Manchester Airport

Customer Reviews

No Skytrax Rating
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 1370 reviews
2/10
No Skytrax Rating
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1/10

"worst airport in Europe"

(Switzerland)

Trip Verified | As an expatriate, originally from Manchester I travel to and from Manchester Airport frequently. For many years Manchester Airport has had a bad reputation but now is possibly the worst airport in Europe: run down, poor services, understaffed, outdated manual processes and poor technology. Flying to Switzerland, December 29th 2018: Arriving at the Manchester Airport 2 hours early, queuing started in the taxi, on the ramp, queuing to pay the £3.00 drop off charge (which ironically was introduced to reduce waiting time). Even Taxis pay the drop-off charge, how stupid is that? Then the queuing moved to the soft baggage drop-off and another long wait. After baggage drop-off, we queued for the x-ray machine, I could have also paid £10 fast track, another poor quality rip-off. During baggage x-ray, queuing for the manual body search, testing my shoes and socks for explosives and changing my clear medical bag to smaller separate bags. After this a separate queue for the manual baggage search, because of my laptop cables then the x-ray machine again. Rude pressurized, rundown staff disappearing or generally standing around added to the nightmare. Finally through (nearly two hours later), I managed to get my flight with only a few minutes to spare. I flew into Zurich, with minimal effort, 15 minutes after landing and baggage reclaim I was sat on the train. Phew, welcome to Switzerland! Lessons learned: get the taxi driver to drop off a terminal one roundabout and walk through. Buy a hard-case and a carry-on hard-case with rollers. Pay the £10 Fast Track. Put all my laptop cables etc. in separate clear plastic container and put though x-ray separately. Probably a saving of 1.5 hours. Increasing numbers of flights, taxes and rising costs, persecuting the poor traveller with ever more hidden travel costs, extra drop off charges, queuing charges, long queuing times and desperately poor services. I understand security is paramount, but how do other airports manage to have slick processes, minimum disruption and latest technology? Andy Burnham and Manchester Council, How about redirecting some of the massive profits to modernizing the infrastructure and service quality. Perhaps the Private Sector should take over to get the investment required!
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitDecember 2018
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"experience was dreadful"

(Portugal)

Trip Verified | 1) I flew out with Jet2, a budget airline that seems to have its own security area. The experience was dreadful - a huge snaking queue in a cellar until we reached the few actual security lines where each passenger was ordered to stand on a set of footprints on the floor behind someone else until it was our turn. It felt like a prison line with trusties shouting instructions and threats. 'If you fail to take electronics out of your case you could have a 30 minute delay'. My bag was checked leading to a delay and all the checked bags were being rearranged seemingly at random. The staff were not actually rude but clearly under ridiculous pressure as the facilities and staffing are totally inadequate. 2) If the airport spent as much on security throughput as they have on duty free shopping there might be some decent service. 3) On arrival and my departure I used minicabs. The airport charges them £4 in a pick up/drop off parking area. As my baggage was delayed on the incoming flight there was an additional £4 to pay in a pick up parking area that was a shambles with minivans reversing across arriving passengers etc.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitDecember 2018
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
2/10

"rude and obnoxious"

(United Kingdom)

Trip Verified | Just gone through security at T2 at 7:45 am on 29th of December. The guy in charge of the stand up x-ray machine had a real attitude problem. He was rude and obnoxious. Spoiled the start of our holiday. He should not be in the job with that sort of attitude. He does not belong in a public service environment. He is a disgrace.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitNovember 2018
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

"It's unbelievably grotty"

(United Kingdom)

Trip Verified | Worst Airport Ever! Rude obnoxious staff who treat you like cattle! It's unbelievably grotty considering all the money they squeeze out of every one. I was travelling with my five year old who got swabbed! They then emptied all her little nail varnishes and lip balms and her little bags with hair accessories out on the table! After all the commotion I was then rushed to move out of the way whilst trying to pack it all away again & hold her hand. Also charged for luggage trolleys and then to be dropped off and collected - what a disgrace! I'm ashamed to be from here.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitDecember 2018
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"unusually miserable"

(United Kingdom)

