LUTON -8
This question might be better suited to the SLF thread but with all the talk at the moment of access to the airport.
We are planing to fly out of LTN in march on holiday due to connections this will require a night stop. How easy is it to get to a nearby hotel? Walking is not a option as my wife is confined to a wheelchair. Do any of the hotels have a minibus. (cant see anything on their web sites) Any recommendations about hotels.
thank you
We are planing to fly out of LTN in march on holiday due to connections this will require a night stop. How easy is it to get to a nearby hotel? Walking is not a option as my wife is confined to a wheelchair. Do any of the hotels have a minibus. (cant see anything on their web sites) Any recommendations about hotels.
thank you
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Luton a hole
Canberra97,
It is your perogaritive not to fly from Luton as it is mine not to want to fly from say Gatwick but one thing is for sure that due to the popularity of Luton Airport millions have chosen to do so and that not only includes the mega rich but celebrities and the ever growing business fraternity.
For the next several years Luton will be subject to a transition period but one thing is certain and that being, millions of more passengers will seek to fly from Luton.
Sadly the expectations of all will never be met, and equally the bygone days and the Halcyon days, are simply days from the past, but air travel is growing faster than it ever did and it is up to airport operators to respond to the evolving challenge.
I personally can not wait to see the conclusion of this latest development at Luton but equally see how even more it becomes popular and what the airport operator will then do to meet it,s next challenge?
The 18 million passenger goal is naive but 25 million a certainty? And in spite of what some think Luton can accommodate more stands to the east side without extending outside the perimeter!
It is your perogaritive not to fly from Luton as it is mine not to want to fly from say Gatwick but one thing is for sure that due to the popularity of Luton Airport millions have chosen to do so and that not only includes the mega rich but celebrities and the ever growing business fraternity.
For the next several years Luton will be subject to a transition period but one thing is certain and that being, millions of more passengers will seek to fly from Luton.
Sadly the expectations of all will never be met, and equally the bygone days and the Halcyon days, are simply days from the past, but air travel is growing faster than it ever did and it is up to airport operators to respond to the evolving challenge.
I personally can not wait to see the conclusion of this latest development at Luton but equally see how even more it becomes popular and what the airport operator will then do to meet it,s next challenge?
The 18 million passenger goal is naive but 25 million a certainty? And in spite of what some think Luton can accommodate more stands to the east side without extending outside the perimeter!
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Maybe so but ultimately you can only squeeze so many pints into a quart pot and that pot is the CTA and terminal. The redevelopment has been designed to accommodate 18 million passengers. Anything above that and then you start to get issues with the CTA infrastructure and terminal not being up to the task. With the terminal and CTA on an island surrounded by aprons and taxiways it can't be expanded. I believe that all the tinkering that is being done now to increase capacity is to max out its capacity and that capacity is 18 million passengers.
I for one do not want to see a Luton where passengers have to queue for 20 minutes to get into the CTA like they do now at peak times.
I for one do not want to see a Luton where passengers have to queue for 20 minutes to get into the CTA like they do now at peak times.
Last edited by LTNman; 29th Dec 2015 at 21:47.
canberra97.......LTN is hardly your local airport so its very easy to jump in and be dismissive and negative!
Most of us posting in this forum have a reason to try and be positive about the re-development work (but you'll also see criticism when its justified!)
LTN currently has many flaws but its a major local employer and serves a large and important catchment area.
Most of us posting in this forum have a reason to try and be positive about the re-development work (but you'll also see criticism when its justified!)LTN currently has many flaws but its a major local employer and serves a large and important catchment area.
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Wizz to Dubai??
"Bit more controversial but how about Wizz Air using their A321 to Dubai !"
Perhaps someone can clarify something for me or correct me if my information is wrong or out of date.
Until the 1990's airlines could only operate scheduled flights originating from their own country i.e. a UK registered carrier would not get a licence to fly, say, Paris-Malaga. So-called fifth-freedom routes I believe they were known as. Changes in EU law then permitted the likes of EZY and RYR to set up bases within the EU to operate more or less where they pleased, within the EU. I am guessing EZY Switzerland with their Swiss-registered fleet was set up because Switzerland was outside the EU. Likewise Wizzair Ukraine.
