Connecting flight through Stansted

[keeprighton1974]

Your advice please:

I am due to fly into Stansted on Easyjet then 1 1/2 hours later fly with Ryanair. A friend is flying with me on the second leg. We have no bags and have online check-in.
Is it best for me to leave the Ryanair 'tickets' with my friend or do I get him to email me my online ticket and meet him at the gate?
I don't know the layout of Stansted - if I choose the second option do I just follow signs for Transfers?

Thanks!

[HXdave]

mate, you are not 'transferring', you are finishing 1 flight, and then checking in for another.

as for who holds the tickets, who have you booked your flights through? both EZY & FR do not do 'tickets' anymore, in fact all you need is your reference number or (if you prefer) a copy of your confirmation.

on another point, i sincerely hope that the EZY part of the flight is nor delayed, as rest assured the FR flight will not wait for you. after all, why should Mr oleary have to delay his plane just because his competitor Mr Stelios cannot get his flight to depart on time.

IMHO, i would have left a LOT MORE TIME in between!

[Alsacienne]

You will have to walk to Border Control, wait for clearance, which could take some considerable time depending on which other flights have arrived with yours, then pass customs and into the hall landside, walk down to the far end, check in anything you do have ... remembering how tight FR are on hand baggage ... and then queue (for an unpredictable period) for security, access the lounge area and get to your gate which could be 20 mins walk away before the gate closes (theoretically) 30 mins or so before your flight is boarded (noting that this time limit is respected even if the incoming flight hasn't arrived on time, and you MAY find yourself doing the Stansted Stampede when FR changes their gate distribution at the last minute).

If you manage to complete this in your time plan, you'll be incredibly lucky. Wear comfy shoes and be prepared to run like the clappers!

[raffele]

By 'ticket' I assume you mean your boarding pass. As others have said, you're not transferring. FR and EZY don't do transfers, even between their own flights!

As you will have a very tight schedule clearing arrivals and then going through departures again, the best bet is for you to meet your friend at the gate. In order to do this, you'll need your own boarding pass and them theirs, so get whoever is processing the online check in to email the other party their boarding pass.

[ground_star]

A 20 minute walk from Checkin to a gate at STN? By what method, crawling??

[wowzz]

You don't say where your EZY flight originates, but the majority of EZY flights use the satellite terminals, which will mean that you have to take the shuttle train to border control. This can add at least 10 minutes to the time it will take you to get back into the main terminal.
I don't think I have ever gone through security in less than 20 minutes, so your schedule is looking like this:
Shuttle to border control: 10 minutes
Clear border control: 15 minutes
Run to security: 5 minutes
Clear security: 20 minutes
Run to Ryanair gate 10 minutes

Total time 60 minutes

You need to be sitting at the front of the EZY flight to make sure you get off as quickly as possible - in your shoes I would pay for speedy boarding to get the best seat for a quick exit.

Good luck - let us know if you make the connection.

[Lotpax]

I don't know the layout of Stansted - if I choose the second option do I just follow signs for Transfers?

The reason you are getting the answers aboeve is that Stansted does not have a 'transfers/flight connections' channel for international to international flights, in the same way that most airports do.

Can you change your easyJet flight to arrive earlier or your Ryanair flight to leave later?

That would be the best option for peace of mind.

[angels]

Agree that this is probably going to be incredibly tight, but I was amazed that two Saturdays ago I got through security in less than 5 minutes (early afternoon).

[keeprighton1974]

Thanks for all your replies. Even the snappy ones!

The Ryanair flight only runs once daily and is the ONLY airline to fly to my destination airport(!) so this was the only option other than an overnight in Essex....

9am arrival at Stansted.
Run through customs.
Run to Departures.
Brisk walk through Security.
Run to Gate.

Ta.

[wowzz]

Brisk walk through security - I wouldn't bank on it!

[Alsacienne]

A 20 minute walk from Checkin to a gate at STN? By what method, crawling??

