TOM are operating SFB for April only, one can only assume that sales for that route aren't meeting expectations which is perhaps no surprise given the ridiculous increase in capacity to Orlando for 2016. I agree that TCX's 2017 schedule is a better mix.

Cancun is being operated throughout the winter by TOM which I didn't notice before so becomes STN's first year-round long haul destination in some time. They also have a one-off flight to Barbados.

TOM Long-haul
 

Looking at it more closely it looks like these are the current dates available to book for summer 2017

Sanford (Orlando)
5 Apr – 19 Apr weekly
19 July – 16 August*
*Operates fortnightly

Cancun
3 May – 31 May
19 July – 27 September

Montego Bay (Jamaica)
4 May – 1 June
20 July – 28 September

There is a break in June/July where the aircraft is utilised elsewhere but returns in time for the peak English school holidays.

As mentioned above a reduction in Orlando, probably due to the large programme now offered by Thomas Cook at Stansted and lack of demand outside of peak dates.

Overall an increase on this year's operation with the introduction of the Montego Bay service next summer.

September is not the usual cut off date for the summer season, but this is as far as the programme is on sale. It is likely some routes may continue through October or winter 17/18.

Good things are happening with long-haul leisure routes at Stansted :ok:

Now that they've started turning the screw on coach services to London as well they really can get you over a barrel no matter how you try to get to the airport!

LTN charges £20 for its permits, Heathrow charges £25.87 and Gatwick charge £14.96 so Stansted is a bargin!

Fees from the Stansted airport website

I meant them turning the screw on scheduled services; Terravision.

Same happened at Luton when Greenline was kicked out. Like Terravision, Greenline went to court and won, as it was found that the airport was exploiting its dominant position.

I have just been through the Stansted shopping mall with an ultimate goal of getting on a plane.

I am disabled, not enough to require a wheelchair, but have difficulty in walking.
The enlightened new management of Hispanice origin have opted to make the route from check in to gate as long and as tortuous as possible, forcing you to pass through stands of purveyours of evil smelling synthentic perfumes, where pleasant enough ladies attempt to tempt you. No, bog off, I have a plane to catch.

You announce the gate within a remarkably short time limit, whilst advertising the time to gate as being X minutes.

I am halfway there at my slow pace when I get a nasty announcement that I am awaited at the gate. (All announcements at Stansted are nasty; abandoned baggage, hostility to staff, and so on.

I then discover that on a pier with gates numbered 41 to 59, 41 being of course close to the terminal, a flight is departing from gate 43, but my flight departed from gate 57. Right at the end of the pier. Empty functional gates all the way along my sad limping parcourse. Not a single flight assigned to those gates

On the pier 41 and upwards, is there a moving walkway? No. You have to walk, after a major walk already from check in.

Let's go back an hour or two. After check in I go to the disabled entry to the security check. The snotty little kid tells me to go to there where there are major queues.

I show him my badge, which ought to work, but he heaves a sigh and reluctantly lets me through.

Why should I feel diminished by needing a little cosideration?

Stansted, you have lost the plot. You have made the travellers experience horrible, I used to enjoy your airport. It is now horrendous.

sorry to read about your woes at STANSTED, its all about MONEY/GREED nowadays so nothing will change, I wonder if the management were to do a poll of the PAX and the outcome was to change it back to how it was, would the powers that be change it back..i dont think so mores the pity

All the airport is trying to do is encourage passengers to spend money which helps to offset low airline fees. Maybe the poll should be a choice between shops or higher ticket prices?

Same at Gatwick south terminal, Luton, Birmingham, Glasgow and probably most UK airports. They all dump you in the middle of a tax-free heaven once you clear security. They are a business after all, not a public service with money to burn unfortunately.

Well they can't even get that right. After an interminable wait at "security" which is laffable, most folk who are able so to do sprint towards their gate, with their cabin lugage on trolley wheels causing serious discomfort to those who get smashed into by them.

I have always allowed plenty of time to get through this ghastly mess. I don't think I have ever seen somebody pause to buy anything. But I suppose some retarded souls must.

I don't think it's fair to use the term 'retarded souls' to describe folk who want to buy and shop at an airport tax-free outlet. A bit harsh don't you think? Whilst it might not appeal to you, clearly it does to a large majority otherwise the shops would not exist.

Whilst I agree the re-modelled Stansted is not ideal, I have travelled through it quite a few times and I don't think it's half as bad as you describe. I've had good and bad experiences at all of our London airports, with the exception of SEN & LCY. But you try and get a cheap air fare to anywhere from LCY, the airport experience is perfect most of the time, that's why you pay through the nose for your ticket. As for SEN, the lack of shops (and customers) must be hitting them hard. They'll be recouping that lost revenue elsewhere, but how long can that go on for is another question. Retail is probably the largest income at an airport after car parking.

Tbh most people complain about Stansted for one reason or another and to be fair they are quite valid.

But most people will put up with it for the low fares as pax figures show! Which can only mean the airport must be doing something right, if only its with the airlines/prices and routes you can get out of Stansted nowadays.

