Luton-9
Join Date: Aug 2009
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Passing through the airport today and it all seems better and better here. I was expecting to get through security quickly as it's normally great here. But it had virtually ground to a halt, with staff virtually walking away from post with queues left right and centre. Apparently morale is really low as they're short staffed etc etc. Seems a shame when the airport is looking ever better. And so much more space to sit down now....
Join Date: Mar 2006
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I passed through security last week at around 5:50 which I would say was its peak. I thought it was a very slick operation and the staff seemed happy to me. I thought the departure lounge was fine though busy. Looking up at the Aspire lounge it seemed as busy as the departure lounge.
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Security will be expanded in the coming months from 12 lanes to either 16 or 18 lanes depending where the source of the information is coming from. The old retail units continue to be dismantled, once clear work can then start on the expansion.
Paxing All Over The World
A friend went through on a doemstci on Monday afternoon. He had not used the airport for a number of years and was scathing. He is due back Friday late afternoon. My next visit is not until August.
Join Date: Jul 2002
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With Luton entering its final months before the terminal and its entrance is finished the work is now more in the face of the traveling public particularly outside the terminal.
I have been having another look at the new temporary drop off zone with its 5 cul de sacs. Any passenger being picked up will need to coordinate which lane they are standing by. I also suspect most drivers will try to enter the first lane while lane 5 will remain empty. Good to see that the lanes won’t need pedestrians crossings but the design has many issues including very tight turns and vehicles having potential problems entering and leaving the lanes due to queuing traffic.
I am already thinking that this design will be worse than the existing design for potential traffic holdups and will result once again in traffic queuing past the railway station during the morning summer rush.
I have been having another look at the new temporary drop off zone with its 5 cul de sacs. Any passenger being picked up will need to coordinate which lane they are standing by. I also suspect most drivers will try to enter the first lane while lane 5 will remain empty. Good to see that the lanes won’t need pedestrians crossings but the design has many issues including very tight turns and vehicles having potential problems entering and leaving the lanes due to queuing traffic.
I am already thinking that this design will be worse than the existing design for potential traffic holdups and will result once again in traffic queuing past the railway station during the morning summer rush.
Last edited by LTNman; 3rd May 2018 at 05:07.
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Luton
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I've arrived domestic from Edinburgh last night and had a good experience up until the shuttle bus to Parkway. My car was in the multistory carpark there as I have a season ticket for my commute to work so I just wanted a ticket to the station. I went to purchase one from the staff member outside the bus but to my surprise was told they only accepted cash. So I had an 8 minute round trip walk back into the terminal to buy a ticket from the machine! Once finally on the bus I was chatting to the driver who explained the staff were equally bemused why cards were not accepted - particularly as they were given fancy new machines for that very purpose 18 months ago -- but the card feature was never activated!
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See the latest NOTAM is indicating that the new Pier will be active immenently.
interesting that the NOTAM also states no pushbacks to infringe on taxiway Delta without ATC approval.
Have there been issues with this in the past?
interesting that the NOTAM also states no pushbacks to infringe on taxiway Delta without ATC approval.
Have there been issues with this in the past?
Join Date: Jul 2002
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The NOTAM states that the stands have been renumbered which is more to do with a more logical numbering scheme than the pier opening which must be any time now.
Ryebridge who were not part of the contract for the pier or it’s road network have been been busy digging holes in the finished top surface of the tarmac where the coaches will go to pick up passengers. They have also
been cutting trenches into the concrete apron. Issues???
Ryebridge who were not part of the contract for the pier or it’s road network have been been busy digging holes in the finished top surface of the tarmac where the coaches will go to pick up passengers. They have also
been cutting trenches into the concrete apron. Issues???
Join Date: Dec 2016
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No issues, they had to move the lighting tower as the old one was in the way, because of the additional stand the old tower would have been at the head of stand 46 which isnt ideal.
I’m still more concerned about the trench outside the terminal, any news on it? Or what it is
I’m still more concerned about the trench outside the terminal, any news on it? Or what it is
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The trench forms the foundations of a concrete wall. The wall is now being poured and stands around 1m high and sits along one edge of the covered walkway. So far there are no crossing points and I can not work out what this wall is meant to achieve except to divide the pavement into two. Maybe the wall will divide the airport coach waiting area from people walking into the terminal but as the covered walkway is in the coach half of the pavement maybe not. Just seems pointless to me and at the moment it is a long walk to get around it.
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It has been confirmed that Luton will start the first part of its consultation process to expand the airport by bringing out a draft proposal next month. This will be followed by an 8 week consultation period followed by a year of more detailed plans being drawn up. In 2020 these plans should be published followed by a further 8 weeks of consultations. An application should go before the council in around 2021 but will then go to the secretary of state as it will have national significance.
