Manchester-3
A lot of focus is on the security queues, which without question has been dire all too frequently. However, that's not the only issue. Handling agents are still causing major delays, be it TUI check in, baggage claim, or baggage loading, closed food & beverage outlets leaving nowhere to sit. When you add all that to the dated up down up down infrastructure of the terminals - it isn't the best experience. Ozzy calls MAN as average, but I'd say - average at best - on a good day. Fall on a bad day & you probably wouldn't come back.
When I breezed through security in 15 minutes, there was nowhere to sit & then sat on the aircraft for one hour with doors closed, waiting for baggage to be loaded.
We are in a bounce back demand bubble after two years of being locked up. After this summer, combined with the above experiences, the UK will be heading full on into recession & disposable income will rapidly dry up. Personally, I wouldn't hold out any hope of expansion for 2023.
For now I'm avoiding MAN & have reduced air travel considerably. I would like to use MAN/SOU frequently, as the train is so poor & expensive - but MAN in effect has no domestic flight facility- (eg Eastern check in is one hour, Loganair 2 hour, Aurigny 90 minutes) that doesn't fit in with the turn up 3+ hours before your flight & makes domestic air travel completely unviable at MAN in terms of time.
When I breezed through security in 15 minutes, there was nowhere to sit & then sat on the aircraft for one hour with doors closed, waiting for baggage to be loaded.
We are in a bounce back demand bubble after two years of being locked up. After this summer, combined with the above experiences, the UK will be heading full on into recession & disposable income will rapidly dry up. Personally, I wouldn't hold out any hope of expansion for 2023.
For now I'm avoiding MAN & have reduced air travel considerably. I would like to use MAN/SOU frequently, as the train is so poor & expensive - but MAN in effect has no domestic flight facility- (eg Eastern check in is one hour, Loganair 2 hour, Aurigny 90 minutes) that doesn't fit in with the turn up 3+ hours before your flight & makes domestic air travel completely unviable at MAN in terms of time.
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Stockport
Age: 56
Posts: 352
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A lot of focus is on the security queues, which without question has been dire all too frequently. However, that's not the only issue. Handling agents are still causing major delays, be it TUI check in, baggage claim, or baggage loading, closed food & beverage outlets leaving nowhere to sit. When you add all that to the dated up down up down infrastructure of the terminals - it isn't the best experience. Ozzy calls MAN as average, but I'd say - average at best - on a good day. Fall on a bad day & you probably wouldn't come back.
When I breezed through security in 15 minutes, there was nowhere to sit & then sat on the aircraft for one hour with doors closed, waiting for baggage to be loaded.
We are in a bounce back demand bubble after two years of being locked up. After this summer, combined with the above experiences, the UK will be heading full on into recession & disposable income will rapidly dry up. Personally, I wouldn't hold out any hope of expansion for 2023.
For now I'm avoiding MAN & have reduced air travel considerably. I would like to use MAN/SOU frequently, as the train is so poor & expensive - but MAN in effect has no domestic flight facility- (eg Eastern check in is one hour, Loganair 2 hour, Aurigny 90 minutes) that doesn't fit in with the turn up 3+ hours before your flight & makes domestic air travel completely unviable at MAN in terms of time.
When I breezed through security in 15 minutes, there was nowhere to sit & then sat on the aircraft for one hour with doors closed, waiting for baggage to be loaded.
We are in a bounce back demand bubble after two years of being locked up. After this summer, combined with the above experiences, the UK will be heading full on into recession & disposable income will rapidly dry up. Personally, I wouldn't hold out any hope of expansion for 2023.
For now I'm avoiding MAN & have reduced air travel considerably. I would like to use MAN/SOU frequently, as the train is so poor & expensive - but MAN in effect has no domestic flight facility- (eg Eastern check in is one hour, Loganair 2 hour, Aurigny 90 minutes) that doesn't fit in with the turn up 3+ hours before your flight & makes domestic air travel completely unviable at MAN in terms of time.
Now, we see this in action again. DomyDom reports a good experience of flying through MAN. And immediately he is ridiculed. The very next post. So predictable. The author: Liverpool forum regular eye2eye5.