On this basis I cannot imagine Wizz would ever get a licence to operate UK-Dubai. My theory does, however get called into question when a French carrier starts operating UK-USA flights. If anyone can explain this one please do!
Perhaps someone can clarify something for me or correct me if my information is wrong or out of date.
Until the 1990's airlines could only operate scheduled flights originating from their own country i.e. a UK registered carrier would not get a licence to fly, say, Paris-Malaga. So-called fifth-freedom routes I believe they were known as. Changes in EU law then permitted the likes of EZY and RYR to set up bases within the EU to operate more or less where they pleased, within the EU. I am guessing EZY Switzerland with their Swiss-registered fleet was set up because Switzerland was outside the EU. Likewise Wizzair Ukraine.
On this basis I cannot imagine Wizz would ever get a licence to operate UK-Dubai. My theory does, however get called into question when a French carrier starts operating UK-USA flights. If anyone can explain this one please do!
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Canberra - If you don´t like Luton why on earth did you book your flights to fly from there in the first place. Throwing away 39 pounds - obviously not a Yorkshireman like me - ´´how much´´ the Yorkshire war cry!
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I would gladly drive past LTN and use another airport. As I have said some years ago, LTN is just a building site with a runway and on the surface, what real infrastructure progress has been made ?
I'd rather use BHX or STN given the fact that all 3 airports are within a 90 minute drive of my location.
I'd rather use BHX or STN given the fact that all 3 airports are within a 90 minute drive of my location.
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dc9-32 popped up with this predictable response.
You do make me laugh with your comment "some years ago" You actually appear here every few months, contribute nothing and always come out with the same statement.
I would say quite a bit 
OK you don't like the place, we get it. Goodbye
I would gladly drive past LTN and use another airport. As I have said some years ago, LTN is just a building site with a runway.
what real infrastructure progress has been made ?
OK you don't like the place, we get it. Goodbye
Last edited by LTNman; 30th Dec 2015 at 07:38.
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Relax folks, Who cares if one random man that lives on the coast doesn't want to use LTN. He is one of the least likely people the airport is there to cater for. He isnt in the town itself or even anywhere close. Us lot here next to that strip next to that useles building find it quite useful. The growth in PAX numbers also shows tha it serves a purpose. Plenty of people being afforded the opportunity to discover europe with reasonable priced tickets missing out on all the glitz and glam of using the wonderous airports LHR/LGW/STN.
Lets face it, None of the London airports are a pleasure to use or sit around in. All I really care about is taking off and landing safely. For me LTN is always the fastest and easiest so I appreciate it.
Lets face it, None of the London airports are a pleasure to use or sit around in. All I really care about is taking off and landing safely. For me LTN is always the fastest and easiest so I appreciate it.
I think its time to treat posters like canberra97 & dc9-32 as trolls. They are obviously wind-up merchants and are simply trying to solicit reactions. I certainly won't be bothering in the future!
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The picture showing the state of the car park says it all and the charges to enter that car park are scandalous. At least Dick Turpin wore a mask.
And on entering the terminal, there is a barely a seat to sit on....unless you buy a drink or some food. Even then, you are not guaranteed somewhere to sit.
Fully understand the transition works and their effects, but the experience is not a good one. Growing pains. Hope to see some real progress in 2016.
And on entering the terminal, there is a barely a seat to sit on....unless you buy a drink or some food. Even then, you are not guaranteed somewhere to sit.
Fully understand the transition works and their effects, but the experience is not a good one. Growing pains. Hope to see some real progress in 2016.
And on entering the terminal, there is a barely a seat to sit on....unless you buy a drink or some food. Even then, you are not guaranteed somewhere to sit.
To be honest most airports are like that, certainly the ones I've flown from. Trying to get a seat in Terminal 3 at Heathrow is hopeless.
