LONDON CITY AIRPORT  Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

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LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 3 March 2009 : by D Johnson

Customer Rating : 5/5

Excellent Airport. Found free wi-fi (usually have to pay at Heathrow) which meant I could work whilst waiting, a good bar (bit pricey at times) and the new lounge is very smart. They are doing up the old lounge at the moment so it looks a bit worn but it is work in progress and they say it should be completed in about a month's time. The check in and arrivals process is a breeze (security is quick but can be a bit noisy at times but there is no hanging about). No queues, smart terminal, generally friendly staff, very quick arrival times from plane to train and into central London - 35 minutes last time from the airport to Westminster.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 27 February 2009 : by Jonathan Granato

Customer Rating : 5/5

Aside from the ruinous black cab fare from Finchely Road to LCY, smoothing going. If could have taken the Jubilee Line and connected w/DLR, but this being my first time I chose not to take any chances. Once inside the terminal there is a vast feeling of space. Check in a breeze. Surprisingly KLM contract staff friendly and efficient. Security draconian and intentionally unpleasant. Terminal laid out just fine. Coming in AMS-LCY you're off the aircraft and through passport control in around twenty minutes.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 15 December 2008 : by Dan Ross

Customer Rating : 5/5

Flew out in the Friday evening peak. Check in for VLM had changed to machines since the take over by KLM/AF which is a shame. Machines take credit card or passport for id. If you use the credit card, you need to swipe it in and out. which the machine doesn't tell you. Still, a quick check in process. There was one idiotic business woman yelling in her mobile phone that she would never come back here because she had to check in via the machines. Obviously a "status" passenger missing the express lines. We sat and a had a meal in the restaurant before security. At GBP12 for the main, I thought it was a bit pricey, but the quality and portion size was very good, so shant complain. Security was fairly quick. Tip - go behind a business traveller and not a tourist. Seasoned travellers have the routine down pat, while infrequent users slow the process. The lounges were full once inside. We had a look at all the new shops. Shame there is a WH Smiths there now, it loses its classy feel and a bit more downmarket in my eyes. Our plane started its boarding call about 45 minutes before the flight was due to leave. It was from one of the new gates. When I was looking for signs to see where they were, there was a big board in the middle of the floor with directions. But two women had parked themselves in front of it and were blocking it. I had to get the idiots to move so people could see where these new gates were. They are through the bar and you have to dodge the waiter delivering food to the tables on the other side. The departure gate has strange stools to sit on. Very strange. But still better than most other airports I've been to.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 22 November 2008 : by Alan Parker

Customer Rating : 5/5

I have used LCY over 30 times this year and can't speak too highly of the airport. It really is the way forward and makes the trip to LHR (for short haul) a waste of time. Improvements to the terminal have been most welcome and baggage is often ready for collection as you arrive in baggage claim. However the bar prices are eye watering (£4.30 for a beer!) and car parking the most expensive in Britain (£120 for three days) so take the DLR at £1.50 to Greenwich.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 22 November 2008 : by R Clark

Customer Rating : 4/5

LCY-EDI with BA. The airlines issue 'boarding calls' when the plane is not, in fact, ready to board; hence the resulting crush in the gate area. This is really an airline operating problem, not the airport's fault. The better practice would be to give ten minutes' notice of boarding, which would encourage a much more even flow of passengers. Otherwise, it still has free seating at 6.30pm and no security queues either.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 14 November 2008 : by Jason Tottey

Customer Rating : 4/5

Very nice airport, check in and security very quick. Has a tendency to get busy at times with standing room only. Good selection of shops and eateries. Expensive prices though, £4.30 for a beer is excessive. Only frustration was on return flight to LCY, was delayed at Zurich due to fog at London. However the fog at Zurich did not stop flights arriving and departing there. Will except that there may be some technical issues at London that restrict arrivals for this reason

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 6 November 2008 : by J Bailey

Customer Rating : 4/5

Crazy little airport which you have to love. Very convenient to get off and on the plane. very convenient connections into London centre on the DLR. Tiny little airport with a lounge like your sitting room. Check-in way too small in theory, but it all works because they only land mad small little planes that only hold a few people.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 5 November 2008 : by T Maddern

