Gate departures from STN

[EBU42]

I note now that Stansted only display gate numbers around 1hr15 before departure. Is there somewhere that you can find out the gate number before this? I fly to Lyon with EZY roughly once a month, and as I am at the airport in good time, it is quite nice to get through to the gate area asap (usually 1-19) and then have a quiet pint and watch the planes go by.....

Is there any obvious reason for this change or is it just BAA trying to keep us in the shopping area as long as possible, which is usually noisy and crowded, so that we can fill their coffers further?

Further to this, if I trust to luck and go to gate 1-19 and the flight doesn't go from their, can I get back on the train to go to 20-39?

Any responses much appreciated.

[Musket90]

EZY use both Satellite 1 & 2 at Stansted and there is always a possibility of a late change to aircraft or stand allocation which would then affect the departure gate number, so perhaps it's prudent, given the transit train issues, not to publish the departure gate number too early until it's definite which aircraft and which parking stand is being used for the departing flight.

[SLF]

Interesting question about the train though - I was in the lounge at gates 1-19 as I was very early for the EZY flight to CPH, which always used to leave from this satellite. However, it used 87 this time and a car was arranged to take me there. Couldn't I have caught the train, stayed on it through Arrivals and eventually ended up back at the Main terminal?

Cheers - SLF

[the_fish@blueyonder.]

I was wondering about this too last night while waiting for my flight STN-EDI.

I noticed that my flight, which was due to leave at 20:50 was displaying "Final Call" at about 19:50 when the aircraft hadn't even arrived yet. This was at the gate itself which was on one of the satellite piers. A few people were confused and started to amalgamate at the gate at this point.

Why do very few airlines seem to use the air bridges at STN? I'm not surprised at FR, they never use them anyway, but EZY for example use them at a lot of other places, LGW, EDI, GLA, HAM to name a few places I've used them with EZY...but never, ever STN, even if they're parked at a gate with airbridge, they still use the stairs. Are they especially expensive at STN or something?

[dontpressthat]

Why would you want to be at the gate 75mins+ before departure??? I would suggest that the reason the 'go to gate' message appears on the screens is because thats when you are required to be at the gate. Any time before that and there will be another flight/AC using that gate and so no point in you being there.
Seriously, go get some grub or grab a coffee, its only ever gonna take you 15mins to get to gate from anywhere at STN/LGW etc.
DPT

[TightSlot]

even if they're parked at a gate with airbridge, they still use the stairs

STN airbridges are frequently broken - much more so than elsewhere. Nobody knows why.

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by the_fish@blueyonder.

I was wondering about this too last night while waiting for my flight STN-EDI.

I noticed that my flight, which was due to leave at 20:50 was displaying "Final Call" at about 19:50 when the aircraft hadn't even arrived yet.

This has always been an issue at Stansted, it has been commented on for years. And absolutely nothing has ever been done about it.

Nor can it be fixed, because it requires a work proposal with a Return on Capital calculation for any costs. No Return on Capital, no approval.

[SLF]

STN airbridges are frequently broken - much more so than elsewhere. Nobody knows why

I always presumed this was because 2 doors are faster than one...

[25F]

The return on capital is simple - if people know they don't have to rush off to the gate they will spend more time in the main shopping area.

We flew EZY out of STN last week and they used an airbridge.