Manchester Airport

Not Verified | I am ashamed that this airport is in my home city. I have travelled to well over 200+ airports and this is one of the worst. Majority of the staff are jobsworth, idiots, queues are long, the whole set up is just a joke. Every time I pass enough I end up stressed, and I am almost considering boycotting this airport all together and just using a taxi from alternatives. Living in Singapore for 3 years was a dream to fly in/out. Perhaps management should take note of how they do things.

✅ Trip Verified | The taxi pick up at T3 is the main subject of this review. A total disgrace, unreasonable costs for taxi drivers, lack of signage, lack of information. Frustration all round. The 3 in T3 presumably means 3rd World. There is little good to say about T3 - the passenger route from the plane to the passport control is long and there are steep steps - a nightmare for older passengers. The lifts can only be operated by staff. On a previous trip I asked after the advertised shuttle service from T3 to the rail station to be told there wasn't one, despite information on the website to the contrary. I was told "the website is full of lies" My Ryanair flight (used more than 50 times) used to go to/from Liverpool (Bliss).

✅ Trip Verified | I can only think that this is a greedy airport that lacks basic infrastructure. This was the worst airport experience I have had the misfortune of encountering. I arrived at Terminal 3 security 2 hours before my flight was due to depart at 5:40am. Access to security was limited due to the length of the queue starting immediately at the boarding card barrier. Security staff started to call the 06:05 Amsterdam flight through to ensure passengers got on the plane. No mention be of the 5:40 flight, or any other flight departing before 06:05. I almost missed my boarding time due to the length of security queue. Either expand the area and operate sufficient number of security scanners or reduce/redirect flights. The security provision cannot sustain the number of flights, leading me to believe that profits are a significantly higher priority than passenger provision.

Not Verified | Firstly dreadfully rude staff physically pushing and shouting at customers as they tried to get through security. Secondly, dirty toilet areas, urine etc on floor and toilet seats. All in all a very bad experience. As a regular traveller I've been through numerous airports which are professionally run in a smooth clean friendly manner. Manchester was dirty, slow, unwelcoming and staff inefficient and rude.

✅ Trip Verified | Flew out of Manchester Airport, Terminal 1, on 27th September. We checked in the night before, using the Sundowner option, which is a good idea and saved quite a bit of time the following morning. Arriving about 5am in the departure lounge, we made our way to the Fast Track area and were told it was closed, so we were all herded like cattle down the stairs into the 'basement'. This was dirty, scruffy, overly-crowded and other passengers were also complaining about not being able to use the Fast Track service. We found the airport not to be as clean and tidy as you might expect from an international airport, but when you consider that East Midlands Airport is owned by the same company, we shouldn't have been too surprised. Most of the staff could have been more polite and courteous - they need some re-training on customer service. Sign-posting should be improved as we came from Radisson Blu connecting walkway and got lost between floors, having used the lift. Others also seemed confused. On arrival back at Manchester on 5th October, we waited a very long time for our cases to come through and they weren't on the carousel properly at all. They were dirty and damaged - the edges were scuffed and these were brand new for this holiday. Now they look ten yrs old! Manchester baggage handlers! We found Manchester Airport to be very unsatisfactory, so much so that we have cancelled next year's holiday to Mexico flying from Manchester, and will re-book elsewhere. We would not recommend this airport to any family or friends.

Not Verified | I was aware of massive construction at Manchester airport in the UK so added extra time to arrive and depart. Arrival and clearing customs was not bad at all. We are non-EU and it took a reasonable amount of time. Getting to the car hire Village involved a coach ride which was not bad. Leaving the car hire Village was and getting onto the motorway was not bad either, but now we come to the bad part. Returning to Manchester Airport Car Hire Village. Anticipating a problem, we stayed at a hotel just outside the airport. We had a map and programmed the SAT-NAV with the latest information we could download. Even with all that, we could not find the location to return the car. There were closed roads and re-routed roads but no signs directing us to the return Village. Seeing that it was close to long term parking, we followed signs to long term but not only did we not find the place, we could not turn around and had to enter and pay for parking just to get out. Finally, we asked a construction worker who told us to get out of the airport area, then look for Terminal 2. That was good advice and we eventually found small yellow signs directing us to car return. The nice people at the car hire are aware of the situation and have complained about lack of signage. They were told Council did approve of signage so the rental people put up a few of their own. If we had not built in an extra 45 minutes into our travel plans we could have been late for check in. And so I am saying that while construction may be unavoidable, poor on no signage for car return is not. They need to fix the problem now. It was a horrible experience. And a warning to people with allergies, in International departure we were directed through an aisle that wound through a mall of duty free fragrances. It went on and on. Try to avoid that.

