Based on my recent experience at STN (3 times in the last 4 weeks, taking a flight leaving at 11H40) the first 'rush' of the day is over, but I'd still allow perhaps even 3 hours for bag drop ... and if you get time in hand, plan for a relaxed coffee or snack, before waiting for the gate to be announced and having to dash to get there before it closes!

Arrive at STN 3 hours before a flight after the early morning rush ? Better have a very good book to read...

Expressflight - seriously though, the main departure lounge with all the shops is not a pleasant place to hang around for any longer than absolutely necessary. If you have plenty of time, don't want to pay for a lounge, have no trouble walking for 5-10 mins, and want a bit of peace and quiet, make your way to the Ryanair pier (gates 41 to 59 I think) and head towards the end of the pier where there's usually plenty of space. Whatver you do, don't jump onto the transit system in the expectation you can get back to the main terminal area later - you can't.

Thanks for all the advice.

It looks as if I need to arrive somewhat earlier than I had planned. I was getting a coach which arrives at 09:44 but maybe I had better rethink that decision.

Better safe than sorry especially when using a point-to-point airline! Anyway, the coffee options here are better than they used to be (and there's a pay-to-use lounge too) that they used to be once you've passed the shops.

Bag drop might be still quite busy ... and it all depends on how many security channels are being used (a variable that is not necessarily passenger-dependent). In any case, if the OP is arriving by public transport, s/he is not always in control of their arrival time at STN ... as is this case using coaches.

Good idea in principle .... but I've now twice been sent back because my flight departed from the former domestic pier (gates 81-88) where there is very little space and limited daylight!

Good start

British Airways
 

The first British Airways flights from Stansted Airport get off to a flying start this weekend with all the summer sun destinations FULLY BOOKED.

Bank holiday travellers have a choice of four popular holiday spots, Faro in Portugal and Malaga, Palma and Ibiza in Spain from Saturday with flights to Berlin launching in June.

In addition flights to Malaga are proving so popular that frequency has been doubled to two flights every Saturday during August.

Hopefully more will follow from BA at Stansted or at least the same next year.

shows that folks love a decent airline to fly with

Shows that around a Bank Holiday weekend at the start of half term when southern Europe typically has warm sunny weather, and London's economy is in good health, Brits want to go to the beach.
Easyjet has 10 flights from London to Malaga on Friday, 11 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. All 31 flights are sold out - no more tickets on sale at all. Weather forecast in Costa del Sol over the next few days is sunshine and blue skies with temperature around 29 deg Centigrade or 84 deg Fahrenheit

I'd be much more interested in load factors departing STN in 9 days time when the bank holiday and half term effect doesn't apply

Maybe the decent airlines were fully booked so they had no choice but to fly BA

Not convinced advertising that your flights are fully booked is an excellent marketing tactic unless they *all* are?

They tend not to want to pay for it which is why BA have been forced to cut and cut costs while ramming more and more people in tighter. easyJet and BA are not far apart on customer experience.

However if you've flown on BA Cityflyer's EMB-190 you'll know that the legroom and comfort on those jets are second to none!

+1 got to say, completely agree. Pleasurable flight experience. Also find cabin crew are a a fair few notches higher than the low cost carriers or likes of Flybe or Cityjet or Aer Lingus. BA customer service and interest and politeness towards pax onboard is noticeably higher end quality.

Indeed this is a very welcome addition to the STN route network. Let's hope BA can build on this in the future...

It's good to see BA expanding and trying new routes. Not least because it wasn't that long ago BA had a "cut and run" approach to competition and seemed destined to little other than a retrenchment to fortress LHR.

Plenty of availability still during the summer, so BA certainly have not 'sold out'!

Buster no one said they had 'Sold out' all season. The article is about flights being 'sold out' this weekend.

Regardless of sold out or not, it's about yield. You can fill a plane to the brim, but if those customers are paying peanuts it won't last long. Having seen some of the BA fares mind, they're not cheap now that pretty much all the low fares have sold. But you pay for what you get in this day and age. It's nice that Stansted passengers are now getting a choice of low cost or full(ish) service from their airport.

You are 100% right, it is about yeild, which will make it even more interesting to see how/if they succeed. For a market which has been used to low cost fares since the airport began, will your average Stansted customer be willing to pay the extra to get a free baguette and coke?

I suspect its a little bit about diversifying from London City, with new owners the fees to operate there may well rise and if they do Cityflyer might look to move all but the high yield business flights out to another airport