Here is how it works. Two posters in particular hunt down any negative stories they can find about MAN. They then post these stories and hype them to the rafters on this and other forums (usernames vary on some). The narrative quickly becomes that MAN is the worst airport in the world ever ... and - guess what - the solution is that everybody should instead travel from LPL which is apparently the canine's genitals. This is reaching absurd levels, and the game is entirely transparent.
MAN isn't perfect ... it is actually very average as airport experiences go. But for 99.9% of passengers it does the job it is designed to do at an affordable price. It is more Aldi than Waitrose, but the majority of it's customers are working to a budget and prioritise value over ostentatious luxury. So those who come on forums like this to report that their experience at MAN was fine should not be abused as "delusional" or "a script writer". This is the behaviour of bullies trying to silence voices they don't want to hear.
Two days ago I posted this:
And remember this: some of those characters who trawl these threads spreading poison about the MAN passenger experience can be found in a cheerleading role on Liverpool Airport forums. Funny that. Maybe they post with an agenda which doesn't include the best interests of an unsuspecting reader on here?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Manchester, England
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'll open this by declaring myself a critical friend of MAN. Just back from a holiday in France, routing MAN-NCE-MAN with Jet 2. A big call out for Jet 2 - I've used them a number of times and they are simply the best at short-haul leisure focussed travel. I cringe a little at the 'Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls"-type cabin announcements but that is I suppose their typical customer. A fully-integrated airline with in-house ground handling at MAN, lots of staff at every contact point, they really are a beacon in a sometimes grim world of air travel these days. But back to the main topic - MAN. It does seem that most of the recent problems have occured at the early morning outbound peak. Flyers like me and my partner, travelling off peak, have had a good experience. We flew outbound departing at 1300hrs, and apart from the rather bunkerish Security B in T1 the whole process was fine, with an airbridge gate on Pier C. Landing back yesterday at 1830 we parked at a T2 airbridge gate but were bussed in to T1 arrivals (most likely an airline choice to service their split terminal operation). This was fine as the buses were ready waiting (staffed by MAG) and an agent was waiting at the bus drop off to escort us on the short walk to the UK Border. The up escalator wasn't working, though! The UK Border snake was longish but moved quickly - about 10 minutes so that our bags were already on the carousel and we were out at the taxi rank within about 20 minutes of the aircraft being on blocks. Pretty good.
Nice Cote d'Azur airport (NCE) makes a fair comparator for MAN in terms of serving a large provincial city region but with a reversed leisure traffic profile, mainly inbound. The airport overall feels more modern and better-funded than MAN (by the French state rather than local authority/pension fund investors). The airport experience is similar, perhaps slightly better than MAN - there is a sense that the airport has been strategically planned and set out rather than organically grown on a piecemeal basis which is largely how MAN has developed. But then you look at the destinations served and that's where MAN scores very highly over many European provincial city rivals. Beyond Europe, Nice has just two seasonal daily New York flights (MAN has year-round), a single daily Dubai and then just low frequency and seasonal services to Montreal, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and former French colonial cities around the shores of the Med. Compare that to MAN's offering, even with the currently depleted North Atlantic scenario.
MAN needs improve and get a better, more consistent passenger experience through the terminals. MAG must push on with the Transformation Programme set out in 2015, replacing the outdated T1 with an expanded and modern T2. T3 needs a masterplan to incorporate it into the later stages of TP. But you have to agree that the city and the region enjoy a global connectivity which is barely matched among European provincial peers, and it does this largely without the involvement of the national flag carrier, which is again unusual.
Nice Cote d'Azur airport (NCE) makes a fair comparator for MAN in terms of serving a large provincial city region but with a reversed leisure traffic profile, mainly inbound. The airport overall feels more modern and better-funded than MAN (by the French state rather than local authority/pension fund investors). The airport experience is similar, perhaps slightly better than MAN - there is a sense that the airport has been strategically planned and set out rather than organically grown on a piecemeal basis which is largely how MAN has developed. But then you look at the destinations served and that's where MAN scores very highly over many European provincial city rivals. Beyond Europe, Nice has just two seasonal daily New York flights (MAN has year-round), a single daily Dubai and then just low frequency and seasonal services to Montreal, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and former French colonial cities around the shores of the Med. Compare that to MAN's offering, even with the currently depleted North Atlantic scenario.
