I really doubt that companies don't exist to any sizeable number of people without an App. There are very few things that can't be achieved with a well optimised mobile site, Apps do have their place, but fi they have no USP, why bother? Mobile Web is orders of magnitude cheaper to develop and support than an App. The development cost of a good app is in the 10-20k range plus ongoing support. Apps offer a lot more information and analytics of customer data, but Apps without an obvious purpose are rarely opened and iOS will automatically delete them after a given period of inactivity.

If there really are people like you say they will have the flyBe, Ryanair, easyJet and Sky Scanner App. Even if they don't know that SEN exists when they enter "London" into the search box SEN will automatically come up.

Makes you wonder why so many firms waste their time developing them...

Passenger numbers in June for GLA-SEN were 3,691 and ABZ-SEN 3,609. These represent load factors of 57% and 56% respectively.

I definitely have sympathy for anyone who arrives on a delayed flight only to be shoved out of the terminal when the best option for them could be waiting for the first train.

But just how many people arrive at 0130 when the first departure is 0630? And if you had a good reason wouldn't you be interested in what facilities would be available even if you assumed you could enter the the airport?

easyJet and Ryanair attract price conscious travellers. Some get buses and coaches to the airport or the last train. Not being able to afford a hotel the night before or a taxi on the morning of their departure, they intend to use the airport facilities overnight. At other airports there is plenty of evidence of people doing this.

Now that there is a train from London arriving before 05:30 (except Sundays before someone points that out) there is less reason than before to arrive in the middle of the night and surely if you plan to arrive at 01:30 (this was presumably by train as the first X30 doesn't arrive SEN until 05:25) you would check the website to see what facilities will be open in the terminal. If you do that you will find in the Q & A of Terminal Opening Hours:
"Can I wait in the terminal overnight?"
"No the terminal closes at midnight or after the last arrival and does not re-open until 4am."

The complainant says he will use another airport in future and that is obviously what he needs to do as SEN is not suitable for his needs. Fair enough but I wonder what percentage of passengers planning to use SEN need to enter the terminal before 0400. Very few I would suggest so there is no commercial advantage for SEN in opening it at night yet there would be a considerable cost in doing so to ensure safety and security. I wonder who opened the station toilet for him as I thought the station was closed similar hours to those of the terminal.
These days so many people seem to think that every facility will be available to them whenever and wherever they want it and don't even bother to check if that will be the case.

The first train gets to Southend Airport at 05:29 so only suitable for flights departing 07:30 or later given that the airport themselves advise passengers to turn up at least 2 hours prior to their flight. So the next best option for all flights prior to 07:30 is to take the last train out of London and get to the airport at 01:47. For people booking LCC flights budget is everything - nobody wants to risk losing their flight because they turned up too late so those travelling via public transport will arrive the night before.

This morning there were 7 flights scheduled to depart before 07:30am.

Part of the problem is the London prefix that the airport uses. People automatically expect a London Airport to be open all night.

Passengers kip down overnight in out of the way places around Luton's terminal. Some even bring their sleeping bags but it is just tolerated. The majority just use the seating areas or stay awake by using the land side coffee shops etc which are all 24 hour.

All passengers should be valued so it is disingenuous to suggest that the airport should shun travellers on a tight budget. It is those very passengers that fill the cheapest seats which allows those with more money to book the higher price tickets otherwise they would be taking the cheapest seats with the expensive seats remaining unsold.

If the airport wants to be a big player in the London market then it needs to act as a big player and give customers basic overnight facilities they expect. Maybe there should be a campaign in the local press for a 24 hour portaloo and hot dog stand to be provided on the station platform while passengers wait to be let into the terminal as a half way measure. With first flights around 6:30 many passengers, even those with money, will be arriving before the key is turned in the lock. I would love to know exactly how many people are queuing up outside the door at 4am but as a passenger who routinely arrives 3 hours before departure I would also be in that queue if I knew no better.

City is a different kettle of fish and you know it. They cater for premium passengers who do not turn up at one in the morning. Southend needs to stay ahead of the game and build on its reputation which was a long time coming.

I'm sorry but I cannot go along with what you say on this one. I repeat my assertion that the numbers who turn up at SEN some time after midnight hoping to kip down for a few hours prior to catching their flight is probably very few and to cater for their needs would be costly with very little upside. Haven't you noticed that virtually all businesses, and airports can most certainly be included among them, operate in a way that maximises their revenues while minimising their costs? You have noticed I'm sure that LTN is so cost-conscious that they don't even put in ceilings, unless VIPs are due to visit visit and the photo opportunities might reveal this fact.

As far as LCY is concerned, they close the terminal at 2200 and it re-opens at 0430 (with Security opening at 0515) and I suspect leisure and VFR traveller numbers there are higher than you suggest. Perhaps people do turn up there in the small hours, who knows?

Love all the defensive responses - big city aspirations, small town attitude

You may want to read this piece and in particular the second paragraph.

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/...-a4179361.html