East Midlands Airport

✅ Trip Verified | Airport prior to going through security needs better catering facilities, comfortable seating and a proper bar, it's in desperate need of investment. Escape Airport Lounge: Rude Reception Staff, Poor Food and in need of Refurbishment Do not waste your money paying to use this lounge. It was our first and last time we will unless there is a significant improvement. I typically check reviews before I book hotels or restaurants but it didn't even cross my mind to check on an airport lounge. I've been a frequent flyer, for more years than I want to remember, and all but this one had been very good/excellent. Although there were plenty of available seats we were "told" we had to wait to be seated (queuing to book in is fair enough but the booking in procedure was too laborious); you never get long in these lounges anyway so getting even less time becomes quite grating. In any case we were going on holiday so just played nicely with smiles on our face. There were some quality seats for couples which we spotted and asked if we could sit at but we were taken straight past these to the far side of what they call a lounge (calling it a cafe is pushing it) as apparently they were reserved (for who and why wasn't there anything placed on the seats saying so). We were dumped at a table that was unsteady on "plasticky" chairs away from the main area - we felt like naughty school children. We sampled/tried most of the food on offer in a bid to find something we liked but found nothing to our taste - if we had been in a cafe we would have sent the food back and not paid. On the plus side the waiting and bar staff were very friendly - we asked if it was a busy day for them to be told it wasn't so clearly the usual excuses could not be applied.

I had just returned from my annual holiday. Normally things at East Midlands run smoothly. I managed to get through passport control in about 30 minutes I then went on to collect my baggage. I must have waited for at least an hour after being told our baggage would be with us soon. Not to mention the staff were very rude! After at least another 45 minutes we were told their was a problem with our baggage and that we would not be able to collect it today as it hadnt been proccessed properly at Palma and not everyones luggage boarded the flight! I am outraged by this and had to wait hours in a cold airport which looks like a shed for cattle before I had my luggage! Maybe will think about using another airport next time

Not Verified | Going out was not a problem, coming back to East Midlands on Saturday the 6th of October was a nightmare. First we were delayed at Palma Airport for 50 minutes and then when we landed we were sitting on the plane for 20 minutes waiting for a bus to the terminal, then after we were waiting around a hour for the luggage to arrive. This was due to maintenance work, this was not very good as we had a pick up and they had to wait around for two hours.

Not Verified | East Midlands used to be our favourite airport. No longer. They have turned the departures area into a nightmare! I cannot understand anyone wanting to shop on the way to the departure lounge whilst carrying luggage. Surely the old system of allowing perimeter shops was best. Anyone hard of walking will just be glad to get through the maze of shops, and no way will they return to the first shops! Catering facilities are also poor. Departing the taxi rank is even worse. The barriers are insufficient to let taxis out of the airport - chaos reigned at 3am in the morning. It can take up to half an hour to get through the barriers. From now on, we will choose Birmingham.

Not Verified | Fine going out no delays. Coming back from Malaga a total nightmare. Took 15 minutes to get off the plane and 45 minutes to get through passport control and even then we had to wait for our suitcases. What has gone wrong. Deplorable, why are we so behind in the UK? Makes you sad to be British.

Not Verified | This airport is getting even worse than before. The long delays in the arrivals hall, prior to passport checks are totally unacceptable. We were herded around in lengthy queues whilst being dealt with by mainly brusque and robotic staff. More immigration control personnel are needed to reduce intolerable delays. Staff require customer service training. The airport needs serious upgrading. It is dated and impoverished in appearance, resembling a old shed rather than an official building. It does not create a good impression for persons visiting our country.

Not Verified | We landed at 00:20 early hours 22nd August, flight from Cyprus along with about 4-5 other flights apparently from various destinations, it was absolutely ridiculous, one and half hours in a never ending snaking queue to get through passport control, unbelievable! Tired kids, tired parents, tired every one! After a four and half hour flight this is not good, another 50 mins after this by the time we got to our car at jet 2 car parks then had a 3 hour drive home to look forward to it was longer than the flight, not good! Come on East Midlands sort it out, you know when the flights are due, stop cutting staff down and treat all arrivals the same whatever time of day, our daughter arrived home two days later at tea time and went straight though. Will not pick your airport again in a hurry!

✅ Trip Verified | What a shocking airport, ridiculous positioning of gates, and the arrival hall is inadequate as is the passport control. Over the last decade I cannot remember a time when the airport has not been under some form of refurbishment. It is nearly always about the restaurants and shops which miss the point. This is an airport not a shopping mall, older people have to walk what is a good distance to departure gates without travelators making it difficult. Queuing on arrival is poor. We arrived at midnight earlier this week and it was almost like our arrival was a shock to the airport, no buses and after 25 minutes when we did get a bus the queue was out of the door and back towards the runway, it was not raining or cold but it could have been. 45 minutes later and we went through passport control only to be met by over 150 people queuing for a car park bus which took another 40 minutes before we got to our car, nearly 2 hours after actually landing! I will endeavour to not fly from EMA again. I imagine a lot of people feel like this as it is the worst EMA experience but as a fairly frequent flier it very rarely is better than very poor and it does not bode well. You may be being tricked by increased numbers but it is down to more travelers and not down to anything good you are doing. I do not know of any flier who would choose an airport for shops but plenty who would not choose an airport that is poorly designed and unrewarding in the way passengers are treated.

Not Verified | The worst airport I have visited in the UK and it appears to be getting worse. The building itself is a large shed with extremely poor signage outside making it very difficult to work out where you are going. Food and drink facilities are limited, basic and expensive. Taxis are now not available in a rank and must be booked through a single company inside the hall. Passengers are left to work this out for themselves. The company charged me 20% more than the usual fare. Given that there is now no competition and no train station at the airport this will increasingly make driving a more affordable option. My advice is to use Birmingham if possible.

Not Verified | On arrival to the airport from a flight from Faro (Jet2) the queue for passport control was absolutely ridiculous. What on earth is going on with their border control. There are clearly not enough staff or desks to cope with the growing amount of flights. It was as if they were taken by surprise with the arrival of several flights. It took us over 25 minutes from walking into the hall to getting through to proceed to baggage reclaim. We have flown regularly from EM Airport but this year was the worst of all. A snaking queue all around three rooms is totally unacceptable and if they cannot organise things and provide more staff, we will not be flying from this airport again. Also, the drop off parking area is a joke, the huge queues for security for the outgoing flight was also ridiculous. This is all prior to the main holiday season so goodness only knows how they will cope after today. From being our favourite airport it is now our most hated.