MAN needs improve and get a better, more consistent passenger experience through the terminals. MAG must push on with the Transformation Programme set out in 2015, replacing the outdated T1 with an expanded and modern T2. T3 needs a masterplan to incorporate it into the later stages of TP. But you have to agree that the city and the region enjoy a global connectivity which is barely matched among European provincial peers, and it does this largely without the involvement of the national flag carrier, which is again unusual.
And that’s fine. There is a range of opinions held by posters on here and I defend the right of people to express them. I object only to those who leap on those who disagree with them with a torrent of personal abuse and name-calling. But healthy exchange of views is fine. There is no forum if we all agree on everything.
As you work at MAN, I hope that you will endeavour to help raise standards at the place to meet the higher expectations of travellers, and encourage those around you to do likewise.
As you work at MAN, I hope that you will endeavour to help raise standards at the place to meet the higher expectations of travellers, and encourage those around you to do likewise.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 1,190
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"eye2eye5: you owe DomyDom an apology. We see what you're doing, and you're out of order".
Quite right Ozzy; I also thought that post was in poor taste, effectively accusing someone of making it up because they dared to post a decent experience at MAN.
It's such a pity when comments of that sort detract from what can be a proper debate on specific issues - for example, the current situation and prospects for MAN's transatlantic market following the demise of TCX and withdrawal of US carriers which SOF and Ozzy have commented on, or the state of the infrastructure in T1 and what is planned as referred to in roverman's excellent post.
Whether EI remain TATL at MAN when Dublin fully recovers is an interesting question and some of the loads quoted so far are not encouraging, but it's early days. Personally, my greater concern is Virgin Atlantic and just how committed they are to MAN. As I recall, for a couple of summers pre-covid, they had 6 based a/c flying to places like LAX, LAS & BOS as well as JFK, MCO, ATL & BGI. They had announced Mumbai & Delhi which with the onset of covid understandably had to be cancelled, and more recently Montego Bay was announced but was never put on sale. LAX was going to be re-introduced this summer but was withdrawn, much to the dismay of a friend who had booked.
I fully appreciate the argument that it was inevitable that VS and other carriers would focus on LHR once the recovery was underway, and the need to safe guard those invaluable LHR slots. With several new routes at LHR, does anyone know if that's been achieved with existing slots or have Virgin acquired additional slots?
Anyway, VS have 4 based a/c at MAN this summer, and by cutting ISB and operating MCO daily with no second flights on certain days have been able to condense next winter into only 3 based looking at current schedules.
As for US carriers, I would have thought the chances of AA returning anytime soon were next to zero, and while UA is the more likely, I'm not as optimistic as some. As Ozzy mentions, let's see if any of those newer entrants take a serious interest in MAN. To what extent DL will influence Virgin's future plans, others will probably have a more informed view.
Quite right Ozzy; I also thought that post was in poor taste, effectively accusing someone of making it up because they dared to post a decent experience at MAN.
It's such a pity when comments of that sort detract from what can be a proper debate on specific issues - for example, the current situation and prospects for MAN's transatlantic market following the demise of TCX and withdrawal of US carriers which SOF and Ozzy have commented on, or the state of the infrastructure in T1 and what is planned as referred to in roverman's excellent post.
Whether EI remain TATL at MAN when Dublin fully recovers is an interesting question and some of the loads quoted so far are not encouraging, but it's early days. Personally, my greater concern is Virgin Atlantic and just how committed they are to MAN. As I recall, for a couple of summers pre-covid, they had 6 based a/c flying to places like LAX, LAS & BOS as well as JFK, MCO, ATL & BGI. They had announced Mumbai & Delhi which with the onset of covid understandably had to be cancelled, and more recently Montego Bay was announced but was never put on sale. LAX was going to be re-introduced this summer but was withdrawn, much to the dismay of a friend who had booked.
I fully appreciate the argument that it was inevitable that VS and other carriers would focus on LHR once the recovery was underway, and the need to safe guard those invaluable LHR slots. With several new routes at LHR, does anyone know if that's been achieved with existing slots or have Virgin acquired additional slots?