Customer Rating : 4/5

I flew out of London City Airport on October 24. Airport was total chaos because it was closed for several hours due to a security issue. The check in area was densely packed but I think all staff in this area were doing the best job possible to get everyone checked in, flights rearranged and upstairs into the departures area. It's easy and quick to get wherever you want in this airport and if you are interested in watching aircraft coming and going, there are plenty of areas to do this. On the way back the approach was interesting - circled London to make an Easterly landing, past the office high rise buildings, then a sharp nose dive towards the ground. Passport control and baggage delivery were quick and efficient.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 11 October 2008 : by Ross Clark

Customer Rating : 4/5

LCY-EDI. Second use of the airport in a year. The main downside of this airport are the 'gate lounges' which are far too cramped for the load of even a Avro RJ-85. AirFrance also has the quirk of asking for ID, along with your boarding pass, when you get to the gate. Have not come across this before for a domestic flight. Upsides: the DLR access (the train was packed going out, eben at 415pm); the security (through in about five minutes, this at 4.45pm); compact size; the lounge capacity (enough seating, even at 5pm. Probably my preferred airport for getting to London, and likely to get more popular with the OK to increase the # of flights they can handle.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 1 October 2008 : by J McManus

Customer Rating : 1/5

I've just had a terrible experience at London City Airport. I was due to fly out to Basel on the 0750 Swiss flight - I'd checked in online the day before, but when I got to the gate thirteen minutes before the flight was due to leave, the gate was shut. In fact, the aircraft doors were already shut - meaning the gate must have closed more than fifteen minutes before departure. Staff at the Swiss desk were very unhelpful and claimed they couldn't access my ticket and refused to put me on another flight. I'm still chasing the airport for a full explanation, despite the fact that they have acknowledged to me that they did close the gate earlier than they should have done. Be very careful if you use this airport - despite the talk of being able to arrive later than at larger airports, staff may decide to arbitrarily close your gate - with you on the wrong side of it!

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 31 July 2008 : by Nick Biskinis

Customer Rating : 4/5

London City is the future for those inter-city short haul air routes out of the Capital. It is pleasant, compact and exudes calm efficient. It has a slightly old fashioned provincial airport feel, but that doesn't detract from the quality of its operation. So much nicer than London Heathrow or Paris CDG. Rather than trying to cram additional flights to Heathrow, authorities should look to transfer some of Heathrow's shortest flights to London City, which would free up congestion at Heathrow's runways and remove the need to build a third runway.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 19 June 2008 : by S Downie

Customer Rating : 5/5

A very pleasant surprise after other London airports. Very compact and easy to use terminal building for both arrival and departure. No complaints about this airport, recommended alternative for a hassle free trip to London.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 18 June 2008 : by C Worthy

Customer Rating : 4/5

My first trips through London City Airport (out of LCY and back again in the past week) were both very pleasant experiences: hardly any queues (the one exception being passport control on re- entering the UK, although in fact the queue moved quite quickly), with short working distances, pleasant staff and easy access to the DLR. I can imagine that the departure lounge could get crowded in busy times, although there were seats for all when I was there. Two downsides: some of the tannoy announcements were incomprehensible (to me, a native English speaker — some people whose English is less secure could not possibly have understood them: the announcers really need to speak slowly and enunciate properly, and not drop their voices at the end of the sentence or at the important words, such as the flight number, destination and gate number!). And a number of the passengers on my plane had to join the queue outside the building, which would be unpleasant in very hot weather, in very cold weather or in wet weather.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 17 June 2008 : by R Mortara

Customer Rating : 4/5

This was my first time flying via LCY. I can see the benefits; quick transit from central London or the Canary Wharf area, short check-in queues, fairly well laid out. It's clear it gets very crowded and stuffy at peak times and although their are plenty of seats I saw lots of people had to stand up whilst waiting when I was there. Take off past the Dome and Canary Wharf was an event in itself - if you are sat on the left hand side of the aircraft. All in all a very pleasant experience.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 7 June 2008 : by David Griffiths

Customer Rating : 4/5

London City is, on any view, an outstanding airport and by far the most civilised way to travel to or from London. Only one thing stops me giving it a top score – the quality of flight announcements and boarding calls. On my most recent visit (4 June 2008) a significant number of these were being made by people who, quite simply, could not speak comprehensible English. I don’t know whether this is a matter for the airport itself or the flight handling companies but it needs to be addressed. Even as a native English speaker I had great difficulty understanding what was being said at times and many airport users won’t have English as their first language. Since it seems to be beyond the ability of any British airport to make announcements in any language other than English there is a corresponding obligation to ensure that the English spoken is clear and readily understood even by people whose grasp of the language may not be entirely secure.