Trip Verified | My experience departing from Manchester Airport was unusually miserable. The worst problem was going through security. I travel with a business backpack that has simple contents, comprising a laptop with a second screen, cables, a power adapter, a daily planner, and sundries. Of course, I took the laptop out of my backpack, and the power adapter as well, because they said it counts as electronic equipment. However, my backpack got selected for manual screening, which is still understandable. But wait, there is more! Every single thing was removed out of my backpack, including the daily planner and sent for a second pass through the x-ray machine. They empty backpack was x-rayed again as well, and it was again selected for manual screening! This time, they swiped it to check for traces of drugs. This made it the very worst security experience in my life, and I do not want to this kind of experience to happen again, and I don't care if I am as the customer is blamed for having it happen to me. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that the security guard before the x-ray machine told me not to push a tray when I actually pulled it back a bit to put more things in it. He told me I have enough time before my flight, which was entirely irrelevant because there is nothing wrong with holding your tray in place while you are filling it. I think the guard realized there was nothing wrong with that as well, because otherwise he would not have to accuse me of doing the opposite of what I was doing. I hoped to get some relief at the Escape Lounge (Terminal 1), but it was the shabbiest lounge I've ever seen so far, with seats looking like structurally deteriorated and with a poor choice of food. That's fine I guess because my access was free as a credit card benefit, but unlike with other lounges, I don't think this one is worth paying for with cash, not in the state it is currently. The horrible experience with the security screening is certainly unforgettable, and I am thinking about avoiding this airport in the future to not have to deal with this kind of dehumanizing treatment.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitDecember 2018
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no
4/10

"the opposite to improvements"

(United Kingdom)

Not Verified | The real problem is not the airport but the actual infrastructure to the airport. Not easy to reach with two 22kgs bags not really business traveller friendly the alleged improvements in drop off are exactly the opposite to improvements. Flew out before improvements excellent experience after was waiting over half an hour to get into drop off area. Its now easier to get to Liverpool or Leeds Bradford living in north Manchester or get train to Heathrow. Only wish the people who actually put alleged improvements in place actually flew for business. Perhaps they would have better understanding
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJuly 2018
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
3/10

"Security rude and terrible"

(United Kingdom)

Not Verified | Security are rude and terrible. I was refused exit from Terminal 3. Is this a police state we live in now. Security absolutely refused my exit from T3. Cannot believe a British citizen cannot leave an airport when they want.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitDecember 2018
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"Simply awful"

(Spain)

Not Verified | Simply awful. The security experience is terrible and in my expert opinion amongst the worst I’ve experienced worldwide. There is simply insufficient capacity for the demand. The authorities should ban this airport from selling to attract new operators or the expansion of services until a satisfactory service level for travellers can be provided, measured and guaranteed. The sheer greed of the owners is preventing acceptable service being provided. The new development plans are simply going to take too long.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitDecember 2018
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"takes hellish to a whole new level"

(United Kingdom)

Not Verified | Awful experience. Never thought I’d find a worse airport to use than my local (BHX) but this takes hellish to a whole new level. It’s dirty, outdated and every member of staff encountered seem to absolutely hate both their job and passengers. The infrastructure and staffing levels are grossly inadequate for the passenger numbers. Security staff seem to be on some sort of power trip where they compete to find who can be the rudest to their customer. I’ll avoid this airport at all costs in the future, if you can possibly fly from elsewhere, do so.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitDecember 2018
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"Terminal 1 is truly shocking"

(Finland)

Trip Verified | Like time travel to 1980's Soviet Union. Terminal 1 is truly shocking. Apart from the all obvious aspects mentioned in other reviews the main problems were that when arriving back from Dublin then trying to transfer there is no option, we were bussed in to a hall, tried looking for transfers, of which there was no signs, instead being funneled into the baggage reclaim area then to the exit, had to run back up to departures in the awful lifts and by the time we found our airline desk they had left to process the boarding. Aer Lingus foot the hotel bill when really it should have been the airport. Furthermore the 2 different lounges do not have toilets, one had to leave the lounge and use the ones in the corridor. An embarrassment for Manchester and for the UK.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitDecember 2018
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no