Although yes Stansted is by far the worse airport I have used for Security/Departures and arriving back

I agree it is all about money and greed, the insistence by us passengers on paying next to nothing for flights and the greed of expecting top service for little payout. Unfortunately airports are having to earn their money somehow and shopping is the way. We are reaping what we have sowed.

Airports make more money from retail than aviation!

I like the shops at airports: the worst thing is turning up somewhere with one poorly stocked coffee stand and a tatty WHSmiths.

Not been called retarded for a while, what a pleasant individual you must be. Please dont use Stansted again, I'd hate to share the same oxygen as you

Surprised that no one has pickup up on this but then it might be old news.

Stansted Airport to unveil £600m upgrade plan | Construction Enquirer

I did see that but assumed the £600m was a misprint.

What on earth are they spending that on? Thats 1/3 of what they paid for the place. slightly more actually

Hopefully they'll spend some of it on re-working what they've already done.

Check-in could do with an up-grade - A lot of the desks and flight display signage above the desks has not changed since it opened in 1991 and looks really dated. Some TV screens like at Manchester above the check-in desks would bring it up to date. Some of the white walls where you used to exit check-in and go through to security look white-washed and dull, even look temporary but I don't think they are? The place does need a 'freshen up' as parts of it are looking like they were done on the cheap.

If they are going to spend £600 million then that sort of money will be buying a capacity increase on quite a scale I would have thought.

If I recall they have approval to go to 35m pax but not the facilities in place to go beyond 25m, I guess this is them putting in that missing capacity (which they will need before too long).

If so then there is an interesting contrast in approach here - Stansted will spend £600m to get roughly 10m additional capacity while Luton is spending £100m to get about the same (excluding the more recently announcd £200m people mover).

I think maybe Stansted will be looking to attract more full fare airlines while Luton focuses on the riffraf.

That still means for every £1 per passenger than Luton earns Stansted will have to earn £6. That's a huge 6:1 differential between two airports allegedly in competition, and when you consider the differential in airport charges between Heathrow and Luton is only about 3:1.

... and before the local fanboys round on me I am not suggesting that Stansted is over investing, it could equally be an indication of the degree of underfunding going in at Luton.

Luton has a name for it, I kid you not. They called the proposed development "value engineered", I call it skimping.

The cost will include a runway extension and extra entry points and a holding area, taxiway extensions and more stands. Gonna get busy!

Lets see the detail.....
 

Don't these words sum it up "Stansted Airport’s operator is set to lift the wraps on plans for a £600m long term upgrade of its terminal infrastructure."

This could be a 30 year plan and if includes a new runway extension (why) and infrastructure is not going to be a great investment in customer experience. MAG are investing £1bn without a new runway at MAN.

Can anyone explain why domestic arrivals dumps u outside? You then have to push thru the smokers to get back into the terminal....

Waldo1
 

You are not "dumped" anywhere, the domestic arrival area has its own exit, most people who fly want to land and exit the terminal as quick as possible why would you be complaining about not have to fight your way through arriving international passengers all trying to exit the terminal it's the same terminal building its not like your dropped off at a remote building I don't understand what the problem is ?

Waldo1
 

Transit passenger maybe?

There is NO need whatsoever for a runway extension at STN, Where did this idea spring from?

@wings folded

Next time I suggest you book PRM assistance in advance. It's free and they are there to help those less able like yourself. You would have been taken straight through security and to your gate in plenty of time.

The domestic exit is the closest point to security so connecting couldn't be easier ������

You clearly have no concept of how to increase runway capacity

It's ridiculous.

I do get where Waldo1 is coming from.

You are pretty much dumped outside the main terminal. It's not exactly the greatest 'Welcome to London' now is it?! With the £600m infrastructure investment I'd like to think they might do some work with and invest in domestic arrivals, perhaps connect the exit better with the train station/bus station/car parks. It does almost feel like you're being dumped out of the ar$e end of the terminal. International arrivals you're greeted with M&S, Burger King, coffee shops, desks offering options for onward travel by bus, rail etc... Domestic offers you a couple of seats and a vending machine. To me it seems like it was a poor after thought when they re-jigged the terminal perhaps someone forgot to consider the domestic arrivals experience?

Just look at what Gatwick has achieved in terms of customer experience and terminal aesthetics since it's take over from BAA. Stansted does in areas seem like a botch job done on the cheap with very little thought or consideration put into improving the customer experience.

Yes you are. The international arrivals comes out inside the terminal. Domestic arrivals go outside.

I don't think they care about domestic flights, even domestic departures are away in the other side of the airport with no food options or anything.

Last time I flew from Stansted on a domestic flight was pre the re-development of the terminal. You still went via the same security and into departures same as International, flights departed via a walkway to Satellite 2? Has this changed then?

No, domestic still tends to be Satellite 2 gates 80-88 via the walkway though EZY do occasionally have some of their domestics from Satellite 1.

I assume this was because Ryanair had pulled domestic flying and easyJet was on draw down when this was designed? Whoops. MOL said domestic flying was incompatible with APD, this was (partly) why STN-PIK,BLK,NQY and BHD went.

Then of course back comes STN-EDI,GLA and BFS!