Newcastle Airport

The alterations made to Newcastle airport do not suit everyone, for example, having to walk through duty free when nothing was needed to be purchased at inflated prices. The process of paying for anything purchased at WH Smiths is tedious. Having to use self service kiosks to purchase newspapers, magazines and sweets and having to show boarding cards creates nothing but queues. The airport lounge is not worth the money. Would not pay for this and would not have used it if was not included when travelling in premium class with Thomson. Found it infuriating that planes did not arrive or depart from gates but passengers were bussed to and from parking stands away from terminal. This is not the first time I have encountered this. Why have gates that are not being used? Would consider Manchester / Glasgow / Edinburgh over Newcastle in future

Newcastle airport used to be a pleasant place to fly out from, and then a year or so ago outright exploitation of a captive audience took hold. Seating where you were able to simply sit and relax was torn out to make way for more shops, bars and restaurants. Now non-commercial seating is virtually non-existent in the departures lounge. There is non-commercial seating in the gate areas but when the airport has a policy to delay showing your gate number until the last minute you get no chance to use these gate areas. So as usual we were forced to buy something we didn't really want, trying to make it last just so we had somewhere to sit. This is now an airport to avoid if you can.

Facilities are very good. Staff in the shops are friendly and helpful. We were processed through the terminal quickly and efficiently. My only complaint about this airport is the food. The breakfast and sausage sandwich which cos £17+ was gastly. I sent it back and obtained a refund it was so awful. My advice, buy a meal deal from one of the shops

Very easily traversed, quickly got baggage, and, strange as it is, the warm welcome by even the staff of the stores in the entrance really helped to make the trip less stressful. I went to the M and S to get something to eat, and without realizing there was no microwave anywhere, and having bought a microwaveable meal, the woman behind the counter kindly cooked it for me and put it on a tray so I wouldn't burn my hands so I could eat before leaving the airport. Also, the wifi was easily accessed as well.

NCL remains one of the easiest airports in the world to pass thru - compact, walk to parking etc, but I have to agree with the other posters about the 'upgrade' airside in departures. Not everyone appreciates being funneled throughout a rat trap of a duty free shopping area, full of things nobody really wants to buy, especially when it's to the detriment of previously great quiet areas and seating. I have to agree too with one of the previous posters, the WH Smiths bit with automated tills and boarding pass scan insistence is irritating.

Ruined Departures Area. Very unpleasant experience. The person/s who sanctioned this commercial abuse of a previously good departure lounge should be sacked. The departures area has been almost completley turned over into a shopping mall. I object to having the shopping experiece rammed down my throat in this manner. It would be OK if there were somewhere to escape this commercial pressure pot but they have taken away nearly all of the public seats to make space for the new shops, bars and cafes. Bottom line - you have to pay for goods you don't want in order to have a place to sit. Its oppressive, not a relaxed place to be at all and not acceptable. The vast majority of the reviews on this site now show how unpopular and offensive the changes are. I would invite David Laws, CEO of the airport, and mastermind of this disaster to reconcile the reviews on this and other websites to the statements he has been making to the press about how pleased the customers are with the new design. Apparently the passengers themselves requested these changes because when originally asked if they would like more shops, many respondents said yes - well they probably would say that - unless you actually told them that the price would be such a huge reduction in the amount of public seating, in which case I suspect most people would have said no. By providing only half the facts they have manipulated the questionaire to get the answer that suits the profits of the airport above the real needs of the passengers. The whole thing has been a cynical attempt to exploit a captive audience. Would this put me off using this airport? Sadly the answer is yes.

Great airport. Swift bag drop with Easyjet. Queues not too bad at security. Plenty of bars, restaurants and shops and lots of seating. Good experience and stress free.

Newcastle Airport is very manageable. If you are a business traveller, it is perfect. It is small, check in area is good, and the lines for security are plenty. After the security you have the main area where you can have a drink, a meal or shop. You have the big screen and they tell you when you have to go to the gates. Everybody is waiting in the main building and is appointed to the gates through this big screens. If you are travelling with children, there could be a little challenges. There is no playground for children, there are many stairs. As a family (with small children) I would not recommend this airport.

Newcastle Airport check in and passport control are fine - the staff are pleasant and the queues move fairly quickly - but the rest of the experience is grim. The 'airside' is cramped and claustrophobic and is devoted entirely to selling you stuff. It used to be light and airy with lots of spaces to sit and relax but now they make walk around the duty free area in ever decreasing circles (a bit like Ikea) until you suddenly pop out into an area full of people drinking alcohol no matter what time of night or day (is it really necessary?). Or you can go and stand in a queue in WHSmith where they have replaced the human assistants with machines which won't work unless you scan your boarding card. The whole experience is just too awful for words. Whoever is responsible should seek alternative employment.

Newcastle airport needs cheaper eating facilities and more seating. They have polite staff, lines not too long at check in and a good range of coffee shops.