Manchester Airport

✅ Verified Review | Avoid Manchester Airport at all costs. 12 x golfers arrival from Guernsey into a cramped and poorly laid out arrivals area wasn't too bad but expected as that hasn't changed in years. 4 Days later arriving at 17.25 (delayed due to traffic issues in and around the airport) for a 19.15 departure home the scene at departures was chaos. Fought our way to check in with airline (Aurigny) OK and as usual had to take clubs to oversized baggage station. On arrival confronted with queue of over 100 and after hanging around with no progress whatsoever for 15 minutes were advised that the scanner operator had been told to turn the machine off, he didn't know why or how the ever growing queue was going to be dealt with. Observations re the oversized baggage system. 1) No attempt to order the queue by priority i.e. who was travelling earlier than others. 2) Why is there only one oversized baggage scanner in departures, I understand there is another on a different floor but one of our party went to find this and it was not being manned. 3) As far as we can tell not all of those in the queue had oversized baggage, some of the items clearly were marginal at best? 4) Customer service were hiding to take cover from the mess unfolding before them presumably. After eventually winning the game of hide and seek and finding customer service staff and advising them that our party were now highly likely to miss our flight we were bought forward to the front on the queue much to annoyance of the ever growing hoards remaining behind. Next problem is the shambolic arrangements in security. A single queue snaking its way to a cramped checking area. This took an age and even when eventually dealt with there is no space to sort yourself out after the checks are completed. Exit security and loads of space to snake your way through endless samples of perfume and the like. Try treating your customers better early on the in the process and they may be inclined to spend money in your prison (sorry shopping area). Finally through to the gate and we can see our flight has arrived (on time) with the captain sat in the cockpit but despite the time now being nearly 7 the luggage has not yet been removed. We watch until eventually boarding at 7.45 to be advised by the captain that the reason for the delay was there was no one qualified to open the hold doors was available on arrival or for 20 minutes thereafter, you can't make this up! I suggest that the owners of Manchester airport take a look at security at Gatwick which from recent recollection is much better organised. We won't be back.

❎ Unverified | I travel to Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, yet Manchester airport is a worse experience than all of these. Over an hour to get your bags back, horribly packed, inefficient, rude staff, dirty. Will never fly here again. An appalling experience. Manchester should be ashamed of this hole.

✅ Verified Review | I wish to commend one of your Passport Control staff. The gentleman in question was caring for people who were in the Passport Control queue. This queue was fairly long and, because I have trouble walking and was using a walking stick, he signalled to me to follow him and headed me straight to the front of the queue. His thoughtfulness was extremely appreciated. My flight arrived at approximately 2.45pm on Saturday 22nd July.

✅ Verified Review | Horrendous experience. The car hire return area is badly signed and difficult to find. I have travelled through here a few times and it is always bad. The queue for security is exceptionally long, and there are lots of unopened security stations. It is totally unnecessary to have a queue this long. It was too hot with too many people crammed in to the security area. The security staff are also exceptionally rude, and impersonal. It is best described as mass confusion. Through security it is old, doesn't look particularly clean. Several of the toilets cubicle doors did not lock. The whole airport has an unkempt feeling to it. The choice of restaurants is poor.

❎ Unverified | Booked a flight to Dublin for my husband and I, as he is a very nervous flyer I tried to do everything possible to make the journey less stressful, fast track was not worth the extra, the whole immigration procedure was a nightmare and I could see my husband becoming more and more stressed. The very rude chap shouting at people didn't help, our trays ending up at different stations and being shunted from one section to the other was very unprofessional especially when on asking a question to staff they all seemed more interested in carrying on their own private conversations. The tall chap in the white shirt seemed to get a kick out putting peoples trays to the back of the line when they/us were panicking that we would miss flights. The difference between Manchester and Dublin couldn't be more apparent, staff were extremely helpful in Dublin and it seemed just as busy. Oh well, looks like it's the Ferry again from now on, thanks for nothing Manchester!

❎ Unverified | Manchester has become a proud city in recent years and rightly so but this airport does so much damage to the city's reputation. There are so many issues, from lack of signage for rental cars to sluggish processing of non-UK citizens but the absolute worst experience for anyone travelling through here must be the departure security screening. Yes, it has to be done but how can so many other airports manage to make it a smooth process while Manchester fails so dismally? I departed on 17th June arriving 2 hrs 30 mins beforehand but found myself stuck in the queue for security screening for a full 2 hours! How can 3 workers (who were doing their best to keep up) be expected to process the hundreds of passengers from numerous flights? What a waste of money those 10 other unused screening positions were. Our flight eventually left over an hour late with the airline staff making apologies on behalf of the airport! Badly organised, woefully understaffed and an embarrassment to an otherwise great city.