Anyway, VS have 4 based a/c at MAN this summer, and by cutting ISB and operating MCO daily with no second flights on certain days have been able to condense next winter into only 3 based looking at current schedules.
As for US carriers, I would have thought the chances of AA returning anytime soon were next to zero, and while UA is the more likely, I'm not as optimistic as some. As Ozzy mentions, let's see if any of those newer entrants take a serious interest in MAN. To what extent DL will influence Virgin's future plans, others will probably have a more informed view.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: uk
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jetblue was one of two names mentioned. The other was a US domestic carrier with NEO's on order and Transatlantic ambitions. I read about them in an article interviewing one of their executives several weeks ago ... I'm trying to remember the name of the carrier, but it surprised me that they were interested. The article was linked to a number of forums at the time and reported on social media, so if any reader here can recall the details please do post. Meanwhile, I'll see if I can locate the original interview and get back to you if so.
https://simpleflying.com/breeze-airw...-airbus-a220s/
We’re not going to fly to Heathrow, and we won’t fly from New York, Maybe you could see a flight from you know, maybe Burlington, Vermont to a secondary airport in England.
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Valencia
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have no axe to grind here as I no longer live and work in the north west but when I did, I travelled fairly frequently through MAN. I recall posting several years ago about the poor experience in security (and also non-working travellators & escalators) and the usual Manchester ‘supporters” were quick to deny there were problems.
I always rated the Manchester security as one of the worst that I had to pass through, domestically and internationally, and found those manning it frequently rude and officious.
I always got the impression that the airport’s top management were more concerned with returning profits to the shareholders than investing in customer experience of Manchester’s long-suffering travellers.
From reading the recent posts on this thread, it seems nothing has changed and there are still those on this thread who look at the airport through rose-tinted spectacles
I always rated the Manchester security as one of the worst that I had to pass through, domestically and internationally, and found those manning it frequently rude and officious.
I always got the impression that the airport’s top management were more concerned with returning profits to the shareholders than investing in customer experience of Manchester’s long-suffering travellers.
From reading the recent posts on this thread, it seems nothing has changed and there are still those on this thread who look at the airport through rose-tinted spectacles
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks to you all for the information...I was expecting carnage..They really are hopeless there ..I've bitten the expensive bullet and switched the outbound to Liverpool and travelling to Malaga instead of Gibraltar and crossing into Spain will be a lot easier there as well...
Liverpool security is apparently normal and they are even offering Fast track, which at £4 a head seems wise, at times like these..
Might even have time for brekkie at Frankie and Benny's..
Either way feeling much more relaxed now..Thanks again to you all
Liverpool security is apparently normal and they are even offering Fast track, which at £4 a head seems wise, at times like these..
Might even have time for brekkie at Frankie and Benny's..
Either way feeling much more relaxed now..Thanks again to you all
P.S we didn't have fast track, but didn't need it either. Our flight was at 10.50, the morning wave of passengers had gone, but it was still quite busy and flight was full. So depending on the time you are travelling you could perhaps leave Fast Track. I have never found it necessary.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: North West UK
Age: 69
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oddly Ozzy, I think you will find that I’m always constructive with my posts regarding MAN - which are only ever about Security - and that I offer suggestions as to how issues may be addressed and improved. The post made by DomyDom was so out of keeping with any other post that it makes you curious with regards to his post history, which I would describe as being “happyclappy” with regards to MAN. I hope that he did indeed have an exceptional experience, but such posts don’t help the service to improve. I would be delighted to see that MAN security has had a change of culture and that all passengers have a good experience. I have personal experience of that not being so and no, I’m not a difficult passenger to deal with. I come from a company where no poor attitude would be tolerated and it concerns me to see recent posts stating that “you will always get the odd bad apple”. Only if its tolerated. MAN now has a great opportunity to change its culture…..I hope it grasps the opportunity.
