MANCHESTER - 5
Lady Lexxington
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: The Manor House
Age: 43
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MAN/ABZ with BD is already 6x daily.
This is the original press if anyone wants to read it.
release.
I don't see how they can accommodate all the ex BA pax, they are already very busy flights.
This is the original press if anyone wants to read it.
release.
I don't see how they can accommodate all the ex BA pax, they are already very busy flights.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: North Cheshire
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The Shawshank Redemption -no, security at Man!!
How marvellous it was to witness yesterday at 13.30p.m. two queues each four deep, of "Customers" either side of Terminal one concourse that spread back up the slope and into the check-in hall, who were waiting to pass through security control. What wonderfull service and care MA were providing these poor souls, who of course had nothing better to do than stand patiently in line,instead of spending money in the ailing retail outlets who are begging for business or relaxing in the deparure lounge. I don't know what the problem was but it looked like the bad old days of the terror alert some six months ago!
No wonder pax are deserting the NW's premier airport for better hassle free service elsewhere, if that is the " Man. Experience" !!
Manchester has slipped to Fourth now behind Stansted for Aircraft movements and one wonders when the Pax figures will follow suit? Not long at this rate.
Bangladesh-Biman withdrawing, PIA down by nearly half the movements due to a/c probs. BA Disconnect/Flybe withdrawing Premier services to Capital Destinations, Norwegian Air Shuttle stopping, Baltic Airlines stopping, China Airlines Cargo withdrawing their proposed service to Shanghai, the list is almost endless. The only bright spots are Great Wall Cargo, Saudia, Jet blue, Jet8 cargo and JD Aviation training flights ( PA-28 & Seneca)!
When you look at what has been in the recent past and now gone, it makes one wonder? Then again not really when for example American Airlines lands earlier than scheduled and has to wait on the ground until its scheduled arrival time before it can be accomadated on a gate, the same applying to Singapore, Virgin, PIA, Delta, Continental, My Travel, First Choice, (I could go on!). That's one reason airlines don't hold out any expansion plans, as the ones they operate already are sometimes subject to shambolic ground delays. Yes every major airport in the world sometimes has delays getting to the Gate, but I've yet to experience any at Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam or Stansted.
It's an ideal time to invest Massively in terminal re-development, if only The Board could have just a modicum of vision about them. (They used to be brilliant at it many years ago, but alas not now.
)
I do wish Mr. Muirhead could have been at the back of the security queue yesterday to see what appaling service his company are providing to their customers and businesses wthin the airport. Having been on the receiving end of it he could perhaps grab the bull by the horns and bring Manchester storming back into the ranks of Best of British airports,then he would be able to rate himself along side Gill Thompson and George Harvey - who were true visionarys
At the moment though " visionless "
No wonder pax are deserting the NW's premier airport for better hassle free service elsewhere, if that is the " Man. Experience" !!
Manchester has slipped to Fourth now behind Stansted for Aircraft movements and one wonders when the Pax figures will follow suit? Not long at this rate.
Bangladesh-Biman withdrawing, PIA down by nearly half the movements due to a/c probs. BA Disconnect/Flybe withdrawing Premier services to Capital Destinations, Norwegian Air Shuttle stopping, Baltic Airlines stopping, China Airlines Cargo withdrawing their proposed service to Shanghai, the list is almost endless. The only bright spots are Great Wall Cargo, Saudia, Jet blue, Jet8 cargo and JD Aviation training flights ( PA-28 & Seneca)!
When you look at what has been in the recent past and now gone, it makes one wonder? Then again not really when for example American Airlines lands earlier than scheduled and has to wait on the ground until its scheduled arrival time before it can be accomadated on a gate, the same applying to Singapore, Virgin, PIA, Delta, Continental, My Travel, First Choice, (I could go on!). That's one reason airlines don't hold out any expansion plans, as the ones they operate already are sometimes subject to shambolic ground delays. Yes every major airport in the world sometimes has delays getting to the Gate, but I've yet to experience any at Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam or Stansted.
It's an ideal time to invest Massively in terminal re-development, if only The Board could have just a modicum of vision about them. (They used to be brilliant at it many years ago, but alas not now.
)I do wish Mr. Muirhead could have been at the back of the security queue yesterday to see what appaling service his company are providing to their customers and businesses wthin the airport. Having been on the receiving end of it he could perhaps grab the bull by the horns and bring Manchester storming back into the ranks of Best of British airports,then he would be able to rate himself along side Gill Thompson and George Harvey - who were true visionarys
At the moment though " visionless "
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Manchester
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Isn't this the reason that there's a brand new larger security area being built above MyTravel checkin? Isn't this the reason that there's extra security lanes being put in for this summer once the new airside development upstairs is complete? Things are being done but you can't expect them to happen overnight. Granted, maybe with a bit of foresight and planning the situation could have been eased earlier but to say that they're not doing anything about it is utter nonsense.
