London Stansted Airport

This is our local airport and always loved flying from here but not now! Since the supposed makeover the airport is an utter nightmare. You are herded like cattle through custom patrol with long delays going and coming back last thing you need when going on holiday. When you finally do get through you then have to walk through a long winding walkway past all the shops which you can't look at because you still have all your hand luggage to carry, an absolutely stupid idea. Eventually when you do reach the end we found it hard to find a seat, having found one I left my husband there to look after the bags while I went to look at the shops we had already passed, big mistake, you have to battle against all the people coming down with luggage, also it is a long way back to the beginning of the shops. Who ever thought of this dreadful design should have another think and put it back to how it was as it was much better. The shops need to be around the edges of the airport and the seating in the middle which would making it easily assessable, take a look at Gatwick by far a better design. Also what has happened to all the staff hardly any to be seen. We wont be flying again from here I would rather do the extra hour drive and go to Gatwick.

Countless worn out, dehydrated travellers gathered like cattle at border control. Midnight with over an hour of queuing. No water provided. No easy access back to toilets. Some adults carrying children for the duration of the queue. Border control booths mostly unmanned. Over 40 planes landed in 1 hour and no planning by the airport to manage the influx? Disparity in speed of processing across the hall, luck of the draw in which cattle pen queue went down less slowly. Non-EU passport holders had a breeze getting through compared to the EU passport holders. Officer listened to our complaints, but powerless to do anything.

For the most part, the experience was seamless, and investment has paid off in areas such as security and the wider range of shops and restaurants. They have attracted premium airlines to the airport such as SAS. However increased passanger numbers have caused severe limitations in seating availability and ease of access throughout the departure lounge. You will often be "forced" to find a space to stand and wait until your gate number has been called. They need to focus on improving the gate areas, especially those which Ryanair uses, as many are lacking in sufficient seating areas and/or are confined in small, dark areas. A hugely unpleasant experience for elderly travellers and also those with young children. The airport must focus on improving the customer experience to make this airport more appealing.

Very early flight and very crowded security area at 6.30 am. Unfriendly young member of staff at security belt. Total chaos the bag system does not work and empty containers were stacking up and overflowing. Lady in front asked her if she could stop the rollers as containers were overflowing onto people waiting for their luggage to have secondary search after x-ray. Staff member was surly and rude. My elderly (84) mother had forgotten some scented lotion 200 ml crime and this same security lady relished telling her it would be destroyed. No niceties, no smiles, no please, thank you just orders barked at us like cattle. Design of airport has gone backwards. I do not wish to weave through duty free. Why site screens in the middle of a through route where people simply stop and stare upwards with queues forming behind. No excuses, design software now available to optimise traffic flow - why wasn't this used in the planning? Return journey - 6 border security booths open out of more than 20. No fast track route through. This has become a nightmare airport - parking rip offs through to take off and re-entry.

This airport is the closest one to me and is now the worst. I would rather face an extra hour drive to Gatwick than go here again. Whoever designed the new shopping area needs to go to specsavers, you have to pass through it to get to the limited seating area, so if you want to look at them again you are forced to go against the flow of passengers to get to them again! The departure area has now been shrunk to a quarter of its size and is like a cattle shed, hot too. Worse than a queue at a theme park to get out. Upon arrival back, the passport control is utter chaos, it took over an hour to get through the gates. Stansted, you should look at these reviews.

I understand the frustration of the lack of mobility assistance at Stansted airport. We did a day return to/from there and the attitude of the front of staff at the ocs desk was dire. We have complained on a previous occasion, as we were informed no assistance was available even though pre booked, and if my traveling companion in a wheelchair didn't make it up the steps they would be left behind! This time we had triple checked everything - but they informed me that the codes and used by Ryanair and themselves mean two different things. On complaining this time they failed to even respond to our mails. Avoid airport at all costs but the people delivering the mobility service are lovely.

I have never had a good experience of this airport. I use a stick but don't want to use wheelchair help. I find this time they now make you walk through all of the duty free shops. we were called for flight showed boarding pass went down the stairs to board plane. We were kept at bottom in a corridor no room on one of the hottest days of the year. No information was given as to why no seats to sit. I struggled to stand and had to lean against post. After 40 mins of this we were allowed on to plane I asked what the problem was and said how hard it had been for me. It turns out Stansted could not provide people to come and get 2 wheelchair people off the previous flight and we were not allowed on until they did. Then that caused us to miss our slot and we had to sit for 40 mins in a super hot plane as no air-conditioning until take off. On arrival back the trains were crowded jammed solid not helpful and then the queues to get through passport control were terrible stood for an hour and a half. No help for really old people or people like me no seats they just exspect you to get on with it. Staff were very unhelpful. We have said it before but after this last visit we are not going to use Stansted again. We would rather go to any other Airport than put up with there.

On landing, there were no staff to meet the plane to allow the passengers off. After a 20 minute wait the stairs finally arrived and taken through to passport control. This area was separated into epassport and non. Both queues extremely long but seemed to be moving. Took the epassport route as thought would be faster, but took over an hour to get through. Only 5 machines out of 15 were active, but 2 out of every 5 people were sent back to manned control as the computer couldn't detect their face. The guy at the desk was frantic, the computers all failing due to the sun hitting the screens. No communication with public, no apologies and no attempt to rectify the situation. Would never chose Stansted again.

Stansted used to be a great airport now all the changes has made it so bad. Forcing you through the shops to get to the monorail, Cancelation flight made it a herd to the train through thin corridors. Doors on the monorail broke twice causing 25 minutes delay causing 6 people to miss flight. No communication between airport staff and Ryanair. On return passport control took 1.5 hours to get through.

Long queues and an IKEA like walk from security to the gates. Had an early flight at 7:30 and was there 2 hours in advance. Queuing at Ryanair baggage drop-off took 45 minutes. Queue at Security check 30 minutes. With a bad experience of Ryanair closing the flight 40 minutes early we were rushing through the newly designed duty free area, which leads you IKEA like around every single shop and makes the walk to the gate unneccessary long. Our Gate was at the end of one of the 3 Terminals with 2 gates side by side. The screens showing the flights where facing away from the approaching passengers. This led to massive confusion among the passengers whether they were queuing for the correct flight.