Southampton Airport review by George Sullivan

28 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Flew to Dublin on Flybe. Check-in time around 30 seconds. Walk to the Security check was about 30 yards - this airport is tiny which brings huge benefits but I can understand those who have been troubled by delays - there is no margin for error so if things are delayed it can become full very quickly. On return I had travelled from Ireland so no immigration check, had hand-baggage so no delay, through the building, turned left, crossed the small road and walked to the train station - three minutes only. Train time to London Waterloo is around 1 hour so if you're thinking of an alternative to Heathrow or Gatwick, consider Southampton - arriving is a breeze.

Southampton Airport review by Allan Thomson

22 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Arrived from Aberdeen Eastern Airways Jetsteam 41 - all 5 passengers (!) disembarked quickly, and completed the 100 yard walk to the terminal just before our luggage. Picked up and on our way within 10 minutes. Not bad. Departed again a few days later - around midday - check in no queue, security no queue and efficient, upstairs cafe unusually not busy, plenty of seats with good view of runway. Flight (Jetsteam 41 again) left on time (beautiful day, fabulous views over Southampton Water and new Cunard liner) and arrived on time at Aberdeen. Luggage also arrived at Aberdeen. This is air travel as it should be!

Southampton Airport review by Michael Preston

21 August 2007   Customer Rating :

On a wet and blustery Tuesday afternoon with nearly every flight delayed and several cancellations, the departure area was massively overcrowded and uncomfortable. On Sunday afternoon, again, the departure area is bursting at the seams as long queues for adjacent departure gates intermingle. SOU is still better than the main gateways in every respect, and noteworthy for the friendly and relaxed personnel, but it needs to expand.

Southampton Airport review by Ed Fry

20 April 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

5 years back, Southampton was a great airport. It had a brilliant viewing area, an abundance of small and large regional airlines and fairly good food and retail outlets and public transport. The terminal is now vastly overstretched, they've got rid of the decent competition (ie BA Cityflyer - went low cost as BA Connect - now part of FlyBe), check-in and security queues are dreadful around lunchtime and early evening, especially when they're operating those B737/A320/B757 sized charter flights. They should build a second terminal exclusively for FlyBe on the eastern side of the runaway and let the existing space rest!

Southampton Airport review by Mike Preston

4 March 2007

It is clearly signposted both on and from the motorway, parking (rental return) is a cinch and just a few minutes walk into the terminal without lifts and stairs and obstacles to navigate. Check in for our Flybe flight took 30 seconds, including the queuing time, and then there was the long walk to departures - about 50 yards! The facilities are limited but adequate and as for most people the objective is to get through the airport as fast and as painlessly as possible, I think this one achieves that admirably.

Southampton Airport review by Brian Hill

19 February 2007

As before, a pleasure to use. Departure to Galway couldn't have been easier and returning we were waiting on the railway station within 20 minutes of landing.

Southampton Airport review by Brian Hill

2 November 2006

Great small airport; I especially like to adjacent railway station. On our return flight, we were on the train within an hour of leaving Guernsey.

Southampton Airport review by Mark Plummer

18 July 2006

Have flown from Southampton numerous times over the last few years. At the moment it can get very busy, which is a bit of a pain. But I can be at home 30 minutes after landing, so I think it is great. Will agree service in cafe upstairs is very slow - but they have recently got rid of the benches & put loads of tables & chairs. Seems to me that there was plenty of room to sit down - although you might have to go back downstairs. They have also added a WH Smiths airside - which is about time. All in all, I think it is a great airport if you live fairly local.

Southampton Airport review by Jon Earnshaw

21 June 2006

Arrived at Southampton Airport at 1700 for my 1915 flight to Leeds/Bradford. The airport was busy, very busy. Used fast-track or otherwise I could experienced a delay of 20mins. I must say this is a very busy time for Southampton, around 20 flights taking off within the two hour period. The airport is like a converted aircraft hanger, once through security, very little on offer. A medium sized duty-free shop and little else. Upstairs is a cafe/bar which took me over 25mins to get served, the service was very slow indeed. Once I had my drink in hand, I could not find a seat, I joined around 50 other people by sitting on the floor. I stayed like that for 1h30mins. Not a good experience at all. The airport seriously and urgently needs to look at the needs of the passengers, the airport clearly can't cope with the hundreds of passengers in the area at the same time and I was really pleased to board my flight up North. Won't be coming back in a hurry.

Southampton Airport review by Peter Hooker

25 May 2006

The least expensive way of parking for a day at Southampton airport is to use the short term parking at £15.50 per day. This is more than the fare to Edinburgh! It will make me think twice before using Southampton again. There is a minimum charge of £24.90 in the long term area.

Southampton Airport review by Nathan Fotheringill

18 May 2006

Our arrival at SOU was made remarkable by the fact that the baggage made it to the belt before we did and it was not as if we had to walk a long way from the aircraft to the terminal. We did have to wait for a taxi, though (about five minutes) but I expect that was due to our arrival at 10pm, the penultimate arrival of the day. Our departure was at 6:30pm on a Sunday. This is a busy time for the airport, and Flybe in particular, and we ended up at the check-in queue for about half an hour. Flying with hand baggage only would have been an advantage as there was a fast moving dedicated queue for those lucky souls. The delay did not leave us much time to explore the airport but it didn't matter as there isn't much to explore. A reasonable duty free shop confronts you after passing through the efficient security and that is about it. There is a cafe on an upper floor, with views over the runway but no other retail outlets. My advice is to obtain your chocolate bar and newspaper in W H Smith before passing through security. The terminal itself seems to be in need of expansion as it was rather crowded but was no worse than most other airport terminals in the world.

