MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  22 September 2009 : by J Matthews   (Ireland)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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This was my second time using it and while it's been spruced up, it somehow managed to get worse rather than better - my experience is limited to Terminal 1. Transport to and from the airport to the city centre was quick, easy and cheap by the train. Staff at the airport train station were helpful. What really gets me is the design of Terminal 1. The area before check- in made me want to get through security immediately; dark, dingy and depressing. After check- in I found myself in what appeared to be a bright, massive department store-come-shopping centre. Anything that might suggest the presence of aircraft and boarding gates were missing or lost amongst the neon glare of perfume counters and tobacco signs. I saw a young family who were obviously about to miss their flight frantically ask another passenger in the airport for directions to the gates because the entire terminal was designed to encourage as much transit shopping as possible and no thought was given to the fact that people actually had flights to catch. Confirmation of flight boarding gates are not announced until the flight is about ready to board so unlike almost every other airport I've ever used there is no option to just relax at the gate as you wait for your flight. The other downside of this is that if there's been a delay to your flight, which there was both times I flew out of Manchester, there's no one to turn to because the only staff around are shop assistants.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  22 September 2009 : by Robert Szocik   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Return BA flights to LHR from T3. In the terminal 2 minutes after leaving my car, as a bus arrived almost immediately. Fairly lengthy queues at bag drop, but processed very quickly by efficient staff. 5 minutes to pass through security, moderate queues, no problems. Extremely busy Saturday morning with multiple departures, so very little vacant seating available and huge crowds, but all the cafes/bars were open, so I found somewhere to sit eventually. Friendly/efficient service at the shops/cafes I used. Flight departed on time. Upon return, bags off the belt 10 minutes after landing in a full A321, and back in my car about 15 minutes after landing. Overall a much better experience than some of my recent flights from MAN.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  15 September 2009 : by R Gray   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Have used Manchester T3 twice in past 3 weeks and found both experiences to be positive. The revamped security area can be negotiated quickly and the selection of shops is fine for what is basically a domestic terminal. Although the central food seating area always appears busy, there are many quiet areas to be found nearby with plenty of seating and a nice view of the runway.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  3 September 2009 : by R Woodhead   (Thailand)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Pleasantly surprise by the refurbished terminal 1 - smart and clean with many food outlets; sufficient seating but could be more if they removed some of the thousands of square meters of shops which no one seemed to be using.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  31 August 2009 : by K Mcdonald   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Just flown to Olbia (Sardinia) with Jet2 from T1. Was dreading it having seen some of the recent reviews since the recent revamp, and was pleasantly surprised,. Check in was very quick, as was passport control, and done with a smile and good humour! My only grumble is that herding everyone through the duty/tax free shop is a blatant and clumsy way of trying to persuade passengers to part with their hard earned. It had the opposite effect on me and I think that this should be reviewed. All in all, a nice departure.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  14 August 2009 : by Chris Creighton   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Just used Manchester T2 departing to and returning from Newark. T2 was a very pleasant experience. Uncrowded. Good choice of shops, cafes and restaurants. Security very efficient and pleasant. Check-in very easy. Clean toilets. Good covered walkway to the train station. OK, the architecture wouldn't win any awards and the carpeting in the immigration hall is truly nauseating.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  9 August 2009 : by P Petrov   (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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During check-in, 2 separate flights (Varna & Bourgas) were bundled together on the same 3 desks! Never in 20 years have a seen such a circus. A family held the line for 40 mins arguing over 7 kgs extra luggage. Staff was very slow, the boarding card machine broke. People on the later flight were allowed to cause delays for those on the earlier, which we nearly missed! Complete chaos and lack of customer care! I am writing a letter of complaint to the airport too, but legal action was only narrowly avoided! Next time I will drive the extra miles to Birmingham.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  24 July 2009 : by L Edwards   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Beware when using prepay car parks. We booked and paid £54 on the internet, then proceeded as instructed using the same card to enter and exit the car park. It wasn't until we received our credit card statement that we realised we had been charged Â69 on exit. It is 2 months since our return and we have still not received a refund due to atrocious customer after care. Everyone we have spoken to has given conflicting information and have been uncaring. It wasn't until we completed a survey from Manchester airport online that they have taken any notice, offering a 20% discount on any future parking. The airport is dowdy and depressing, very few areas to sit or eat. Very disappointed with the whole experience.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  3 July 2009 : by T Price   (France)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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MAN/BSL on Swiss. Check in fine and transit through security also good. The walk through the shopping arcade to the departure gave the opportunity to buy a litre of Pimms for £11.99 (£10 in Morrisons that week !). Departure lounge restaurants offer Carling lager for £3.75 a pint - almost £1 pound more than the normal pub price. Very dirty bar floor staffed by people who didn't seem to care - but sadly that's service in the UK these days.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  10 June 2009 : by R Brook  (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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I have been using Manchester frequently over the past 15 years. Overall, it's getting worse, although with the recent addition of many more screening points the security queues are much shorter and efficient than the previous horrendous experience. Check in (having used many different airlines) is usually OK. As with any airport, if you want to avoid long lines arrive early. In Terminal 1, beyond security I hate the way one is led through a maze of perfume stalls before reaching the departure lounge. I don't mind airport shops, but not so 'in your face'. It really creates the wrong impression. They've avoided this particular folly in Terminal 2. T2 business lounge (mostly use Sky Team - KLM/Air France) is very small, but adequate if not busy. Arrival experience is variable. Long delays in getting off the plane are common, due to no one to operate the air bridge/no one to drive the mobile steps/no buses waiting when parking remotely. Queues at immigration have lengthened over the years, as, on average, has waiting for the baggage. If using the long stay car park and pre-paying on the internet to avoid the extortionate on-the-day charges, the part where you are supposed to insert your credit card at the entry barrier doesn't work. Instead, call them at the exit barrier when you leave and quote your reference number. My card was charged correctly after this. Overall, the airport looks shabby, doesn't operate particularly well and can't really be called a pleasant experience. The managers should pay a visit to some Asian airports to see how an airport can be run.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  1 June 2009 : by F Saeed  (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Travelling through Manchester was a borderline unpleasant experience. I found the Airport dirty, uninviting and staff looked fed up. Manchester must be the only airport where UK nationals endure queues at immigration while non nationals are whisked through. The shops, aren't particularly good and are expensive. The airport needs to be updated structurally. A lot of the parts look tired.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  1 June 2009 : by N Brown  (Saudi Arabia)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Manchester airport should provide small trolleys like Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, provides for passengers' to transport their hand luggage around the shops, cafes and from gate to gate.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review :  27 May 2009 : by Robert Szocik  (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Arrived/Departed from Terminal 3 to LHR. I've flown from all the terminals in the past, and generally had good experiences. On this occasion, I arrived in a packed A319. Despite a walk which rivals LHR T2 in terms of excessive distance to the exit, I was off the plane and outside the terminal less than 10 minutes after landing. Impressive! Departure to LHR was quick and easy, but the terminal was fairly empty and there were no queues at security, and helpful/friendly staff. Shoes are scanned separately, but only if you trigger the walk-through scanner (I didn't), which a big improvement since the last time I used this airport - the sooner we no longer have to partially undress to clear security, especially when flying domestic, the better. As has been mentioned by others, virtually all facilities at MAN have been moved airside. Although I arrived at the gates at just after 2000, nothing was open. Most of the passengers seemed to be wandering around aimlessly, in what appeared to be a vain attempt to find shops/cafes which were actually open. As we cannot buy anything landside, and are still not allowed to take adequate quantities of fluids through security, this is completely unacceptable at an airport of this size! Admittedly, the terminal appeared to be preparing for its last flights of the day, but one expects better of a supposedly major international airport.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review : 18 May 2009: by Bill Atkins