LONDON CITY AIRPORT customer review : 7 June 2008 : by Rupert Dingles

Customer Rating : 5/5

Brilliant airport located minutes away from central London. Arrived from Amsterdam with amazing views of the cbd on arrival. Within 10minutes was on the DLR into the city. Makes perfect sense compared to Gatwick or Heathrow.

London City Airport review by G Jardin

3 June 2008   Customer Rating :

This was an already excellent airport that has just got even better. Previously a slight Achilles heal was the fact that the departure lounge could get crowded. Now the lounge has been extended to provide plenty of room even at busy periods. Security took all of 30 seconds to pass through. Superb. Certain other London airports could learn from LCY about basic customer care. Five stars well deserved.

London City Airport review by Judith Siford

8 April 2008   Customer Rating :

What a wonderful experience! I am a disabled traveller and have never been so well looked after. Neat little airport, convenient, clean, and full of smiling employees! I will most certainly be back - you knock spots off Heathrow!

London City Airport review by Antony Davies

12 February 2008   Customer Rating :

Easy access to LCY via the Tube and DLR from Central London is a pleasure e.g King's Cross to airport can be achieved in 40-45 mins. Check in is very quick with no queuing, the flow through the security area is also quick and efficient. The only downside now seems to be overcrowding in the departure lounge, the seats are comfy, but there are too many of them and it is difficult to move around the lounge at 8am, it now feels as crowded as lounge areas at LHR - maybe space saving seats that are just as comfortable may be the way to improve things, that aside the short walking times are just great. Inbound, aircraft disembarkation to being on the DLR in just 10 mins is brilliant! 4 stars instead of 5 stars because the departure lounge is becoming too crowded at busy times, but much more convenient than any other London airport.

London City Airport review by Ross Clark

4 January 2008   Customer Rating :

Returning LCY-EDI on 6 December, early afternoon. Excellent from London Euston to the airport (around fifty minutes point to point) - good through security - lounge reasonable - but something screwed up; first, we had the most distant gate, which we should not have had; and then when we all crowded into the 'gate lounge' (ha!) it was way cramped, even with only fifty pax. BA then took forever to get us on board, which begged the question of why we'd had the boarding call. Rating is based on avg of 4* for the airport proper (inc DLR access) and 2* for the situation in the gate lounge. BA need to change their op practices for this to work better. Will use LCY again, but probably not with BA.

London City Airport review by T Neuhaus

4 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Great location with DLR trains running every ten minutes. Everything works very smoothly - check-in, security, boarding, etc. The waiting lounge area could do with a face-lift though. On arrival immigration was incredibly quick, but baggage took a while to arrive.

London City Airport review by Jack Sheldon

19 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Excellent experience at LCY again. On arrival, from touchdown to sitting in a DLR train took 10 minutes. On departure, no-one in front of me at the security lines, despite it being during the rush-hour. Departure lounge very full, but there was a bit of spare seating. Anyway, no-one seems to be there more than 30 minutes, so there's a constant flow of people.

London City Airport review by Simon Smith

23 October 2007   Customer Rating :

I flew in and out of LCY twice this week. It's excellent at least compared to any of the other London airports. The best thing is there is almost no queue for security (BAA take note); the other big advantages are proximity to central London and the short walk from DLR or taxi to aircraft. On the downsides, the lounge area is cramped and gets very crowded when flights are late, as they almost all were; also the gate areas are very basic and really need upgrading. The main cafe/bar is OK by airport standards but seems to be understaffed so expect a wait.

London City Airport review by Gerald Chapman

20 September 2007   Customer Rating :

Easy access by public transport and no delays checking in or at security. Size matters: LCY is small enough to be comfortable, everything is within easy reach and it looks clean and comfortable. Plans for expansion need to keep these factors in mind: it would be a shame if this 'manageable' feel were lost.

London City Airport review by Nathan Fotheringill

29 July 2007   Customer Rating :

The main advantage of the airport is, of course, location, especially now the DLR stops right at the door. It is a fifteen minute ride from Bank station in the heart of the City. This compares with the Heathrow Express for time but is a tenth of the cost. Other pluses are the very short walk from the station to the check-in desks and the overall atmosphere of the place which whist buisnesslike is far less hectic than the other London airports. As previously noted the airport is becoming rather crowded at peak times. Somehow this doesn't seem to be leading to long queues at check in or security but the departure lounge gets packed. Some expansion would not go amiss though other than going upwards it is hard to see where they can go. If your destination is central London, Docklands or the East End you should certainly consider using London City.