Well start off with trying to get through security when they are busy and not all the security points are being 'personed'. FR do not have any fast track facility. Then find your gate listed. Are you going to be lucky and get away from the FR terminal to one served by the shuttle service? Let's hope there's space on the shuttle train. OK so you have to do the walk of shame to the FR terminal - down, along and up. Is the gate that you were aiming for still the current gate now you've reached the terminal ... and fight your way through to it. I would reckon that 20 mins could easily be clocked up, and that being just trying to get through security without being subject to an additional baggage check or pat down.

And as for 'running' anywhere, as you mentioned, don't forget that there are likely to be bodies and baggage in the way of your intended Olympic sprint, and certainly the Border Agency and Customs folk may take an extra interest in you if you seem to be in too much of a hurry for their taste ... and remember that you will be being watched either electronically or in person during your movements from the arriving aircraft to the departing aircraft.

If the FR flight is late arriving, you might have some luck but I wouldn't count on it. Please let us know how you get on - and genuinely all the very best of luck!

[XSBaggage]

I've flown a couple of times PIK-STN-LBC with a 1 hour 10 minute window at STN. Worked out fine every time, but it isn't the most relaxing way to travel!

[keeprighton1974]

Just to tie this thread up...

Because my trip is quite important I decided to ditch the Easyjet flight and fly into Bham the day before, stayover with my friend, then travel down to Stansted together for the Ryanair flight. So I'll never know if it was do-able!

If I would have missed the 11:05 Ryanair flight to Altenburg the next flight would be around 16:00 the following day!

Just too risky!

Cheers all.

[Vld1977]

That was the most sensible thing to do. EZY is taking you from A to B. As far as they are concerned, by taking you to STN, they have complied with their part of the contract. Whatever happens after you leave their plane is not their responsibility, so had you missed that flight, you would have found yourself buying another ticket and with no possibility to complain.

[Teaboy24]

Last time I was in the departure lounge at Stansted I found a passageway next to Boots that seemed to lead into the Domestic Baggage collection area. Would I be right in thinking that if you arrive on a Domestic flight you can get into the departure lounge without the need to go right through and then back through security control. After all, you will have been through UK security control at another airport ?

[Sligo camper]

query on flight from Knock, Ireland

Trying to organise a flight from Knock (Ireland) to Stansted and on to Alicante at end of June 2011. Arriving 09.30 Flight departs at 10.50 am. 2 adults and 3 teens.

Do Flights from Ireland share the Domestic flights access? If so, Will this speed up or slow down the process of physically transferring from the Arrivals hall to the next stage departure area.

All help greatly appreciated.

[Skipness One Echo]

Last time I was in the departure lounge at Stansted I found a passageway next to Boots that seemed to lead into the Domestic Baggage collection area. Would I be right in thinking that if you arrive on a Domestic flight you can get into the departure lounge without the need to go right through and then back through security control. After all, you will have been through UK security control at another airport ?

There's a desk at the end of the domestic arrivals lounge with a BAA body making sure people don't wander left into the lounge. I think he's also there to make sure people don't collect hold baggage and walk back.

He/she has no ability to scan the barcode on your printed off boarding card so I suspect they would not let you down into the lounge and send you back through security.

[wowzz]

Sligo Camper
You cannot transfer fliights airside at STN. You have to pass through immigration, collect your luggage, go out into the main terminal, check-in your luggage for the ALC flight and then pass into departures through security.
I think you need at least 3 hours to be sure of making the transfer.

[Sligo camper]

thanks

i appreciate we will have to exit arrivals and then go back in through departures. Baggage will ALL be hand luggage (ryanair regular flyer!) so I was just wondering worst case scenario how long would it take to go through the process after arriving land side. Stansted isnt that big an airport to my recollection!

[wowzz]

sc - if you have pre-printed your boarding cards you sould just about be OK. Assuming no massive queues at immigration or security, I reckon 40 minutes should do it from the moment the plane lands.
Make sure you sit near the front or rear exits for a speedy departure from the plane, and pray it is on time!