EAST MIDLANDS - 6
Must admit I am not a fan of EMA and I live one mile from the airport! No problem at all with arrivals - its quick and easy (but a bit scruffy, but then I don't hand around there) but departures is/ was a nightmare. When I used to fly to Scotland on business regularly I would drive to Birmingham and fly from there because the whole departure experience was more pleasurable.
Not been through EMA in last 12 months so not sure how things have changed or not.
As an aside 1) There seems to be a lot more biz jet and King Air 200 activity recently (in addition to the usual JCB stuff).
Aside 2) I can't believe that HS2 is planned to be tunnelled underneath EMA and yet there are no plans for a station there.
Not been through EMA in last 12 months so not sure how things have changed or not.
As an aside 1) There seems to be a lot more biz jet and King Air 200 activity recently (in addition to the usual JCB stuff).
Aside 2) I can't believe that HS2 is planned to be tunnelled underneath EMA and yet there are no plans for a station there.
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I've been through EMA three times this year and unless my experiences were not typical the process of getting through security had improved quite considerably.
Arrivals unfortunately can still be the shambles of old. If you arrive on a half full aircraft with no other aircraft arrivals it's ok but if you get two or three full 737s all arriving at the same time it is far from ok especially if it's raining.
I don't think there is any chance of an HS2 station serving the airport as Toton (the intended station to serve Derby and Nottingham) is only 6 miles away. There is a railway spur from the Sheet Stores freight loop planned to the northern boundary of the airport but this will be freight only to serve the envisaged industrial development.
Arrivals unfortunately can still be the shambles of old. If you arrive on a half full aircraft with no other aircraft arrivals it's ok but if you get two or three full 737s all arriving at the same time it is far from ok especially if it's raining.
I don't think there is any chance of an HS2 station serving the airport as Toton (the intended station to serve Derby and Nottingham) is only 6 miles away. There is a railway spur from the Sheet Stores freight loop planned to the northern boundary of the airport but this will be freight only to serve the envisaged industrial development.
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I have to drive past EMA to get to BHX, but will always fly out of BHX while I can. The reason? A much more pleasurable experience - nicer airport, decent lounges, long stay parking within easy walking distance and a massive range of flight times to anywhere in Europe, either direct or indirect. EMA is so much more restrictive, plus you have to fly with Ryanair or FlyMayBe. An example: My next upcoming business trip to Berlin. EMA have a flight on a Monday and one on a Friday with Ryanair. BHX have 3-5 flight combinations, every day, through KLM alone. Brussels and Lufthansa provide additional connections, and of course there are 2 direct flights a day with Germanwings.
I had to fly out of EMA the other week for our holiday in Florida (travelling with in-laws who would only fly from the closest available airport). I have to say it was no better than the last time I flew out - very cramped, and like every other time I've flown in/out of EMA, long delays to check in and in the baggage hall. By the time you have parked in the long stay, waited for your bus and queued to check in at EMA, you could be at BHX.
I had to fly out of EMA the other week for our holiday in Florida (travelling with in-laws who would only fly from the closest available airport). I have to say it was no better than the last time I flew out - very cramped, and like every other time I've flown in/out of EMA, long delays to check in and in the baggage hall. By the time you have parked in the long stay, waited for your bus and queued to check in at EMA, you could be at BHX.
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Pays your money, makes your choice.
Personally I'm not looking for an "experience" in an airport. I just want to get on or off a plane.
But totally agree that lack of a network carrier at EMA is a handicap and the current arrivals capacity (or lack of) would be a show stopper for most non-LoCo or charter carriers.
Personally I'm not looking for an "experience" in an airport. I just want to get on or off a plane.
But totally agree that lack of a network carrier at EMA is a handicap and the current arrivals capacity (or lack of) would be a show stopper for most non-LoCo or charter carriers.
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TCAS_Alert
I have always myself found EMA to be a very stress free and efficient "experience". For me, the biggest problem is that EMA is too dependant on "bucket and spade" which makes the airport very seasonal. Not necessarily a bad thing, comparing it to BFS, LPL and NCL which are of similar size, EMA often seems the busiest of the lot in the summer but in the middle of winter, probably the quietist.
I think LH to FRA, AF to CDG or KL Cityhopper to AMS could all work at multiple daily frequencies on regional aircraft, but of course there's BHX just down the A42 so probably would never want to.
I'd be happy to see BE or FR to more European cities. Even if LS did a daily AMS or CDG at the right times that would be great for EMA.
I have always myself found EMA to be a very stress free and efficient "experience". For me, the biggest problem is that EMA is too dependant on "bucket and spade" which makes the airport very seasonal. Not necessarily a bad thing, comparing it to BFS, LPL and NCL which are of similar size, EMA often seems the busiest of the lot in the summer but in the middle of winter, probably the quietist.
I think LH to FRA, AF to CDG or KL Cityhopper to AMS could all work at multiple daily frequencies on regional aircraft, but of course there's BHX just down the A42 so probably would never want to.
I'd be happy to see BE or FR to more European cities. Even if LS did a daily AMS or CDG at the right times that would be great for EMA.
By Handsfree:
"I don't think there is any chance of an HS2 station serving the airport as Toton (the intended station to serve Derby and Nottingham) is only 6 miles away. There is a railway spur from the Sheet Stores freight loop planned to the northern boundary of the airport but this will be freight only to serve the envisaged industrial development."
If distance from another rail station was the criteria Toton would not be developed at all given that there are already stations with 1hr 30-1hr 45 min access to London already at Nottingham, Derbt, Long Eaton, East Midlands Parkway and Loughborough, and all of which are within a few miles of EMA.
