Walkthrough Shoping Centres (Formerly known as Departure lounges)
 

It seems in the Uk it's now obligatory to have to walk through a winding shopping mall to get to the (increasingly reduced in numbers*) seats in departures. Stansted is by far the worst, but others are gaining quickly. Maybe it's just me, but I would consider paying a small fee for a 'fast track'!

*I'm quite sure the reduced seating is to encourage you to spend money in the various outlets.

Agreed, first noticed this at Man when they revamped T1 some years ago, the seating in the main lounge is non existant which leads to people wandering around for an our or so.

Luton has just extended and 'improved' it's departures. I can't wait until I have to go through in August. My usual ploy to avoid it all AND find a seat is to use my lounge pass. I find I have become adept at 'not seeing' the shops as I search out the lounge or the gate.

Conversely, in Arrivals at LHR (my most regular port) the reduction in seating drives people to sit in the chairs - in the coffee shops ....

It's completely deliberate. They don't want you sitting down not spending money!

STN and LTN are terrible for it. Not announcing gates until the very last minute, ridiculously small holding areas with far too few seats too. Forces people to the conveniently large, expensive food outlets which surprisingly have plenty of seats!

The UK is by far the worst I have seen for this. It's actually quite embarrassing how we so blatantly force people through the shops. Very tacky indeed.

What I find even more annoying is that at an increasing number of airports, you cannot even depart from the terminal without passing though the gauntlet of a (sometimes claimed duty-free) shopping area. The last thing I want to have to manoeuvre my rollaboard through is a maze of displays and counters -- all explicitly designed to obscure the exit and prevent travel in a straight line.

Brussels no different to Manchester.

IMHO it was dublin that started it wayyy back...

The UK is by far the worst I have seen for this. It's actually quite embarrassing how we so blatantly force people through the shops. Very tacky indeed.


Anyone been to Faro recently ????

If you want to see this taken to extreme try any IKEA store. or so I believe, Only been once to one in Edmonton UK never again

Back to Airports, agree UK is just a reason not to shop but the only benefit is the alcohol samples they promote and can easily lose 60mins of 'shopping' time and means you do not need to go to Wetherspoons to get tanked up before the flight

Stansted is the worst. It would be good to see how the escape times have been maintained should the fire alarms go off, especially given the kitchen areas of some catering outlets are now in the centre of the serendipity. Perhaps Essex fire service could pay a visit for an audit.

North terminal at LGW is a nightmare . A long winding u turning pathway through shops that is disorientating and confusing. Ina building emergency evac no lights and a lot of smoke it would be a death trap a death trap. I wonder how many freebies the airport bunged the authorities to get that approved. since it is so ridiculously obviously dangerous. And thats without the lack of seats no gate announcements and every other trick to try and force you to spend money

The North Terminal at LGW used to be really nice, you could see all the shops you might want to visit (or ignore) from the middle of the departure lounge, where there was abundant seating in relaxing surroundings - I miss the old centrepieces that were the cone-shaped fountains around which helical ramps would take you down to the departure gates.

After BAA sold it off the centrepieces were concreted over to make way for a small number of seats whilst the rest of the lounge has turned into an ugly and archaic shopping mall which you are forced to walk through regardless as it's the only path to the boarding gates now. Asides from there being a climate control problem, there also seemed to be a big fruit fly infestation problem in some of the upstairs food outlets when I was travelling through there back in February... hope they've sorted those out by now!

Would disagree, it's relativey short and just one U shaped walk. Compared to say Stansted (Long, circular walk to get back to 10m from where you started), Gatwick North's squiggle or Bristol's equivalent, EDI is realtively calm. But still annoying

The pleasantly surprising one is Heathrow T5, where it's almost an old fashioned pass through security then into the centre. Plenty of shops, but none you are forced to wlk through. Yet.

Dave,

Probably because they know not even one in ten pax could afford a Gucci handbag, Rolex watch, etc! The shops in T5 are useless to the average traveller.

I agree, there is very little that I would buy there as they are all stupid prices and if I was off to my two weeks in the sun at other airports, then I doubt I would be buying anything unless I realised that I had forgotten to pack something (even then I would probably wait until I got there).