Secondly, Saturday afternoons are extremely busy across all three terminals this time of year due to the high number of ski charters in addition to the regular services. This has always been the case. Terminal 2 was also extremely busy at 13.30 yesterday, however the queues had completely disappeared by 14.30 and I'm sure that would have been the case in T1 as well. I'm not using this as an excuse but you've picked one of the busiest peaks of the week to beef up your argument. Had you witnessed the security queue 2 hours either side of this time, it would probably have been a very different story.
I am in full agreement that MA needs to improve this situation but a high volume of flights will always amount to some queuing. That's life!
Secondly, Saturday afternoons are extremely busy across all three terminals this time of year due to the high number of ski charters in addition to the regular services. This has always been the case. Terminal 2 was also extremely busy at 13.30 yesterday, however the queues had completely disappeared by 14.30 and I'm sure that would have been the case in T1 as well. I'm not using this as an excuse but you've picked one of the busiest peaks of the week to beef up your argument. Had you witnessed the security queue 2 hours either side of this time, it would probably have been a very different story.
I am in full agreement that MA needs to improve this situation but a high volume of flights will always amount to some queuing. That's life!
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: UK
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The morning stand situaton is getting rather annoying. Several open stands in T3 but the one that takes the AA 763 from ORD seems to have an ERJ sprawled across it early every morning. From the sound of 24R's post it seems this isnt the only example of poor gate management.
To be fair it does happen everywhere else across the world and must be my biggest pet hate, sitting next to an empty gate, and being told we "have" to go to the one with the aircraft still parked on it.
Thankfully in that situation seat goes into bed mode and I get an extra 15 minutes asleep, so its not all bad!
To be fair it does happen everywhere else across the world and must be my biggest pet hate, sitting next to an empty gate, and being told we "have" to go to the one with the aircraft still parked on it.
Thankfully in that situation seat goes into bed mode and I get an extra 15 minutes asleep, so its not all bad!
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Lancashire
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Personally, I have never had any problems concerning MAN themselves (afew airlines though!)
MAN keeps getting voted, and is viewed as one of the best airports in Britain, and I can't see why if they have the problems everybody is experiencing!
On the pax declining point, MAN need a major Loco like EZY, FR or AB! Yes, BE offer an excellent service from the airport, but their a/c (DH4s) have less than half the seats of an EZY A319 or FR B738! With EZY and FR large at LPL, maybe MAN's only hope AB, unless LS is to grow beyond belief!
Maybe flyZOOM can revive MAN? They are starting at LGW this year, maybe MAN next year?
) MAN keeps getting voted, and is viewed as one of the best airports in Britain, and I can't see why if they have the problems everybody is experiencing!
On the pax declining point, MAN need a major Loco like EZY, FR or AB! Yes, BE offer an excellent service from the airport, but their a/c (DH4s) have less than half the seats of an EZY A319 or FR B738! With EZY and FR large at LPL, maybe MAN's only hope AB, unless LS is to grow beyond belief!
Maybe flyZOOM can revive MAN? They are starting at LGW this year, maybe MAN next year?
Lady Lexxington
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: The Manor House
Age: 43
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I don't know what the problem was but it looked like the bad old days of the terror alert some six months ago!
T3 gate management is done by BA BTW.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: North Cheshire
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Isn't this the reason that there's extra security lanes being put in for this summer once the new airside development upstairs is complete?
As for the reasoning that two hours either side of the Queue in question, that there wasn't a problem, would be completely lost on the the passengers that were in that queue? Also try explaining that to the businesses in the concourse. " Sorry, we know that Saturday at around 13.00 we have a lot of pax scheduled for departure, but they won't be filling your stores, as they'll be in the queue for security" !!
The queues may have disappeared by 14.30, but so would have all the revenue!Today I was greeted in T2, by wholesale bedlam at 13.40, when the queue for the PIA check-in resulted in it stretching back into the walkway between T2. and the rail station, only ending at the second travelator. It was extremely difficult for anyone to either leave T 2 for the rail station, or get into the T 2 from the rail-station. Is that yet another peak to beef up my argument?
The organisational system employed is again shambolic. The "high volume of flights" on this occaision was 2 PIA B777's, - hardly a situation never heard of before?!!
