Manchester Airport

✅ 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.

Not Verified | Flew home from Goa this morning. Got off the plane to have a glass door slammed in our faces by a very rude member of staff. We were told we had to wait until people boarded another plane. People were trying to explain that they had connections to catch and all the ignorant members of staff said to take it up with the airport. Finally after banging on the window a gentleman let them through. Very bad set up and when people have been up about 40 hours they don't want doors slamming in their faces. My worst complaint was the rudeness of the staff.

Not Verified | Bought a bottle of whisky for my friend as a Christmas present, bottle is sealed at Helsinki dutyfree. I have no problem to have any of my belongings scanned at Manchester airport, including the whisky however the security staff ripped open the sealed bag and the box without saying a word - I find it extremely rude!

Not Verified | All recent reviews are correct. It was an awful experience both how security personnel treated customers - as well as the other airport services, simply appalling. I would strongly recommend avoiding this airport if at all possible - the city of Manchester should terribly embarrassed.

Not Verified | Manchester Airport is by far the worst airport in Western Europe. The security check in is always a mess with disorganized, rude and offensive staff, who seem to take deep pride in harassing and shouting after us customers - yes customers - waiting in endless cues. Be ashamed, Manchester. Your airport is a terrible place.

✅ Trip Verified | This airport will be your first nightmare of any of your trip business, holidays or family trip. First thing you will face is the ancient airport facilities, parking or footbridge is mostly out of date, some of them always broken and never repair. Next, you will face with non-refundable charge of luggage trolley. Then, at the check in hall you will find 1950s style check in area with almost of them are without staff it will be only 3-5 staff per airline and you may face 1-3 hours of waiting in line. If you’re lucky enough to pass the unfriendly check in staff you will find yourself with terrible and ill mannered security staff and they will make you take everything out of your hand luggage if they still not satisfied, then you will not pass. After security check the facilities inside are all terrible, if you need a toilet you may have to go downstairs without any lift and everything is ancient and dirty. Duty free stores are all small and most of cafe is full of people. It seems like this airport never repairs or refurbish for several decades. At the gate, it will take you a long time to find the right way trough long corridor and there are still lack of facilities and gate hall are on the same corridor that everyone have to walk through. This airport needs urgent overall change, every staff need to reconsider their position and duties, all facilities need immediate rebuild eg.whole terminals, car park, foot bridge, air side facilities. I can say that this airport is shame of the city of Manchester and the United Kingdom.

✅ Trip Verified | T3 is shambles. Don’t bother paying for fast track. The queue was slower than normal queues. There are a lack of food/coffee facilities so we ended up queuing for nearly 25 mins to get a coffee at Costa. The airport is in desperate need of funding and improvement. It’s gone steadily worse over the 12 years we have been using it.

✅ Trip Verified | Having used 7 airports in 6 countries in November and December 2018, I am ashamed to say that Manchester was the worst experience. It pains me to say this as a Mancunian who takes great pride in his city and airport, but it needs to be said and things need to change. The security queue at Terminal 1 departures was abysmal, taking a very long time with very long queues and taking me down a narrow coridoor and set of stairs and through a car park, with many confused passengers wondering if we were in the correct queue, and offering very little space to sort myself out (i.e. my hand baggage, things in my pockets, liquids etc.) Also, staff were calling any passengers whose flight started within the next hour to the front of the queue so they don’t miss their flight, completely punishing those who had, like myself, arrived early. This system seemed so unprofessional, so makeshift - I felt almost like a school child being ushered into a que by his supply teacher during a fire drill. This was a shame because I was unable to enjoy my lounge experience which I paid for. I felt robbed. Speaking of lounge experience, I am Muslim and there were no halal meat options for breakfast. I asked staff at the information desk if there were any restaurants or eateries which served halal meat and they could not answer confidently. In the lounge, there were barely any good vegerarian options either, such as waffles, hash browns etc. If Manchester Airport wants to adequately serve its multicultural customer base and extend its reach to be a truly global airport, this needs addressing urgently. When arriving back in Manchester a month later, Terminal 1 arrivals was horrible. There were only 6 carousels bringing in passengers’ baggage (in a supposedly international terminal) and ours took an age to arrive. To be fair immigration was quick, but the ques for non-EU passengers looked very long. Upon arriving after a long haul flight, there was to my disgust and anger no prayer room to pray my morning prayer or again grab some halal food (again, can Manchester Airport claim it serves rhe basic needs of its multicultural passenger base?) The toilets smelt of urine. Also the general feel of T1 Arrivals was that it was outdated and archaic. The low ceilings, blue and yellow signage and old tiled floors all made it look like a 1970s hospital ward. Also, I was shocked that passengers were being made to pay for luggage trollies - something which I have not seen in any airport to date. Finally, my friend picked us up and had to wait in a long and dysfunctional queue in order to pay for parking which was using plastic coin tokens - this system was barely working and people had to keep calling the helpdesk which made the matter even longer. And the plastic coin token parking ticket machines were placed in front of the main exit doors, meaning that passengers, with their luggages, had to weave in and out of others who were simply trying to pay for parking. That’s right, there was a plastic coin token system which was being used to allow passengers to pay for parking in 2018!

✅ Trip Verified | It’s a total mess. I’ve missed the flight today, because I had to wait for 1h and 10 min in the fast track security check! It’s not acceptable! There is no organized and effective system of security check. The security check employees are so slow and were allowing for passengers to take more than 1 zip lock with liquids and even packing and finding those liquids in the hand luggage. Is that in accordance with procedure? I was not the only one who lost her flight today because of that!

✅ Trip Verified | Absolutely disgraceful. Rude security staff shouting at customers. I repeat customers. Made to queue for over half an hour, during which we were threatened with a definite body search of 45 minutes if we happen to make a mistake, whether it be our hair dryers or plastic bags incorrectly placed. Never have I experienced such disgraceful conduct and treatment of travelers. Manchester you should be ashamed. Not only did they humiliate their customers but left an impression that they are totally out of control! Your security staff would be better placed on the football terraces shouting abuse at the rival fans. Having reached my gate within minutes of departure, I realized that many more were stuck in this rediculous circus called security. Airport staff shouting for missing passengers to board. Ashamed to be British this evening and I believe most of the thousands passing through your gates agree with me. Prepare for more reviews like this if you refuse to act.