Agree this issue will face all airports. Baggage belts are another pinch point as normally passengers are all trying to grab cases as they pass while standing 3 deep.

So I take a chance and fly Easyjet with its policy of no middle passenger. I am sitting there just boarded in my own personal space when someone comes up with an oversized bag and then puts it in the locker above my head while breathing all over me.

https://i.imgur.com/fjM7cUA.jpg

Then I could come back to this at Luton. This is the queue for Border Force. Sorry there is no way social distancing can be achieved when flying and it can't be achieved at Luton

https://i.imgur.com/SbNXkWe.jpg

I just recently returned from a very long haul trip (last month) and for us, social distancing was no issue during the journey home. No long queues at check-in, no long queues at immigration, and being in Business Class for the domestic leg then Premium Economy Plus for the long haul home, nobody within 3 feet of us. I agree, 3 feet is not the new so-called social distancing standard, but much better than having someone inches from us. On arrival LHR, again, hardly any queues anywhere. OK it was just as the UK was starting to lockdown but there were people inbound. We just found that waiting a little made what queues there were more manageable.

Our plan pre-COVID-19 was to have another long haul holiday in 2022 and I suspect I'll be either looking at Business or First Class or even going by private charter. Expensive ? Of course it is, but our health and well being is far more important and if it comes to it, we won't travel abroad again. Drastic I know but it comes down to choice. The airlines won't have a choice because they need bums on seats but as consumers, we do have a choice.

It's life Jim - but not as we know it !

Unfortunately those with relatives that live overseas, who need to travel to visit them don’t all have the budget to pay for business class travel.

LTNman, some of the issues you mention are relatively easy to solve. Only hand luggage allowed that fits under the seat in front on no use of overhead lockers apart from the people at ‘exit’ seats.
Board the airplane from the middle to the front/back and nobody (in theory) has to walk past an occupied row.

Earlier in the thread you said yourself that LLA would have done really well if pax number hit 12 million in 2021 so as a result the queuing at Immigration will be a lot less.

Yes - the issues are relatively easy to solve, but it means a massive change to they way things have been. Mind, if a lot fewer people are flying, yes a lot of these issues disappear.

30 people on a 738/320 and social spacing becomes a lot easier...

There are a number of measures that can be taken initially there will probably only be a third of the number of people flying so prices will be three times higher. Terminal entry can be restricted to passengers only maximum two hours before departure. Social distancing in baggage reclaim might be possible given the level of passenger usage. Luton appears to have a problem with immigration though as from memory it doesn't have a large hall where you could snake people and keep them 2 m apart like some other airports.

Bear in mind I think we will be lucky to see 6 million pax this year and 9 million next at best though.

Just my own thoughts but I think travel to and from Eastern Europe, which is around 50% of Luton’s passengers will bounce back quickly, as there will be a pent up demand to stay with friends and family. Also it was this traffic that was the last to end at Luton which at one point made LTN London’s second busiest airport after Heathrow. It is the remaining 50% that will take much longer.

Good point. The Eastern Europeans seem much less risk averse than others- they seem content to smoke in larger numbers for example.

You know here in Eastern Europe we have less deaths now than usual for people younger than say 70. I think only 2 of 34 deaths in Lithuania were younger than 70, news here still publish details about every virus victim. But we used to have about 10 or so traffic deaths per month which now went to almost nil during quarantine.

Terminal closes tonight to all passengers.

And Wizz Air still keeps flights to Sofia and Varna on sale. Budapest flight was moved to Gatwick.

By knowingly selling tickets on flights they know won’t operate is that not fraud?

With not much to talk about I noticed that the hangar line is not as crowded as it was. 2 more stands are now vacant as 2 Ryanair’s have just departed for Stansted.

Which should give LGW between a 50-100% increase in pax. Surely they would be better off closing the terminal as well. Would make more sense to send the flight to STN who already have staff in place at that time.

Budepest LGW was an existing route so not really a move, just suspended from Luton.

Yes, but they didn't operate BUD-LGW for almost a month now and todays flight has flight number of yesterdays Luton flight. They sell both from 1st May.

Tickets for 3 rotations SOF-LTN tomorrow are still being sold. Wizz know how to not care about scheduling.

Just tried to book SOF-LTN and sold out until 29/4. We know that won't run so will I get a credit +20% for a later date?

LBC
 

March figures
2020. 586,479
2019. 1,338,890 down (56.2%)

Passengers first 3 months
2020. 2,919,261
2019. 3,672,189 down (20.5%)

Rolling 12 months
2020. 17,247,041
2019. 16,976,998 up 1.6%

Todays flights to/from Sofia were canceled but at the moment there are free seats for tomorrow. Flights get sold out because passengers are moved from older canceled flights but then seats become available when passengers ask for refunds or reschedule. And yes, you could get that credit. Or maybe they will land at Luton no matter what :)