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: North of Dorking
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: UK
Age: 53
Posts: 1,422
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The postings on here from the Liverpool Airport enthusiasts followed exactly the pattern I predicted they would. Why is it a problem to you that I point that out? If what you have written here is correct, you have taken on additional expense and hassle in your travel arrangements to sidestep an hugely exaggerated problem. Maybe I'm not the one you should be angry with? And on the subject of 'growing up', you will never find me on the Liverpool Airport thread posting that their airport experience is terrible and everybody should book from to fly Manchester instead. Now that's what I call childish.
I'm not here claiming that everything at MAN is perfect. Average and forgettable were amongst the terms I used in my accounts. No effusive praise. But I reserve the right to challenge contributors who attack other posters with personal insults just because they post a positive comment about their experience using MAN. And since I have received pleasant and courteous service from MAN security staff on all my recent trips through the airport, I'm also going to defend them against those on here who are on a mission to promote the myth that all security staff at MAN are shouty ogres. It's simply not the case, and misrepresenting them in that way deserves to be called out. I offer no apology for challenging those posts. Those security staff are real people, and they will be aware of what is discussed on here. They deserve fair recognition, not damaging innuendo from those who post with an agenda.
I'm not here claiming that everything at MAN is perfect. Average and forgettable were amongst the terms I used in my accounts. No effusive praise. But I reserve the right to challenge contributors who attack other posters with personal insults just because they post a positive comment about their experience using MAN. And since I have received pleasant and courteous service from MAN security staff on all my recent trips through the airport, I'm also going to defend them against those on here who are on a mission to promote the myth that all security staff at MAN are shouty ogres. It's simply not the case, and misrepresenting them in that way deserves to be called out. I offer no apology for challenging those posts. Those security staff are real people, and they will be aware of what is discussed on here. They deserve fair recognition, not damaging innuendo from those who post with an agenda.
I don't disagree with you, but that quoted comment from me referred to the pre-covid environment in the aftermath of the Thomas Cook collapse. The world has moved on.
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The postings on here from the Liverpool Airport enthusiasts followed exactly the pattern I predicted they would. Why is it a problem to you that I point that out? If what you have written here is correct, you have taken on additional expense and hassle in your travel arrangements to sidestep an hugely exaggerated problem. Maybe I'm not the one you should be angry with? And on the subject of 'growing up', you will never find me on the Liverpool Airport thread posting that their airport experience is terrible and everybody should book from to fly Manchester instead. Now that's what I call childish.
I'm not here claiming that everything at MAN is perfect. Average and forgettable were amongst the terms I used in my accounts. No effusive praise. But I reserve the right to challenge contributors who attack other posters with personal insults just because they post a positive comment about their experience using MAN. And since I have received pleasant and courteous service from MAN security staff on all my recent trips through the airport, I'm also going to defend them against those on here who are on a mission to promote the myth that all security staff at MAN are shouty ogres. It's simply not the case, and misrepresenting them in that way deserves to be called out. I offer no apology for challenging those posts. Those security staff are real people, and they will be aware of what is discussed on here. They deserve fair recognition, not damaging innuendo from those who post with an agenda.
I'm not here claiming that everything at MAN is perfect. Average and forgettable were amongst the terms I used in my accounts. No effusive praise. But I reserve the right to challenge contributors who attack other posters with personal insults just because they post a positive comment about their experience using MAN. And since I have received pleasant and courteous service from MAN security staff on all my recent trips through the airport, I'm also going to defend them against those on here who are on a mission to promote the myth that all security staff at MAN are shouty ogres. It's simply not the case, and misrepresenting them in that way deserves to be called out. I offer no apology for challenging those posts. Those security staff are real people, and they will be aware of what is discussed on here. They deserve fair recognition, not damaging innuendo from those who post with an agenda.
Dorking has made a decision after considering information available to him. Im not sure how you can say 'hugely exaggerated 'considering the amount of reports available for anyone to read. I think Dorkings main concern was time required for passing through the airport, disagreeable security staff is something else , which is another matter of concern, but not why he moved his flights.
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Age: 51
Posts: 760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Flown twice from LPL in the last 18 months. First time my car was pranged in the car park and driver drove off and second time car was broken in to. Needless to say I'll never go there again and trying to save a few quid and shorter queues back fired on me big time. MAN has it's issues at certain times of day with staffing levels etc but I'm back being a there and nowhere else type of guy.