To be honest most airports are like that, certainly the ones I've flown from. Trying to get a seat in Terminal 3 at Heathrow is hopeless.
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boeing_eng
I'm not really interested in getting a reaction. The fact remains, I made a comment about an opinion which is entitled. The fact also remains that LTN has appeared to be a building site for a good number of years. Ok, I admit infrastructure has come on leaps and bounds since the 30's or indeed the 80's but do we not think it's high time LTN developed the airport once and for all.I know there are limitations as to what an authority or council can do, but years and years of building works does it no favours in terms of becoming a top ranking airport.
I do wish LTN all the success it can achieve but the building works surely have to stop at some point ?
I'm not really interested in getting a reaction. The fact remains, I made a comment about an opinion which is entitled. The fact also remains that LTN has appeared to be a building site for a good number of years. Ok, I admit infrastructure has come on leaps and bounds since the 30's or indeed the 80's but do we not think it's high time LTN developed the airport once and for all.I know there are limitations as to what an authority or council can do, but years and years of building works does it no favours in terms of becoming a top ranking airport.
I do wish LTN all the success it can achieve but the building works surely have to stop at some point ?
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There has been no major work in the CTA or the terminal for around 10 years so never understood that always repeated stupid comment about the place always being a building site. A little tinkering here are there but that has been it. The issue is that there should have been and what is happening now should have ideally been started around 2 years ago but hey that is life.
Last edited by LTNman; 30th Dec 2015 at 12:40.
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I don't particularly like LTN but that said I rarely have to use it. When living in the Midlands, most of what LTN offers is diluted by EMA, BHX or STN where I can usually get better or cheaper options (I personally have little need or desire to travel to towns/cities in Romania that most people have never heard of)
I don't feel the development is going to have a particularly big improvement on the passenger experience/customer service side of things and with the level of growth while the place is being ripped apart, I'd be urged to steer clear for at least the next year or two.
I still wish LTN success and congratulate any new airline / route expansion but some posters on here need to grow up and face the fact that LTN's not at the center of the Universe. Do we really need the airline wish lists, the sarcasm and the plain utter nonsense that some people are posting here?
I don't feel the development is going to have a particularly big improvement on the passenger experience/customer service side of things and with the level of growth while the place is being ripped apart, I'd be urged to steer clear for at least the next year or two.
I still wish LTN success and congratulate any new airline / route expansion but some posters on here need to grow up and face the fact that LTN's not at the center of the Universe. Do we really need the airline wish lists, the sarcasm and the plain utter nonsense that some people are posting here?
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Ok, I think everyone has had their say about why they don't like Luton which is contributing zero to the thread so lets get back on track.
As there is no construction work taking place this week there will be no weekly update so I thought I would resubmit this computer generated impression with a photo taken yesterday now that things are starting to take shape.
The impression shows three coaches which are parked in the same position as the two nearest coaches in my photo plus the coach on the extreme right is also shown in the correct position. The 5 empty bays to the left of the nearest coach are the bays still to be built.
My photo was taken just about from the same position as the impression but my lens is not quite wide enough to capture the extreme left of the pavement but captures the end of the shuttle bus bay which is painted into the road so it should give us a good idea what to expect.
The days of the "tinimal" are coming to an end.
As there is no construction work taking place this week there will be no weekly update so I thought I would resubmit this computer generated impression with a photo taken yesterday now that things are starting to take shape.
The impression shows three coaches which are parked in the same position as the two nearest coaches in my photo plus the coach on the extreme right is also shown in the correct position. The 5 empty bays to the left of the nearest coach are the bays still to be built.
My photo was taken just about from the same position as the impression but my lens is not quite wide enough to capture the extreme left of the pavement but captures the end of the shuttle bus bay which is painted into the road so it should give us a good idea what to expect.
The days of the "tinimal" are coming to an end.
Last edited by LTNman; 30th Dec 2015 at 14:42.