Southampton Airport review by John Oram

6 February 2006

I found the airport all it needed to be. No delays at check-in or security. Food provided expensively as you expect at a BAA airport - BAA are not the passengers friend. Reasonable terminal provides pretty straightforward access to the aircraft although the walk back in from the return flight was a bit pointlessly long and led to a locked door which was released by our shepherdess.

Southampton Airport review by John Berry

1 September 2005

Flew to Southampton from Leeds. With the flight having been delayed by 4 hours the last thing needed was inept ground crew but that's what we got. All passengers off the plane and into the airport bus for the 40 second drive to the Terminal, but first someone had to move the truck which was blocking the road. The 8 ground crew were far too busy playing dodgems with the wheelchairs around the plane and the bus couldn't possible go airside of a parked and closed down aircraft. Fifteen minutes later the bus went round and we got to the Terminal. Not a good advert BAA.

Southampton Airport review by Sean Slater

15 June 2005

Just flew there on a same day return from Edinburgh. There seemed to be a lot of renovations going on which should add some space eventually . The departure area was tiny, with 8 gates crammed into a space, which in most airports would be for 1 or 2! Almost half of the area was taken up by a duty free shop - profits over passengers?. The food options airside were almost non-existent; a small cafe with sandwiches. Landside there was a bar that did extortionately priced pizzas but that was about it. I would recommend you eat before you get there, check in a late as you can and hope you are not delayed. Having said that the staff were friendly and helpful, the airport was extremely convenient and from disembarking to getting in the hire car took 15 minutes.

Southampton Airport review by Susan Paterson

11 May 2005

No doubt a handy little regional airport easily reached by public transport and vastly benefiting the south coast of England, but for God's sake pray you never get delayed here. Food and drink vastly overpriced, and nothing to do landside whilst you wait for your plane. Nowhere to stroll outside either. Staff decided to close up the security area and lock the door to departures for the night whilst I was still landside, forcing me to knock on the door to get in. Plus, the baggage conveyor belt was broken and passengers had to take their own bags to the handlers' trucks whilst FlyBE's check in girls smiled helplessly. Great that I can fly here from Edinburgh instead of having to settle for Gatwick every time, but a poor reflection on BAA.

Southampton Airport review by Nick Scales

8 April 2005

Don't go too early - the lounge is small and the only shop a duty free store making you wish you'd stayed landside a little longer. That said, boarding is a breeze, parking on airport and the rail connection heaven. Just a pity there isn't a greater choice of flights.

Southampton Airport review by Don Reeve

7 February 2005

I wonder if there could not be a more vigorous promotion around the catchment area of southern England, many of whose residents and business concerns are most likely unaware of the benefits which accrue from use of the excellent location. There is one disappointment, which I know is widespread both here in the UK, and in Switzerland. That is the discontinuation of FlyBe's flights to Geneva into the summer. My family are not great air-travel enthusiasts, but the So'ton/FlyBe experience has transformed the pain into pleasure. This will be totally lost now we have to suffer the misery of a major London airport, and a less desirable carrier. I see that FlyBe operate a winter-sports charter to that lovely little airport at Berne (Belp) on Saturdays from Gatwick. If ONLY that could be continued into the summer, and save the hassle of the many of us (our fellow FlyBe passengers) who have to make onward travel to (e.g.) the Bernese Oberland, a time-consuming (much longer than the flight) journey, notwithstanding the excellence of the Swiss railway system.

Southampton Airport review by Colin Holroyd

28 January 2005

Very disappointed to find recently that Southampton Airport management had closed the Public Viewing floor which overlooked the runway. vGuess what , this is now an Exec lounge ,which is no doubt a nice little earner for Southampton Airport. It was always a delight to sit in the room along with other families waving hello / goodbye to friends / relatives. Prior to this disappoint I have always found the airport a delight to use (collection time from an Edinburgh flight for luggage = 5 minutes).

Southampton Airport review by Richard Dalgleish

7 May 2004

Still an excellent airport but the Short Term parking has risen over the last year or so from I think, £8 per day to £13.20 - a rise of 65%. If it continues like this many short stay travellers like me will choose another airport.

Southampton Airport review by Andrew Mortimer

3 May 2004

Superb. First time I had ever flown out of Eastleigh even though I originally came from there! Same level access very good. No nonsense and excellent connections from the motorway and railway. Would have no hesitation using again.

Southampton Airport review by Michael Spender

28 April 2004

Southampton Airport, from which I fly regularly, is all of the things others have said of it. Although the airport's management must presumably be good for it to work so well, its ease of use and pleasing environment comes down to excellent design by the architects.

Southampton Airport review by Ricky Halpin

30 January 2004

Southampton, is the Airport of my choice always. Easy Access and Parking, Railway station, quick check in, a stress free experience.

Southampton Airport review by Richard Dalgleish

8 December 2003

Used Southampton over 30 times in the last few months and have to say it is my airport of choice. Small enough to be friendly and big enough to have sufficient facilities. Parking, access, time to get in and out all excellent but I have noticed recently that Aviance always seem to be struggling if more than 2 planes arrive about the same time. They must be aware when planes are due but it seems they are not. If this gets back to normal I will be very happy.

Southampton Airport review by Anthony Matthews

20 October 2003

I recently used Southampton on a business trip to Jersey. The airport is very conveniently situated next to the M27 motorway. The terminal building is quite small, but the check-in area modern and airy. Car parking was very convenient. After parking the car in the short term parking area, I was in the terminal building within a few minutes. Once through to the departure lounge, though, I found the area very small indeed. Not a great choice of eating/snack areas. But generally Ok for a regional airport. On the return flight the same day, I had disembarked from the aircraft, walked to my car and was on the M27 all within 15 mins (hand luggage only). Beat that, Heathrow or Gatwick!





 

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