Liverpool Airport

Yet again the process of getting through security was unpleasant and left a bad taste in the mouth. I was in plenty of time - quite relaxed - no metals on me - didn't think the scanner beeped when I went through - but one of the security staff indicated a search was required. I made the mistake of asking him had the machine beeped? The next 5 minutes was an intrusive body search - which I'm sad to say had "attitude" written all over it. - the intent seemed to be to humiliate the customer. Clearly an unhappy group of staff - whoever heads up that part of the airport is responsible.

Following a leg operation last week I had to make my way on crutches with baggage unaided from the remote car park drop off point and eventually hobbled into the refugee camp that masqueraded as Gate 50 for my Flybe return flight to the Isle of Man.I was shocked at what was before me. There was absolutely no seating whatsoever and some passengers had unsurprisingly resorted to sitting on the floor. In my condition I would have welcomed the opportunity to sit down but more importantly there were at least two young mothers with babies and a number of elderly people many of whom were returning from various hospitals for all of whom a seat was more of a necessity than a convenience. My online complaint on the Liverpool Airport website has to date been ignored.

I am not surprised at the intensity of complaint about the security at Liverpool airport. I travel frequently to airports all over the UK and can honestly state that Liverpool must rank as the worst experience of any airport in the UK. I agree with the various commentators on the rudeness and aggression of the security staff and like others am of the opinion of some sort of an agenda going on. My remaining frustration is who reads reviews like these and does anyone ever do anything about them. Liverpool has an appalling reputation going back years will someone ever sort it out?

Compared with other recent posters our experience of LPL was very favourable indeed when we passed through on our way to PMI and back. Following recent surgery my wife temporarily needed wheelchair assistance and we could not fault the service provided. It was even thanks to LPL's e-mail passenger service system that I finally discovered how to contact easyJet to add a request for special assistance. We were directed to the PRM (Passengers of Reduced Mobility) desk when we arrived checked in there and were issued with a wheelchair and then allowed to make our own way through security to the gate. Security was very quiet but in any case we were directed straight to the nearest desk where everyone was very attentive and helpful. There were even apologies for the need to "frisk" my wife. We had to have a convoy system for boarding as there were 7 wheelchair passengers for the flight the other 6 of whom required the "ambulift" while my wife was able to climb the aircraft steps alone and at her own speed. The whole procedure went so smoothly that the flight actually was able to leave early. Our return was equally well handled: since an ambulift appeared at the side of the plane and there were only 2 PRM passengers this time it seemed churlish to turn it down so we were transported directly to passport control and bypassed the queues in the chicane. At no point in either direction did we get the impression that PRM passengers were a nuisance or inconvenience.

Checked bags in exactly 2 hours before our 2pm flight. Spent 70 minutes in security queue. Saw lots of people being taken forward as their flight was closing. Had no time after clearing security to buy water or snacks and boarded flight 10 minutes before scheduled departure time with most people already seated. Staff at security were over the top and I saw many people getting shouted at.

I wish I had read these reviews before yesterday. We had to wait for more than an hour in the queue to the security. Two lines were open and another one for those who had paid for the "fast" line. Suddenly they closed down one of the lines so with about 200 pax waiting there was only one line. People in the queue were rather desperate as time passed and the flight departure time where getting closer. We had planned to eat something and spend our last pounds in the tax free shop but just had time to grab a sandwich and rush to the gate. We had never seen that you can buy into the fast queue so we didn't understand why people did it. Now we do.

The endless queues in which we were standing for a total of nearly 2 hours made the outgoing part of our journey wearisome and the queue on our return for the passport check was dreadful. All I was aware of was a couple of hundred very unhappy people being treated like animals under the pretence of security checking.

As with other reviews the Security queue was ridiculous. We only had cabiin baggage and were also early but still had to join the endless snake of passengers going through Security. At least there was someone handing out the "liquids bags" to those who hadn't got one. Why are these only available at the airport and not from a supermarket? Our biggest gripe was getting out of the car park upon return. We had prepaid for the car park and parked in the right area and were within the time. At almost midnight we came to the exit barrier which asked for £86 to get out. Several attempts came back with the same £86 demand. We spotted someone else returning to their car from the main building and were told the same story and to go to the information kiosk where we were told that we weren't on the system. We had the original booking in the car so returned to the car and buzzed the kiosk with the reference. The man said that yes that sounded like a valid booking number didn't know why it wasn't on the system and raised the barrier to let us out. There were two other irate drivers at the other barriers with exactly the same problem. We told them what they needed to do - all this at midnight with a 60 mile journey home. If we hadn't kept the booking details in the car we'd have been faced with £86 to pay before we could get out! How on earth can this happen??

The airport is undergoing long overdue modernisation to the departures area but the check in area is still shabby and dirty and the toilets frankly disgraceful. The main gripe still has to be the security processing which is the slowest I have ever encountered at any airport. There are now 6 scanners and all were in use but it still took half an hour to reach the head of the queue where I was then assigned to a smaller queue behind one of the scanners. I soon found out why people moved so slowly. Once in the small queue you have to wait to be called forward to put all metal items and bags in plastic containers. Bags cannot go through unless there is a container so you have to wait till one is available. Then I was astonished when the security staff scrutinised every plastic bag containing liquids to check its dimensions and routinely sent people back to buy a 'regulation sized' bag from a vending machine. A family of five in front of me were all sent back causing exasperation and further delays. Having placed my items in a tray I had to wait 5 minutes to go through the metal detector as two scanners have to use one detector and the staff just seem amazingly slow. The whole process took over an hour. Due to this I will not be using Liverpool again unless completely necessary.