No, the point is that this Govt is supposed to be promoting multi-modal alternatives to road transport and as the proposed HS2 line is to be tunnelled under EMA then I would have thought it would have made sense to have a station there to allow people to access the airport from a wider catchment area without having to use a car.
In any case, I strongly suspect that the High Speed element of HS2 will actually diminish over the next few years as people realise that the business case is flawed with just 5 stations between London and Leeds.
There is a freight only line being discussed (planning application not submitted yet) on the northern boundary of EMA, however this is nothing to do with EMA and the boundary between the two remains in place as far as published proposals suggest. This new development is being touted as an "inland port" to bring containers directly from Harwich and to then distribute them by road from the new hub.
With respect to Flybe at EMA, I am surprised that they do not make more of their links to Air France - KLM and offer daily (and price competitive) flights to Paris and Amsterdam to link up with their intercontinental routes from there. If I was flying abroad I would rather do that than travel to Heathrow/ Gatwick
"I don't think there is any chance of an HS2 station serving the airport as Toton (the intended station to serve Derby and Nottingham) is only 6 miles away. There is a railway spur from the Sheet Stores freight loop planned to the northern boundary of the airport but this will be freight only to serve the envisaged industrial development."
If distance from another rail station was the criteria Toton would not be developed at all given that there are already stations with 1hr 30-1hr 45 min access to London already at Nottingham, Derbt, Long Eaton, East Midlands Parkway and Loughborough, and all of which are within a few miles of EMA.
No, the point is that this Govt is supposed to be promoting multi-modal alternatives to road transport and as the proposed HS2 line is to be tunnelled under EMA then I would have thought it would have made sense to have a station there to allow people to access the airport from a wider catchment area without having to use a car.
In any case, I strongly suspect that the High Speed element of HS2 will actually diminish over the next few years as people realise that the business case is flawed with just 5 stations between London and Leeds.
There is a freight only line being discussed (planning application not submitted yet) on the northern boundary of EMA, however this is nothing to do with EMA and the boundary between the two remains in place as far as published proposals suggest. This new development is being touted as an "inland port" to bring containers directly from Harwich and to then distribute them by road from the new hub.
With respect to Flybe at EMA, I am surprised that they do not make more of their links to Air France - KLM and offer daily (and price competitive) flights to Paris and Amsterdam to link up with their intercontinental routes from there. If I was flying abroad I would rather do that than travel to Heathrow/ Gatwick
egnxema
You and I are at one on that - but the "experience" so beloved of airport managements is the "experience" of the punter being separated from their cash whilst drifting from this retail outlet, to that cafe trying to find somewhere to sit - since seating areas in lounges at most airports have been largely removed, or restricted to those that have mobility issues (hey, that's politically correct for me!!).
The requirement to fleece the unsuspecting passenger has come about since airlines such as Ryanair adopted a policy of not paying sufficiently for the services they need / use.
Personally I'm not looking for an "experience" in an airport. I just want to get on or off a plane
The requirement to fleece the unsuspecting passenger has come about since airlines such as Ryanair adopted a policy of not paying sufficiently for the services they need / use.
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AN-225 is due in tomorrow evening (12 June) at 1800, due out Friday 13 June at 1000 local.
With the "Download" festival at Donington Park and the police preventing parking on all surrounding roads for the course of the weekend - sounds like it will be one place to avoid at all costs
With the "Download" festival at Donington Park and the police preventing parking on all surrounding roads for the course of the weekend - sounds like it will be one place to avoid at all costs
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Place was mobbed hundreds and hundreds reminded me of when Concorde came in
https://www.flickr.com/photos/plane_...n/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/plane_...n/photostream/
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Servisair Lounge advice please
It is many years since I used EMA but now FR have stopped GRO flights from BHX I will be using it on regular basis.
My Priority Pass gives us access to the upstairs Servisair lounge-I remember as it a being fairly grim,stained carpets and with poor f&b offering(crisps,nuts,,tiny tins of beer and acid wines)
Have things improved,advice welcome (or should I go for the Boots £3.49 meal deal?)
SS
My Priority Pass gives us access to the upstairs Servisair lounge-I remember as it a being fairly grim,stained carpets and with poor f&b offering(crisps,nuts,,tiny tins of beer and acid wines)
Have things improved,advice welcome (or should I go for the Boots £3.49 meal deal?)
SS
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Well the Servisair lounge is no more.
Instead there will be (in August) the MAG brand of 'Premium Lounge' called the "Escape Lounge" opening up where the downstairs bar used to be.
You've got a choice of F&B now.
There's (in order as you pass them):
Landside:
Leon - Hot, Fresh but Fast food. Check in hall.
WHSmiths - Check in hall
Boots - Arrivals
WHSmiths - Arrivals
Flat White - Coffee shop
Airside:
WHSmiths
Boots - Soon to close and be replaced by Superdrug
Grab & Fly - a selection of Sandwiches. At Gates 1-5
Pork&Pickle - Mostly Sausage based
Frankie & Bennys
Flat White (Upstairs)
Castle Rock - Bar/Pub grub (Upstairs)
Burger King (Upstairs)
Instead there will be (in August) the MAG brand of 'Premium Lounge' called the "Escape Lounge" opening up where the downstairs bar used to be.
You've got a choice of F&B now.
There's (in order as you pass them):
Landside:
Leon - Hot, Fresh but Fast food. Check in hall.
WHSmiths - Check in hall
Boots - Arrivals
WHSmiths - Arrivals
Flat White - Coffee shop
Airside:
WHSmiths
Boots - Soon to close and be replaced by Superdrug
Grab & Fly - a selection of Sandwiches. At Gates 1-5
Pork&Pickle - Mostly Sausage based
Frankie & Bennys
Flat White (Upstairs)
Castle Rock - Bar/Pub grub (Upstairs)
Burger King (Upstairs)