LUTON
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 10,225
Likes: 36
From: In the sticks
It is hard to say what will or will not be open tomorrow, as some shops in the old lounge should be closing for good tonight. Shops like Dixons can just move staff on the day as they have a new outlet but talking to a lady who was packing selves in the new lounge she said that stock levels in the old lounge have been run down on the assumption that the lounge is to close tonight.
If the lounge does open then most of the builders will not be able to get in to finish the job as they don’t hold airside passes.
If the lounge does open then most of the builders will not be able to get in to finish the job as they don’t hold airside passes.
Last edited by LTNman; 30th June 2005 at 15:58.
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 773
Likes: 0
From: DE74
Luton has seen the light!
After years of darkness and gloom in the check in area at LTN a new age of brightness has burst forth!!
Was at LTN last night between 2200 and 2300 - a flurry of builders pulling down the hordings opposite Burger King. What a sight!
A set of 3 lifts, 2 escalators and a flight of stair absolutely flooded with bright shining halogen light!!!
You could not help but feel sorry for the terminal staff, easyjet ground crew and travelex cashiers, whose eyes have virtually healed over because of years of working in near darkness! With squeals of pain, like creatures that nornally roam around a cellar that dash for cover when the cellar door opens - a swarm of orange T shirts and spiked hair styles ran for cover in the dark shadows behind check-in desks.
I was expecting to hear a blast of angelic chorus and harps as the meet and greet area was bathed in glorious lumination!!
In the end I was so dumb struck all I could do was stand in open mouthed awe and sigh "Halleluton!!!"
Well done!
After years of darkness and gloom in the check in area at LTN a new age of brightness has burst forth!!
Was at LTN last night between 2200 and 2300 - a flurry of builders pulling down the hordings opposite Burger King. What a sight!
A set of 3 lifts, 2 escalators and a flight of stair absolutely flooded with bright shining halogen light!!!
You could not help but feel sorry for the terminal staff, easyjet ground crew and travelex cashiers, whose eyes have virtually healed over because of years of working in near darkness! With squeals of pain, like creatures that nornally roam around a cellar that dash for cover when the cellar door opens - a swarm of orange T shirts and spiked hair styles ran for cover in the dark shadows behind check-in desks.
I was expecting to hear a blast of angelic chorus and harps as the meet and greet area was bathed in glorious lumination!!
In the end I was so dumb struck all I could do was stand in open mouthed awe and sigh "Halleluton!!!"
Well done!
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: Malton
LTN Man you are obviously not as central to the action as I thought you were. You are someone of little faith.
It looks like the airport opened their facility as they said they would in time for the first wave. Took a look on my way through to GLA. Well what a difference.
EGNXEMA is right - Luton has seen the light and the place was buzzing. You couldn't get near the bar for the mass of drinkers downing copious qunatities of alcohol at 06.10!
Signage was poor, although one of the airport staff said that would be rectified today. Lot's of staff directing people to the gates.
I understand that the main lifts were not working but just on looks alone - Luton has gone from the Wright Brothers to Airbus 21st Centruy in one leap..
Can't wait until arrivals is complete. Now that part does need an upgrade.
It looks like the airport opened their facility as they said they would in time for the first wave. Took a look on my way through to GLA. Well what a difference.
EGNXEMA is right - Luton has seen the light and the place was buzzing. You couldn't get near the bar for the mass of drinkers downing copious qunatities of alcohol at 06.10!
Signage was poor, although one of the airport staff said that would be rectified today. Lot's of staff directing people to the gates.
I understand that the main lifts were not working but just on looks alone - Luton has gone from the Wright Brothers to Airbus 21st Centruy in one leap..
Can't wait until arrivals is complete. Now that part does need an upgrade.
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: North of 50N
The expanded terminal is indeed, an amazing advance for Luton and once the rest is upgraded - rumoured to be by the end of August, it might well start to attract some additional airline business.
Bit odd though, opening it in July without having the air conditioning working.
Was this intentional or just due to the system not being made to work properly?
Some of the "old timers" at Luton might have thought that air conditioning's a bit of an unnecessary luxury. Unfortunately for them, times have moved on since Lorraine Chase and it's what Luton's competition provides!!
As I understand it, the 'shopping mall' concept is exactly as planned. LLAO enagaged a multinational retail marketing consultancy to advise and recommend the optimum layout for what's called "maximum impulse spend". The result is as seen.
As for the lack of WC signange - who the hell forgot it??
Still, despite the minor glitches, on the routes and services that Luton can support, it's certainly going to give BAA at Stansted a run for its money - and about time too!!
Bit odd though, opening it in July without having the air conditioning working.
Was this intentional or just due to the system not being made to work properly?
Some of the "old timers" at Luton might have thought that air conditioning's a bit of an unnecessary luxury. Unfortunately for them, times have moved on since Lorraine Chase and it's what Luton's competition provides!!
As I understand it, the 'shopping mall' concept is exactly as planned. LLAO enagaged a multinational retail marketing consultancy to advise and recommend the optimum layout for what's called "maximum impulse spend". The result is as seen.
As for the lack of WC signange - who the hell forgot it??
Still, despite the minor glitches, on the routes and services that Luton can support, it's certainly going to give BAA at Stansted a run for its money - and about time too!!
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
From: London FIR
...it's certainly going to give BAA at Stansted a run for its money
If it doesn't lead to some significant additional airline business then they'll have run out of ideas.