✅ Trip Verified | Conflicted! MAN has had a hard (and often well justified) time on this website - and I've actively contributed to it, albeit with a heavy heart as a proud Lancastrian. However our most recent experience in T1 - outbound mid-morning 08 Oct, returning late afternoon 18 Oct - was an exception to recent experiences - both ours and those flagged up on this website. What you can't tell from such a grab sample was whether we were very lucky, or whether at last the criticism from so many folk on this site and others has caused the boss class to get out of their ivory tower and get a grip. I know what I'd like to think was the case, but I'm burdened with scepticism. Suffice to say that security outbound was professional, polite and efficient. Breakthrough? There was still the endless traipse through untold retail opportunities - does anybody ever buy enough stuff they don't need to justify these places? Then to find closed toilets - and back-track. The departure gate was hopelessly overcrowded (as ever) but no doubt MAN are confident that the DC3 will be re-introduced shortly on most European routes so that problem will be solved. But against all odds we left on time, and as we subsequently discovered, with our luggage. On return there was the usual wait while the problem that has foxed MAN for years was resolved - if a plane arrives on time does that mean we need to have an airbridge operator available somewhere in South Manchester - once he's had his tea of course? Finally released we had an almost effortless transit through UK Border, who even allowed us to back-track to unused e-gates rather than adding to a mounting queue at their preferred solution. Arrival in baggage hall to see bags arrive a moment later. The attempt to automate key retrieval at Meet & Greet failed spectacularly, so we depended on a human. Given that the folk at M&G have a far stronger grip on the essentials of customer service than anyone else at MAN that wasn't a problem - and we were soon sorted. It does of course explain why the accountants are keen to automate and get rid of such competence lest it corrupt other parts of MAN. So - half-term report. It's better than it was - based on a very small sample. But there's a long way to go to get close to where the heart of the Northern Powerhouse thinks it ourght to be.

✅ Trip Verified | What a disgrace! Almost every flight was delayed. Not quite what you expect at 11pm! Shuttle busses to terminal ridiculously cramped our party was split up too. Passport control had a skeleton crew despite 11 flights due to land within a 30 min period. Coincidentally several flights landed very close together due to delays and there were insufficient staff to process incoming passengers in a timely manner. We landed at 10.53. The 10.06 flight was still waiting around the luggage carousel - thankfully we just had carry ons. My wife stood in arrivals waiting for us at the help desk trying to find out what the delay is as screen states flight has landed. She was promptly cut short as shutters came down as its gone 11pm and they are not prepared to stay open any longer (in other words, stuff all the customers on delayed planes). Parking is another hideous failing! Just to drop off outside the terminal is £3 for 1-5 mins. Seriously, it felt like a military operation, pull up, jump out, throw bags out of car, hugs goodbye, don't know know when I'll see you again, quickly jump back into the car before the 5mins is up. Parking for arrivals is £4 for 30mins my wife always arrives 15-20mins after our flight is due to land to avoid going over the 30 mins period as it jumps to £6.50. Sadly when she left home she didn't know flight was delayed. I counted 3 pay machines that were out of order!! Huge queues in arrivals terminal so headed out to the car park, again huge queues! The machine wouldn't accept £10 notes the gentleman stood at the neighbouring machine and I couldn't get it to work. The oncall system suggested screwing up the note! That was not successful. No further assistance given! An employee rocks up and pushes the oncall system no help there! People behind getting frustrated so gentleman behind offers to pay with his card (as he was going over the 30mins) machine wouldn't accept his card! Taxi driver offers coins! Finally gentleman at the machine next to me after 20+ attempts has his £10 accepted. Glory be! But not for the people behind him who have now gone over the 30mins! Guess what! Next gentleman takes several mins trying to pay puts him over the 30mins so is charged £6.50 oncall system don't want to do anything to help! Another lady lost her parking token down the grate in the car park. They charge her £5 for a new token plus her £4 parking charge! She had been in car park less than 15mins. Just when you think the drama is over you realise that car park is designed so that all the cars have to exit one way to the right and loop round the car park only to join a large queue at the end of each row and wait patiently for someone to let you out! 20 mins to exit the car park is a joke and only 2 out of 3 lanes were operational. Since July when the new parking charges were introduced the airport are making money at every turn. Passengers are already bringing money into the terminal and the majority will spend something on food, drinks, or duty free so why fleece them when they are being dropped off and picked up? Morally reprehensible! Flew from Liverpool earlier in the month. Terminal is clean, and you can be dropped off for free and just walk a few hundred yards 3-4 mins to the terminal.

Not Verified | The security was uncharming and unnecessarily brutal: The authoritarian and cavalier way they treat the public is patrician and abominable: I made comment on how dirty the trays were and the 'processor' said, 'If you don't like it, tavel by train.' I would say, the security people have a stressful job and in a pretty oxygen-deprived room. However, airports on the continent manage a difficult job with some charm and a glint of humour, rather than something semblant of Stalag 13 (a slight exaggeration, but nonetheless). I was not alone on picking up on this. I noticed similar mutterings in the departure lounge.

✅ Trip Verified | Everytime I visit this airport the standards get worse. This time it was T3 on Sunday 14th early afternoon. Huge queues for immigration in the cattle pens and stretching well down the corridor, only 4 E lanes open. Plenty of staff bawling instructions as usual. Thankfully I have only another 2 flights booked out of this third world airport. Looks like it will be KLM to AMS and beyond from MME in future unless Carlisle actually opens and serves LCE. Outbound from T1. Once again security is a joke and nothing more than a self perpectuating industry that serves itself rather than passengers. Bag was rescanned due to a AAA battery not being in my electrical bag. The body scanners are either not operating or operatives do not know how to use them or why would there be a need to give each passenger a pat down as well. NAIA or BKK are a dream compared to this airport. The mess outside is even worse. The entire management team needs to be fired for incompetence.