Customer Rating : 3/5

T3 escalator from car park to departures not working. Go outside, cross road and into terminal - escalator there to departures also not working. Security swift and friendly but maybe due to absence of passengers. I wish that the infrastructure here was more reliable.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT review : 7 May 2009: by Fred Hodgson

Customer Rating : 2/5

Manchester is the pits. It used to be so good and I had started to use it again to route to Schiphol and Paris to avoid LGW/LHR. I may have to change plans. We arrive in at T3 and usually leave via T2 which is on the super scenic but totally useless aerial walkway via the train station. The actual hike is no big deal and takes around 15 mins. But the mad man that designed the place does not permit level transit through covered connections. Oh no! You have to leave the T1 approach and head out into the rain to T3 and force your trolley over curbs as they did not even have the wit to provide access ramps. Pathetic. Signage is hopeless and even after several visits I had to ask the way. On this visit we had been travelling for 14 hours so had decided to eat a full meal to save time at home. Where? There is NOwhere in T3 worthy of the name Restaurant. We asked before Security as we could have fallen back to the Radisson when shot of our luggage. Man said plenty of good restaurants after Security. The best that was on offer was Pie and Chips. We even had to visit a Bar to get the wine. This made the lads day as he tried to sell us a couple of glasses at £4 each and nearly passed out when I said I wanted the bottle. He had no idea of the price (really upmarket in Manchester) so I settled on a tenner. Then the dolly at the Cafe said I could not take my bottle to the table. She learned a couple of new words. Will Manchester ever shake off its image when you cannot even get a meal at its Airport? Mushy Peas a plenty but anything more exotic is beyond them!