London Stansted Airport

Customer Reviews

3 star Skytrax Rating
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 920 reviews
2/10
3 star Skytrax Rating
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1/10

"extremely exhausting and uncomfortable"

(Bulgaria)

I have been to Stansted about 10 times so far. The first time was bad, however it was doable. Since then, every time it gets worse and worse. The departure lounge is overcrowded, noisy and usually there are not enough seats (sure you will find one for yourself but if you are with 2-3 more people - impossible). All the bars and food restaurants are crowded as well and there's no place to sit down. Another terrible thing about it is the Wifi connection. It is limited, usually slow and the signal is weak. Also, the network coverage inside the airport is poor making it even worse for getting in touch with people. I had a 6 hour layover there today and I couldn't connect to the WiFi at all. It was extremely exhausting and uncomfortable.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJuly 2016
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"utterly irritating"

(United Kingdom)

The redevelopment at Stansted recently has meant that it looks new, but on departure they funnel you through a windy shopping mall before you're even remotely close to any gates. There is no clear thoroughfare to speak of and is utterly irritating. The food options are like your standard high street in the UK (ie. pretty bland) and again, feels cluttered and chaotic. The worst though is arriving. If you arrive at certain gates (I'm not sure I've ever used one of the air bridges there), it feels like you're coming through service corridors, which are freezing cold in winter, and an absolute joke in terms of a welcomvthat pile in on a Sunday. Of the 30 electronic gates they have there, only 12 were functional. When I asked why I was told they were understaffed with immigration officers. The place was heaving, too, with the line reaching all the way back down the stairs and through the arrivals corridors. It added 40 minutes to the arrivals process and is an absolute disgrace that they under-staff this particular facility, infuriating customers after having already travelled for many hours from their destination. My advice is, unless it's extremely convenient (and don't forget, budget the extra half an hour on your feet that the immigration under-staffing will incur) don't fly through Stansted.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJuly 2016
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
8/10

"really does depend what time of day"

(United Kingdom)

From my experience, it really does depend what time of day you fly in/out of Stansted as to whether you have a good experience or not. Flew out from Stansted this time on an morning flight around 07.30. As expected during that time of morning the Terminal was pretty busy so used Fast Track Security which was well worth the extra cost as was through in under 5 minutes. To my surprise, the Departure Lounge was not packed with as many people as I expected and although a vast improvement since the refurbishment, is still not big enough in my opinion. We could have found seats if we wanted but instead spent time time round the excellent range of shops, bars/restaurants, probably better than Gatwick to be honest. The Gates 20-39 area we boarded from looks as if it's seen better days and should probably be next for a refurbishment. On return at around 22.30, we sailed straight back through Passport control using the e-gates and was back in the car park only 20 minutes after landing. Would definitely recommend the Meet & Greet parking for added convenience every time. Overall a good airport and will continue to use when flights suit.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitMay 2016
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
yes
1/10

"nothing more than a shopping centre"

(United Kingdom)

After frequently flying from Stansted for many years, I can't believe how terrible my experience was this time. New, revamped Stansted is now nothing more than a shopping centre, with crowds of frustrated people being herded like cattle along narrow walkways and overpowering perfumed clouds of sickening fragrance as you are forced to walk through duty free. I am truly despondent in this change from a spacious, easily accessible local airport into a horrible experience being loudly debated by hundreds of people with the same opinion. On my speedy way around the merrygoround of expensive shops in a silent panic, all I could notice were the lack of clear exits. This revamp however expensive, is a total disaster and has ruined my habitually pleasant experiences in the past. My advice would be to find another airport if at all possible. Huge mistake Stansted.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitJune 2016
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"will avoid in the future"

(United Kingdom)

What a shambles at Stansted airport on arrival. We arrived back from Ibiza at midnight on time then it took over 2 hours to clear our automatic border control. It's embarrassing and would be so much better off to go back to employing more staff to check our passports. I will try to avoid this airport in the future.
Experience At AirportArrival Only
Date VisitJune 2016
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
5/10

"much potential, not being met"

(United Kingdom)

Having read peoples concerns about the queues at Stansted airport I was fairly apprehensive about departing at a peak time on a weekend morning. I decided that I would purchase fast track security screening for £4 on the airport website, this worked like a dream. I was through the very busy security channels in less than 5 minutes. I agree that the airport departure lounge has become increasingly like a shopping mall and the number of seats available was limited. It is a shame that so many of the flights depart from the Ryanair cattle shed when one of the original satellite buildings is empty for lengthy periods of the day. Surely some agreement could be reached to use this under utilised area more, as it offers a much better degree of comfort and extra seating areas. On arrival I was bussed from the aircraft to the terminal and bypassed any security queues, as the flight had arrived from the Republic of Ireland. This airport has so much potential, which unfortunately at present is not being met.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJune 2016
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
yes
1/10