Paxing All Over The World
I agree that there is a lot of carping but the fact that the 'new' terminal needs such a change, some 18 years after opening? The fact that I have lost count of the number of road layout changes in the the 30 years I have used the place? Tends to confirm that all owners AND the Council take the shortest possible view, along with the smallest possible investment.
If it comforts anyone, I dislike STN even more!
If it comforts anyone, I dislike STN even more!
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Canberra97
Knowing you are in the Cruise Industry I now understand your handle - The SS Canberra was retired in 1997 was it not? (my late father in law worked for P&O for much of his life).
Anyway back to airports - I can fully understand, and agree, how pointless Luton is to someone living in Southampton, when you have SOU, LHR, LGW closer why would you want to fly from Bedfordshire? This still does not explain your almost pathological (but fascinating) hatred of the place relative to anywhere else.
DC.9-32
Luton has no ambition or requirement to be a “top ranking" IATA Category A/B airport – it is firmly "second level" IATA Category C although it is certainly not "third world" (whatever that actually implies).
Luton’s history, business strategy and success is in low cost point to point commodity air travel – a market segment which requires the lowest possible price to the airlines, 20%-40% of what a "top ranking airport" like Heathrow charges per passenger, in return for high volumes of passengers, and it makes a half decent profit from doing so.
Luton's job is to be both a “local airport” to its immediate catchment -which does not include Canberra97, and a “reliever airport” to the London system as a whole – in the latter role it absorbs some of the significant volume of low cost point to point traffic demand that is squeezed or priced out of the other airports - which does include Canberra97 if he wants a trip for £38.
What is both true and unfortunate is that Luton was saddled for 15 years with owners (TBI then Abertis) who just saw it as a cash cow and had no intention or means to invest – resulting in the “unfinished” demeanour that you and other posters have alluded to albeit with differing perspectives. That situation now appears to be changing but the benefits have hardly started to be realised yet.
Knowing you are in the Cruise Industry I now understand your handle - The SS Canberra was retired in 1997 was it not? (my late father in law worked for P&O for much of his life).
Anyway back to airports - I can fully understand, and agree, how pointless Luton is to someone living in Southampton, when you have SOU, LHR, LGW closer why would you want to fly from Bedfordshire? This still does not explain your almost pathological (but fascinating) hatred of the place relative to anywhere else.
DC.9-32
Luton has no ambition or requirement to be a “top ranking" IATA Category A/B airport – it is firmly "second level" IATA Category C although it is certainly not "third world" (whatever that actually implies).
Luton’s history, business strategy and success is in low cost point to point commodity air travel – a market segment which requires the lowest possible price to the airlines, 20%-40% of what a "top ranking airport" like Heathrow charges per passenger, in return for high volumes of passengers, and it makes a half decent profit from doing so.
Luton's job is to be both a “local airport” to its immediate catchment -which does not include Canberra97, and a “reliever airport” to the London system as a whole – in the latter role it absorbs some of the significant volume of low cost point to point traffic demand that is squeezed or priced out of the other airports - which does include Canberra97 if he wants a trip for £38.
What is both true and unfortunate is that Luton was saddled for 15 years with owners (TBI then Abertis) who just saw it as a cash cow and had no intention or means to invest – resulting in the “unfinished” demeanour that you and other posters have alluded to albeit with differing perspectives. That situation now appears to be changing but the benefits have hardly started to be realised yet.
The nearest hotel is the Holiday Inn Express which is a 5 min work to the terminal building. I don't believe any hotels offer shuttle buses to the terminal. I recently stayed at Luton Hoo and I believe they offer a transfer service for a charge but you might want to check first.
I have to say I'm surprised at some of the negativity (and I'm not from Luton). For heavens sake, it's an airport, not a holiday camp. It's there to do a job, and it does so reasonably well. You're only going to be there for a few hours - is that really so unbearable? I've only used LTN a couple of times in the last few years, and it's worked well enough for me. The external construction works were no more than a minor inconvenience, the departures hall functional but not unpleasant, and arrivals was tired looking but quick to pass through. (By contrast, my destination when I passed through Luton in November was Paphos Airport, which really was dreadful.........)