Malta rated Europe's 4th best airport

[L'aviateur]

Hong Kong, Singapore and Amsterdam amongst my favourits for efficiency . Although have to say that I was surprised to discover that Singapore Changi has a budget terminal after taxying in on a LCC a little while back and finding myself inside a large shed with a long queue for immigration in the corner of the airport, vast difference to the main terminal.

[Sark]

Surely Vancouver must rate highly lots of light, space and the water features are quite spectacular and calming. Too much walking on transfer but I am young and fit! Relaxed security and Customs and Immigration even during the Olympics last week. I would score all at 9 out of 10.

PS: LHR Terminal 3 has improved 10 fold over the last 3 years since we last used it.

[Pontius Navigator]

We used to use the cafe at Luqa for lunch as they had superb spag-bol. One day, while 4 of us were tucking in to the spag-bol the 5th had chosen the maccaroni.

When he nipped off to the toilet someone noticed a fly on his macaroni. Knowing how fastideous he was, the fly was picked off and no one said a thing.

A couple of mouthfuls later we noticed a second fly IN his macaroni. At that point someone threw up and we all departed

[TheTiresome1]

PN - Malta has flies. You just have to get used to it.

[Final 3 Greens]

Arrived back at MIA at 1am this morning, had a Kinnie in the arrivals lounge, got my 2 checked bags and was in bed by 1.30am.

The ease of getting though is one reason why people like the Malta experiencet.

Admittedly, last night was a good as it gets, with ours being the only flight arriving at that time, but nonetheless it's a quick airport to use.

[Nobend]

MYY Miri Sarawak definitely up there for speed especially the 0620 to KUL. The MAS desks don't open until 0530 so its check, up the stairs, 2 minutes through immigration (strange one that because Sarawak is Malaysia), on to the aircraft and orf you go.

Another thing..... no boogering about with liquids. I suspect you could take a 40 gallon drum of water on with you and no one would bat an eyelid

[xtypeman]

OK cat among the pigeons. LHR T5 last time i arrived there at 18:00 on a satelite was landside with bags in 20 mins.

[Final 3 Greens]

LHR T5 last time i arrived there at 18:00 on a satelite was landside with bags in 20 mins.

Same thing for me on Wednesday last week, arriving at 1130.

Should be like that all the time, then LHR might figure in the list.

[Capetonian]

I don't want to repeat what others have said, so I'll restrict myself to saying that having flown in and out of Malta earlier this month, on Air Malta, I was most pleasantly impressed by all aspects of the airport, and the airline.

I also found the island and its people fascinating and delightful.

F3G I'll be sending you a PM when I have a bit more time.

[Peter47]

I agree with the results, HKG & SIN are great airports (I've not been through SEL), ZRH & AMS are the best in Europe. Actually it is airline not airport surveys where I sometimes disagree with the results.

LHR is better now that T5 has opened. It wan't a bad airport but it was operating way over capacity, terminals congested with passengers and certainly in my experience you had long waits to get onto a stand at T4. At times you thought yourself lucky if you got a remote stand with coaches waiting.

If you asked people to list their favourite and least favorite airports LHR would probably appear on both lists (a bit like Margaret Thatcher when PM). Favourite because of the range of flights, least favourite because of the congestion. The airlines want to go there because the yields are higher which suggests that premium travellers at least like the airport, or ais it that the alternatives (possibly excluding LCY) worse?

[UPP]

RE: MLA

F3G.

Agree with you about MLA. I'll be there next week. Arriving is always good. They are excellent with the wheelchair assistance, always waiting for us, and friendly.

Funny thing is that when I go back KM116, I always seem to get a grumpy check in agent. Still, it is early in the morning, and it's more amusing than anything else.

I seem to be in a minority, but I preferred the old lounge by Gate 1 - all that wood panelling made it nice and quiet. And with the new one, it can get a bit warm with the sun shining through that big window. Fish are nice, though!

[Final 3 Greens]

Fish are nice, though!

How did you have, grilled or fried

I'll be on 116 on Tuesday morning myself, back Friday night.

Some of the check in staff are grumpy, agreed, don't know why - I have a couple of 'full and frank' conversations over the years

It's not really the Maltese way to be grumpy

Hope you have a good trip (are you coming home or going abroad for a break?)

[UPP]

Going for 2 weeks next thursday. I would live there if I could. I have far more Maltese friends than here in the UK. Used to stay at the Jerma, but not now, obviously, so we're at the Marina at St Georges Bay these days' Lot of the old Jerma staff there, so that's good.

The grumpiness of the staff does usually make me laugh, because it really is so unusual.

Those fish are something else....wonder if they'd notice.......nah!

Always fly KM too. It's always a nice thought to look out of the lounge window at LGW and see the plane at the stand.

As an aside, I hope the arrival back at tLGW is better than last time: We waited for one hour (about 10 of us in all) stuck in a corridor for the assistance buggies to arrive. That certainly wouldn't have happened at MLA.

[tom775257]

Good for Malta international. I have spent many an hour in LMML as pilot and passenger, always good. (Ex KM pilot). Good ops side and a good ATC/handling/engineering etc.

Malta, my home away from home, with my Maltese fiancee (ps you would see her on TVM thursday nights )