"Stansted is a national disgrace"

(United Kingdom)

Stansted airport is a national disgrace. Rather than repeat what others have written, I will note my personal experience. Departing and clearing security from this shambolic place took me 75 minutes. There seems to be a poor attitude of staff who love to shrug their shoulders if someone has a problem. I truly sympathise for people who are getting late for their gate despite arriving on time. If you need your bags searched, be prepared for a further queue once you pass the x-ray machines. The shopping mall in the duty free can be easily compared to a flea market. Poor seating area, constant bumping into bags and screaming kids with nowhere to play can be expected. Restaurant options are atrocious. Just don't eat or drink because if you head to the toilet - guess what? A queue. An embarrassing queue for the gents with no divider in between each urinal and could be much cleaner. Try and get a good view of the departure gate screen and then make your cunning plan to the gate - because when the gate number flashes up there will be an almighty rush in the same direction as you. Then if you reach the gate in the 30 minutes the airline allows, there is another queue. By this time you will be close to collapsing with heat exhaustion. Don't forget to buy an expensive bottle of water. If you manage to get in the plane - breathe it'll be fine until you return to Stansted. Now this is an art. You may be greeted with a train which you get on because everyone else seems to. The train may stop or it might not - who knows? You don't but wait for the boring woman on the speakers to say something along the lines of "have your passport ready". Which means - run. Run for dear life to the mile long UK Border Control. Allow yourself an hour at least, and bring a picnic especially if you have children. The staff will not be afraid to tell you what they think of you if you misbehave. Good luck.
Experience At AirportArrival Only
Date VisitJune 2016
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"shops / food halls are now a waste"

(United Kingdom)

Worst experience at an airport - I've been a regular flight user for years in and out of Stansted , Southend and Gatwick and had always rated Stansted as the best. Now it is by far the worst - unbelievable queues of people for both departure and arrival. Took nearly 2 hours to get through and use the automatic system. No seats or Toilet facilities until you've passed border control. In comparison to Spain this is a disgrace and I'm dreading my next holiday as I've already booked to fly out of Stansted. On departure it took too long to get through so did not get chance to use the shops and food halls which are now a waste. It's a shame as staff are good and was rated a top airport in the past.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJune 2016
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
3/10

"a long and slow process"

(United Kingdom)

My experience of travelling out of Stanstead this June was depressing. We arrived at the airport at 5.00 am, and it was absolutely packed with passengers. Passing through the airport security was a long and slow process. Security is paramount, but the whole process was badly organised and demeaning. Other airports get this right, why can't we? Our return was equally dismal. Massive queues to get through customs. There were so many people streaming through into the one area like cattle. This felt very unpleasant and oppressive. There just wasnt enough room. We have the new "E" passports, which means taking two or three turns before the technology can "read" your passports. I saw people with conventional passports get through customs much quicker. This is unacceptable and clearly the new technology is a big fail in terms of efficiency. Time and again I saw fellow travellers stopped in their tracks by the technology. Stanstead needs to desperately up its game, as it is sadly becoming a bad place to have to travel through. Please can the authorities make some effective changes.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJune 2016
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"time wasting and frustrating experience"

(Australia)

Having left Stansted Airport a week ago, we felt that our frequent air travelling experience was not enhanced by using Stansted Airport. When we left the airport was overcrowded with men and women queuing ten deep to use the inadequate toilet facilities. The toilets were filthy and in poor order. We wasted a lot of time being directed following the signage to departure gates, by having to traverse through a "snake" of retail outlets, backwards and forwards before we found the train to take us to the gates. A complete time wasting and frustrating experience throughout. If we wanted to shop for highly priced goods, we would go to our local retail outlet, not an airport. No water is available from non existent drinking fountains anywhere and as it was considerably overcrowded and hot, tempers were frayed. Upon our return flight last night, it took over 10 minutes to connect the airbridge to the aircraft for our disembarkation, then an elongated walk, then more queues for immigration, then over 40 minutes waiting for our one case to appear within the baggage hall, where upon it was dispensed onto the conveyer belt with extreme force on top of the already full belt, as 2 flights were being loaded onto 1 belt. The whole exercise was compounded by the passengers scrambling to retrieve cases from under each other due to the 2 flights on one belt system. During our wait we had occasion to use the male toilets in the baggage hall, after queueing, the toilets were in a foul condition. Even in the arrivals hall it was a free for all in order to exit the building and wait for transport, with so many flight arrivals, and this was at nearly 1am in the morning. If you have any sense, do not use this airport, go to Gatwick, Heathrow or Luton.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJune 2016
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no