fact the free period is 30 minutes (shhh, I didn't tell you that) - they had to change it due to getting so many complaints from people being snagged for payment for going just over the 15 minutes.
Andy
Same thing happens at East Midlands, although whilst the signs say you pay after 15 minutes, in actual fact the free period is 30 minutes (shhh, I didn't tell you that) - they had to change it due to getting so many complaints from people being snagged for payment for going just over the 15 minutes.
Andy
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Never had to use Luton. Glad of that. Sounds like old infrastructure and some bad decisions of late.
To provide a different way of doing things, here's YVR
http://www.yvr.ca/guide/maps/index.asp?mapid=mt
Pick up and drop off are all along the front of the terminal buildings, on two levels, full length. Today, on the way home, I saw two eagles circling the fields between the runways. Not an uncommon sight.
To provide a different way of doing things, here's YVR
http://www.yvr.ca/guide/maps/index.asp?mapid=mt
Pick up and drop off are all along the front of the terminal buildings, on two levels, full length. Today, on the way home, I saw two eagles circling the fields between the runways. Not an uncommon sight.
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quote:
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Once again LTN are learning too much from BAA.
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I can't think of any BAA airports that don't allow you to pickup/drop off right outside the terminal.
LHR,LGW,STN,GLA,EDI all allow you to stop outside the terminal free of charge.
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Once again LTN are learning too much from BAA.
______________________________________
I can't think of any BAA airports that don't allow you to pickup/drop off right outside the terminal.
LHR,LGW,STN,GLA,EDI all allow you to stop outside the terminal free of charge.