You are correct in the statement that "things cannot happen overnight", which is precisely my point, that some visionary thinking three to four years ago, instead of penny pinching and buying up lame duck airports, might have resulted in Manchester still being No. 3 in the country with the pleasurable experience of being a passenger, that it used to be! Instead it's a frustrating mish-mash of terminals, with no apparent easy connectivity. Try getting a baggage trolly from T2 to T3, without waiting endless hours for lifts that are so slow that day turns to night sometimes and you eventually loose the will to live. Great-fun for the world weary pax who just wants to get home, or catch his next connection, be it by Air or by Rail, or by Coach/ car. APPALLING
Join Date: Dec 2006
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PIA is a bad example, even if one passenger is travelling the whole family still come to the airport anyway, Virgin and Travel City don't have the same problem and they use bigger a/c.
Also, SAS may not have had enough desks for 2 T7's, ie lack of staff. To blame the queueing problems on the airport because of PIA is a bit harse, although i do agree the Secuirty problem should have been sorted b4 this summer, not through it...
Also, SAS may not have had enough desks for 2 T7's, ie lack of staff. To blame the queueing problems on the airport because of PIA is a bit harse, although i do agree the Secuirty problem should have been sorted b4 this summer, not through it...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Not close enough to my aircraft !
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I agree, it is a bit harsh. Man DOES need to get the management working properly to see these problems and get them sorted BEFORE the summer. I can understand the 'Saturday scenario' as I have used PIA from BHX and even on an A310 it is not the 250 that are flying but the 6500 relatives that come to see them off who all insist on staying in the queue to hold hands !! They have the same problem down there at BHX at peak times with a PIA flight and the same with the Turkmenistan and Indian flights.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Manchester
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The PK queue yesterday was shambolic but that just sums up the state of the airline right now doesn't it. The reason it was so bad was that PIA reinstated a cancelled flight last minute and didn't give SAS time to have enough staff to check it in. The resulting mess could have been handled better but as TechProblem says, it's not exactly the airports fault.
I guess your perception of MAN can depend entirely on the time you travel through it. For someone who travels regularly through T3 around midday, they'll probably think it's the best airport in the world. Whereas a passenger travelling through T2 between 7 & 9 on a Monday morning is likely to think it's one of the worst.
With better planning 3-4 yrs ago, I agree that the situation would have been improved but peak periods will always occur no matter what airport you travel through and I think it's extremely difficult to compare MAN to other airports without seeing the bigger picture elsewhere.
Only last Monday I queued for around 30 minutes to get through security at Las Palmas airport in Gran Canaria. The airport was relatively busy, there were quite a few departures that afternoon hence a lot of passengers travelling through it and it was inevitable that there would be a backlog. Speaking to a couple in the departure lounge who travel there regularly, they told us that it was always busy on a Monday afternoon due to all the British charters. You could argue the same point that the airport could have done more to prevent queues occuring. But I believe it's something that you just have to accept. On another day or at a different time I probably wouldn't have queued for half as long but you don't see me coming on here slagging off the airport do you.
I guess your perception of MAN can depend entirely on the time you travel through it. For someone who travels regularly through T3 around midday, they'll probably think it's the best airport in the world. Whereas a passenger travelling through T2 between 7 & 9 on a Monday morning is likely to think it's one of the worst.
With better planning 3-4 yrs ago, I agree that the situation would have been improved but peak periods will always occur no matter what airport you travel through and I think it's extremely difficult to compare MAN to other airports without seeing the bigger picture elsewhere.
Only last Monday I queued for around 30 minutes to get through security at Las Palmas airport in Gran Canaria. The airport was relatively busy, there were quite a few departures that afternoon hence a lot of passengers travelling through it and it was inevitable that there would be a backlog. Speaking to a couple in the departure lounge who travel there regularly, they told us that it was always busy on a Monday afternoon due to all the British charters. You could argue the same point that the airport could have done more to prevent queues occuring. But I believe it's something that you just have to accept. On another day or at a different time I probably wouldn't have queued for half as long but you don't see me coming on here slagging off the airport do you.
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Queues 10 March--Ref. post Numbers 107/108/112
As one who was caught up in the terminal 1 queue on Saturday afternoon,the time taken from the outside doors to the xray machines was about 40 minutes.
All the xray machines were in use,and airport staff were up and down the queues checking if anyone was running late for their flight,if they were then they were being directed down the fast lane. Also the rumour was that at some stage earlier, a fire alarm had sounded which compounded the delays.
I arrived at my destination on time, and on my return on Tuesday evening,with only hand baggage,I arrived back in Glossop 1 hour after touching down,which if anybody knows the route is not bad going.
Regards,
PeakP
All the xray machines were in use,and airport staff were up and down the queues checking if anyone was running late for their flight,if they were then they were being directed down the fast lane. Also the rumour was that at some stage earlier, a fire alarm had sounded which compounded the delays.
I arrived at my destination on time, and on my return on Tuesday evening,with only hand baggage,I arrived back in Glossop 1 hour after touching down,which if anybody knows the route is not bad going.
Regards,
PeakP