Having taken a looksee on Friday lunchtime it's nothing less than a quantum leap for Luton and just goes to show what can be done by a professional airport company run by airport professionals (as opposed to a bunch of amateurish local councillors who think they know all about airport management but who in reality, know not a lot about very little...).
What's now needed is a change of attitude by the neddies in the Dept for Transport (how many I wonder, are shareholders [if indirectly] in BAA...??), the Westminster politicians and the local politicians.
Good luck to the 'new' Luton - but only time will tell...
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 10,225
Likes: 36
From: In the sticks
The new finished lounge will be shown on either this Tuesday’s edition of London Luton Airport shown on ITV London at 7:30 or the following Tuesday. ITV London can be seen out of area via Sky on channel 963 or on Sky Travel which is shown on Freeview at various times through the week and weekends.
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: UK
LTNman - how quickly you have changed your tune!!!!!!!!!!!!
What happened to:
"Then it will be the 4th as I have just had another walk around the lounge and it isn’t even close to being in an acceptable state for passengers. I would have said another week at the absolute minimum. Someone has got his or her timings wrong as to when the lounge should have been started. The shell has been empty for 6 years and could have been started at any time but it was left too late"??????
the new presentation, central search, departures retail area & new pier all opened for business on 1st July as planned!!
LTNman - oh ye of little faith. Yes, there are some teething problems & plenty of snagging to do & plenty more work to be done on other areas, eg. arrivals, but on the whole LTN now looks - at long last - like a proper airport should.
Hats off to all the staff at Luton for their hard work. Well done.
LTNman - you are normally so vocal with your criticism - can't you give praise where it's due for once?!?!?!?!?!??!?!
What happened to:
"Then it will be the 4th as I have just had another walk around the lounge and it isn’t even close to being in an acceptable state for passengers. I would have said another week at the absolute minimum. Someone has got his or her timings wrong as to when the lounge should have been started. The shell has been empty for 6 years and could have been started at any time but it was left too late"??????
the new presentation, central search, departures retail area & new pier all opened for business on 1st July as planned!!
LTNman - oh ye of little faith. Yes, there are some teething problems & plenty of snagging to do & plenty more work to be done on other areas, eg. arrivals, but on the whole LTN now looks - at long last - like a proper airport should.
Hats off to all the staff at Luton for their hard work. Well done.
LTNman - you are normally so vocal with your criticism - can't you give praise where it's due for once?!?!?!?!?!??!?!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 10,225
Likes: 36
From: In the sticks
I Really did think it would be the 4th or even longer but I assumed that the lounge, pier and link would not open with so many things unfinished or not working. I congratulate the builders and airport management in having faith that the lounge could open on time and opening it on time.
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 284
Likes: 0
From: UK
Looks like stand 61 is now operational now that stand 40 has been moved forward as I saw an easyjet aircraft offloading passengers from it yesterday. . Has stand 60 opened yet to self-manoeuvring aircraft? The only aircraft I have seen on it have been towed on and off it?
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
From: Wouldn't you like to know!
I took a drive to see the new additions to the airport and LTNMan is right, although officially open, part of the airport still has builder rubbish chutes hanging out of it, coming out of windows missing panes of glass.
So they got it open, but it really did need a couple more days to be completely finished....
So they got it open, but it really did need a couple more days to be completely finished....
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
From: Wouldn't you like to know!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,743
Likes: 38
From: Under the flight path
Ryanair Winter Schedule
As mentioned in another thread, the FR Shannon flight will be operated by a LTN based aircraft this winter.
Also, looking at the FR website, it appears that Dinard stops on 29.10.05. After transferring this route from STN in January, a new STN-Dinard flight was started a few months later. It now seems to have reverted to STN.
Also from 30.10.05 the Esbjerg transfers back to STN.
Furthermore, the winter timetable doesn't show any Girona flights, but the Reus page says that Girona is served from LTN.
So is Ryanair committed to its Luton base, or is it gradually withdrawing back to STN? Interestingly, since resolving its dispute with BAA over fuel, all new London services have been announced as from Essex Rural.
And Wizz??
Wizzair are competing head-to-head with Easy on Budapest and Warsaw, but who is winning? From my observations, WZZ are constantly adjusting their schedule, and their prices seem cheaper than EZY. That looks like a couple of points to the orange corner.
Soon after Wizz start Poznan flights (4 per week) in September, Ryanair are starting daily flights there from Stansted.
Are Wizz strong enough to thrive in the face of such competition? I sincerely hope so, but I guess time will tell.
Also, looking at the FR website, it appears that Dinard stops on 29.10.05. After transferring this route from STN in January, a new STN-Dinard flight was started a few months later. It now seems to have reverted to STN.
Also from 30.10.05 the Esbjerg transfers back to STN.
Furthermore, the winter timetable doesn't show any Girona flights, but the Reus page says that Girona is served from LTN.
So is Ryanair committed to its Luton base, or is it gradually withdrawing back to STN? Interestingly, since resolving its dispute with BAA over fuel, all new London services have been announced as from Essex Rural.
And Wizz??
Wizzair are competing head-to-head with Easy on Budapest and Warsaw, but who is winning? From my observations, WZZ are constantly adjusting their schedule, and their prices seem cheaper than EZY. That looks like a couple of points to the orange corner.
Soon after Wizz start Poznan flights (4 per week) in September, Ryanair are starting daily flights there from Stansted.
Are Wizz strong enough to thrive in the face of such competition? I sincerely hope so, but I guess time will tell.