London City Airport review by David Nannett

23 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Nice airport - quick and cheap to get to, with a minimum of fuss at check-in, short distances to cover in the terminal itself and quick security checks. Additionally liked the fact that it isn't a shopping mall; personally I don't go to an airport to shop and would prefer not to have to waste more time in the airport than is strictly necessary. Note that the departure lounge does get very busy though and can feel somewhat claustrophobic. Overall, the most pleasant airport experience London has to offer.

London City Airport by review Geoffrey Wyndham-Jones

11 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Plus points: easy access by DLR, bus and car with covered walkways from the station and the car parks,; because of the size of the aircraft operated, no long queues at check-in; because most passengers are travelling on business, no baggage hold-ups and fast processing at check-in. Minus points: because the airport is operating at near capacity, the departure lounge is crowded and service is suffering (I gave up on breakfast having waited half an hour in the restaurant in the departure lounge with staff ignoring me); because of the layout of the airport, passengers are loaded in 'waves' to allow traffic to pass between the departure gate lounges and the aircraft; because the airport only has a single runway and lacks a taxiway, delays to departing aircraft whilst waiting for an incoming aircraft to land and taxi along the runway are normal. However, as the airlines 'pad' their schedules to allow for this, delays at departure are not normally translated into late arrivals at the destination. All in all, a reasonable airport, but starting to creak at the seams: infinitely preferable to any of the other London airports, however.

London City Airport review by Don Christian

20 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Several months since I used the City Airport, I thought I would try it again as an alternative to Heathrow and BA. Flew with VLM to Brussels - flight OK and good value at £109 rtn. Beware - it cost me £120 to park for the trip. I suggest that £30 per day in the long-term park is over- priced especially when it would have cost me about a third of that at Heathrow and Travelscene when booked in advance. I spoke to the VLM service manager who was most helpful and even sent me an email suggesting alternative parking at underground stations in the vicinity. VLM have lost me as a customer - back to BA and Heathrow for future trips.

London City Airport by Pierre Knoblauch

6 June 2007   Customer Rating :

Used London City the first time now and the first impression of the Airport is small. But the staff and agents are always friendly. Connections to the City are excellent. This wont be my first flight into London City!

London City Airport review by John Styles

6 June 2007   Customer Rating :

London City Airport Still the best airport by far in London, convenient location with fast and frequent access via DLR (get an Oyster card for the best fares). I usually fly KLM out of this airport and connect via Amsterdam Schiphol rather than face the hassle of using Heathrow. London City and Amsterdam make a great combination to get anywhere in the world with minimal hassle. Of course not all is good, the recent security rules mean if I'm packing deodorant or toothpase I need to check my luggage in, before that I never needed to use a check-in desk at the airport. Also because of the popularity of the airport it is now quite crowded at times, they need to expand the airport and do so quickly, either that or start to limit the new services being introduced at the airport. Due to competition on many routes it's now possible to get flights from city for as cheap as you can with Heathrow, however, that contributes to the overcrowding of the airport and unless they can expand capacity I'd prefer to pay a premium to use City rather than it becoming overcrowded with people who just used it due to a cheap flight deal.

London City Airport review by Steve Braithwaite

24 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Superb location and easy to get to with rail, road and bus links. Super efficent and friendly check in staff. The only airport in London that has smiling security and immigration staff. Wonderful air links and great choice of carriers. My only complaint is the lack of a Business Lounge - and this is merely because the number of passengers travelling through LCY is gradually increasing and their departure lounge can sometimes feel very small indeed. I read LCY is planning to expand - so let's hope they increase facilities and maintain their high standard.

London City Airport review by Jake Lawrence

24 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Having used LCY for a couple of flights to AMS now, I must confess that the wonderful stories everybody told me about it (and that I profoundly doubted) are true. It is just as you would like an airport to be: small enough that you do not need to care about walking distances, highly accessible via the DLR, very speedy security checks and very comfy lounge for the tens of minutes that you may spend there. Add to that a nice and clean environment with uniformed police (please don't be offended if that's not what you are!) in sight only once or twice, and not walking around showing off their big-shot toys like at so many other airports. There are however a couple of items that need some attention, and mostly that has to do with all of us enjoying the airport a bit too much: it gets crowded. It still doesn't compare to anything you will experience at any other London airport, but then again, that's the card that LCY is playing. I am very curious to see whether LCY will be able to grow over the next couple of years while maintaining its current level of attractiveness. Let's all hope for the best!