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Wizz - Athens
Speaking to someone who works at the airport last night. They were telling me that Wizz have starting strong on Athens with flights having a good load of at least 90% (219 yesterday). I do wonder if this might see an increase of frequency with an evening service being added on in the next year. For a large city like Athens, I feel it's underserved from London comparing to the likes of Istanbul & Bucharest.
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Wizz Air - Athens
Speaking to someone who works at the airport last night. They were telling me that Wizz have starting strong on Athens with flights having a good load of at least 90% (219 yesterday). I do wonder if this might see an increase of frequency with an evening service being added on in the next year. For a large city like Athens, I feel it's underserved from London comparing to the likes of Istanbul & Bucharest.
I flew the route on the opening day on Sunday 29th April and flew home last Thursday 3rd May, the flight was well over 90% full on both flights, and was operated by the A321 with 230 seats.
Still not an amazing experience at Luton, the queues at security were over 30 mins, which is the longest I've waited since it was down stairs and backed right up the new boarding pass barriers, also at 5am hardly any seating departures was available to use.
I would probably say 60+% of passengers were Greeks on the new route, and many were not impressed with Wizzair and pretty unhappy with how things are handled by the airline/handling agents at Athens Airport and questionable if they will be using Wizz again?
Wizzair park on remote stands in the furthest corner of Athens airport, and everyone is bussed to the terminal.
Also there is a lot dis-organisation, they call the flight for boarding just as the aircraft has landed from Luton into Athens, we are then bussed to the remote stand. But the in-bound passengers from Luton have not finished leaving the aircraft, then all the passengers waiting to board are packed in like sardines on buses waiting by the aircraft for 20-30 mins in 30 celcius weather. When the aircraft has finished with all the leaving passengers, the cabin crew will not allow us to board until they have done their checks which is another 10-15 mins. Was waiting by the aircraft for 40+ mins in very hot weather!
Exactly the same situation on my inbound flight to Athens the return flight passengers were locked in buses on the apron.
This might sound typical of other low cost airlines, but at Athens, Ryanair and easyJet park directly by the terminal and not by remote stands. I got the impression, many Greek passengers regularly travel between London and Athens, and were not impressed with this in the slightest and might vote with their feet.
It is not like this is teething problems with the handling agents at Athens, the airport has seven routes from other destinations with Wizz Air too.
Myself and along with 30+ other passengers had issues checking in using the app (despite checking in the night before) and getting our boarding passes to download and was stung for 35 Euros each for a printed boarding pass. So I guess I am feeling a little anti WizzAir right now, but I've filled in an online complaint form and will see how we get on.
Got flights with them in the coming weeks to Reykjavik and Orhid in the next few weeks, and looking at the online seating maps where you can purchase seats, these flights are looking pretty busy too! So in general I would guess Wizz are going from strength to strength from Luton.
Last edited by gilesdavies; 8th May 2018 at 11:28.
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I think Barry sees himself as a bit of a comedian.
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Got flights with them in the coming weeks to Reykjavik and Orhid in the next few weeks, and looking at the online seating maps where you can purchase seats, these flights are looking pretty busy too! So in general I would guess Wizz are going from strength to strength from Luton.[/QUOTE]
Ohrid is a lovely destination by the way. But Ohrid airport does not use digital boarding passes and, even if you have a paper boarding pass, you still have to go to the check in desk to have it verified and swapped for a typical airline boarding pass. No idea why. Only one security lane too so don't go last minute. But the locals are all really friendly and helpful
Ohrid is a lovely destination by the way. But Ohrid airport does not use digital boarding passes and, even if you have a paper boarding pass, you still have to go to the check in desk to have it verified and swapped for a typical airline boarding pass. No idea why. Only one security lane too so don't go last minute. But the locals are all really friendly and helpful
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I flew the route on the opening day on Sunday 29th April and flew home last Thursday 3rd May, the flight was well over 90% full on both flights, and was operated by the A321 with 230 seats.
Join Date: May 2018
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Speaking to someone who works at the airport last night. They were telling me that Wizz have starting strong on Athens with flights having a good load of at least 90% (219 yesterday). I do wonder if this might see an increase of frequency with an evening service being added on in the next year. For a large city like Athens, I feel it's underserved from London comparing to the likes of Istanbul & Bucharest.
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Got flights with them in the coming weeks to Reykjavik and Orhid in the next few weeks, and looking at the online seating maps where you can purchase seats, these flights are looking pretty busy too! So in general I would guess Wizz are going from strength to strength from Luton.
Seconded, and amongst the last genuinely cheap destinations left in Europe. Two courses and wine for two people for a tenner!
When I travelled in 2016 my outbound and the outbound that came to collect me were pretty empty whereas the return flight was full, mostly Albanians coming over the border. It will be interesting to hear if loads are better balanced now, whether more Brits are discovering Ohrid and whether the route has been impacted at all from Wizz starting Tirana.