❎ Unverified | I have lived all over the world, I've been in airports in countries such as Malaysia, Australia and Singapore but never in my life have I experienced a trip through any airport as I have many times at Manchester. I am from Manchester so I have nothing against the airport. But I am absolutely embarrassed to call this airport the airport representing my city. It is probably the most hectic and stressful airport I've ever been through in my entire life. As soon as you enter the airport you will understand what I mean. It is complete bedlam. Insanely long queues for basically anything you can think of. It is insane that every single time that I've been through this airport that I have been waiting in line and seen about 6 desks but only 1 person serving people, it is so incredibly frustrating. But probably the worst part of Manchester Airport is the security, I've known people who have missed flights because of it. They heard you like cattle and yell at you. It's constant yelling like a fish market. They are always aggressive and always cause it to take ages for you to get through. It is ridiculous. Word of warning to anyone flying into Manchester Airport. Don't put any luggage under the plane, only have a carry on for your own sanity. Every single time without failure at Manchester Airport no matter where you have flown from, whether it's nearest as Liverpool or as far away as Dubai or Australia. You will without a doubt have a long long long wait for your bags on the carousel. Because there simply aren't enough people working back there to get your bags to you on time. One time I waited along with my family after a long flight for almost 2 hours for our suitcases. But it wasn't just us. No suitcases came out at all during this time! So trust me when I say take a carry on and just stroll past the people who are stupid enough to put their precious bags in the hands of the workers (or lack of) at Manchester Airport. Also if your bag does go missing good luck getting it back. Customer service is terrible and they always say "I don't know". So to sum it all up, if you would like to be treated like cattle, yelled at, possibly miss your flight, wait for hours for bags, get your bags lost or stolen then by any means take a trip through Manchester Airport. But I am positive that unless completely necessary I will be avoiding this airport more than boyfriends avoid their crazy ex-girlfriends.

✅ Verified Review | Absolute chaos at check-in with no conveyor belts working. Through to the main area and the airport is an absolute disgrace, filthy dirty in many areas. Toilets gross and without supplies. Delayed for 5 hours and the passenger information desk don't have a clue what's going on. All sat there looking confused. This is my third time through Manchester airport this year it's the worst airport I've ever used. I will never use this airport again, I'd rather travel further a field than ever put myself through such an ordeal. You really can't believe it's 2017, Manchester airport you have some serious work to do. Shame on you, you need closing down!

✅ Verified Review | Arrived at the airport on Sunday at 4.30am for a 6.30am flight. We had already checked in online and only had hand luggage so went straight to security. Joined a huge queue just to get in, it took us until 6.15am (1 hour 45 minutes) to pass through security, there were only three security lanes open out of 16 with hundreds of passengers all trying to make their way through, it was absolute chaos. When I spoke to a member of staff to say we had to board in five minutes he just laughed at me and said "not to worry". All the while staff seemed to be everywhere laughing and chatting in groups on aisles that were not even open! Bags were being fed down a different aisles to people so luggage/trays came out in a different order and place to where expected which just slowed down the process even more. We were then told by a Manager our flight had been delayed due to the amount of people stuck in security and when they came through to grab them and run! Our bags finally appeared but I was still waiting for a second tray containing all of my cosmetics and toiletries and expensive hair straighteners. We had to make a choice to wait for it and miss our flight or leave it and hopefully make it, we chose the latter. I am now on Honeymoon missing lots of my luggage. Other passengers on different flights missed their flights. Never have I seen such a disorganised mess, how can any airport screen that amount of passengers with only three lanes open! Do not fly from Manchester unless this issue is sorted as you run a very hight chance of missing you flight even if you arrive in plenty of time.

✅ Verified Review | Shocking experience tonight. Security checks took 2 hours, kids crying, elderly unable to keep standing, one elderly lady vomitted and we all had to walk over it. I could see 13 security stations but only 2 were open. There wasn't even anywhere to queue. I was at the airport 3 hrs before the departure time with the intention of getting something to eat - had not eaten all day and ended up with no time. Another annoyance is that having exited security you then have to snake through all the shops with no way to escape then when time does not allow. Disgraceful third world experience.