"Altogether a bad experience"
W Davis (United Kingdom)
✅ Trip Verified | A glorified shed built on a budget. Absolutely no consideration for travellers at all. Uncomfortable chairs. Long walks to get to/from anywhere. Unnecessary stairs. Security hopelessly inefficient. Altogether a bad experience
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | November 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"my airport of choice"
H Richards (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | This is now my preferred airport to travel through. The staff, the layout and the distances you have to walk are all perfect. The only thing that lets this airport down is the priority lounge. Definitely is my airport of choice.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | October 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo 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 |
Recommended | yes |
"overall experience was very consistent"
Paul Howlen (United Kingdom)
This was the third time I have used this airport and the overall experience was very consistent. I see an airport as a piece of infrastructure which facilitates travel by aircraft, to a reasonable standard, and I do not expect the best gastronomy. Saying that, you can dine well at the adjacent Airport Holiday Inn. Generally, Southend Airport does deliver the basics to a reasonable standard, and scores well for being compact and user easy. You can walk from the railway station to the check-in desk in three or so minutes. Almost all the flights are budget or coach. It's not going to be The Orient Express. There may have been a bit of an issue with the Gents on one occasion, but all airports struggle with rest room cleanliness. Compared to other London airports, it is very easy to pass through all the checks. I have no issues. Flight delays are mostly the fault of the airline, not the airport.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | March 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |
"Restaurant food is terrible"
M Bright (United States)
✅ Trip Verified |
I have been to three airports prior to this one including LAX, none of which had an issue with the amount of liquids I had or the way in which they were organized (my personal sealable clear bags), Southend however, required me to transfer all of my liquids into their bags which was inconvenient. The man doing the checks told me to just check my bag, which I was never told to do at any other airport on this trip. The Restaurant food is terrible and Lakers (the only decent restaurant) was out of everything I wanted to order. My flight was also delayed.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | September 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple 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 |
Recommended | no |
"forgotten some of the basics"
O Kemp (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | Wifi connection is non-existent. 3G/4G barely connecting. You are basically cut off from the outer world while you wait. This is so 80s. There are so many positive things about this airport. But they seem to have forgotten some of the basics.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | August 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |
"Security check is ridiculous"
J Verra (Netherlands)
✅ Trip Verified |
Never again will we use this airport. Security check is ridiculous, they searched and x-rayed my bag 3 times and nothing was wrong. Did almost miss my flight! On the plane there was one passenger to many so that took one hour to sort out. Really bad experience here!
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | July 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | N/A |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"will never fly thru this airport again"
Mari Lamberti (United States)
Not Verified | I will never fly thru this airport again, and will advise everyone who ever travels thru London to avoid this place. Literally went through security for 45 minutes! I have travelled thru 6 airports in the last 2 weeks and this was by far the worst. The machine was broken, bag went thru security 4 times! They made me throw away all of my 2oz bottles because they said they can only fit into small ziplock bag. How is it that in 6 different airports not one security person said anything about this. Never again!
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | June 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple 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 |
Recommended | no |
"lack of communication"
Joseph Sanderson (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | Got to the airport early and then discovered that all flights were delayed. Watched an elderly lady cartwheel down the escalator and had to assist as the staff seemed to be too busy to help, finally 8 mins after she fell the fire service turned up to assist her. Coffee from the cafe was reasonable, however, the lack of seating was not so good. It must be said that the lack of communication advising of expected delays etc was abysmal (possibly due to the limited staffing). Check in was amazingly slow and with only one person (after 30 mins joined by a 2nd person) checking in 4 planes of passengers unacceptable. No play-area for children. Return was also rubbish - luggage was supposed to be on one luggage conveyor and after 20 mins the entire flight was advised it was on a separate belt. The queues to get through Passport control was ridiculous.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | June 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"The lack of communication was appalling"
S Powell (United Kingdom)
❎ Not Verified | I have used this airport on several occasion and the Airport itself is great. Small and functional. However what you need to be aware of is the fact that Stobart Air own and run the airport and flights out under Flybe. If you have an issue with a Flybe flight they will say you need to contact Stobart who are virtually impossible to get in contact with. We flew with Flybe/Stobart who had a technical fault on plane. They chartered a plane to get us back to UK but it had to go to Gatwick, We had no communication about this until we boarded the plane. The flight should have left at 8.25pm. It left at 11pm. Upon landing at Gatwick we were supposed to have representatives to explain how we would get home but no one was in the baggage hall or outside arrivals to explain where coaches that were supposed to have been put on were. After an hour security at Gatwick and they only came out as people were trying to go back through arrivals in a effort to find help. had found some one and we found coaches. We arrived at Southend at 2.12am. No representative's again from Flybe or Stobart. Obviously no trains were running at this point and airport was closed up. People had no where to go until trains started again so had to get cabs to a place of warmth or home. The lack of communication was appalling. People had no chance to rearrange lifts as we had no time before take off to rearrange. What is more upsetting now is that when you contact Flybe be they say its a Stobart Air flight. You cannot find telephone numbers or contact details for how to put in a complaint or claim expenses to Stobart and the switchboard at Southend is automated and does not work properly. I got through to finance who gave me two telephone numbers supposedly for Stobart Head Office. It turned out to be a random house in Dublin and the other went straight to voicemail. The moral of the story is its a great place but you they obviously make it as difficult as possible to deal with them if there are issues. As its my local airport I was excited to have found something closer to home but I will stick with City Airport from now on.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | February 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Family 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 |
Recommended | no |
"it still never fails to impress me"
J Ross (United Kingdom)
❎ Not Verified | I travelled out from Southend to go on a day trip to Manchester. Flown from this airport a few times now and it still never fails to impress me, as it's local to me, quick, pleasant and stress-free, with little to no queuing. Security only took two minutes to go through and be processed with friendly and efficient security staff at 4:45 in the morning. It's good to see that WH Smith in departures has been extended to accommodate a new pharmacy section. Had a delicious cooked breakfast at the Laker's Bar and Restaurant, which didn't take long to wait for after ordering. Excellent flights both ways with Flybe (operated by Stobart Air) and a great day out in Manchester. On return we landed back at Southend 20 minutes early at 21:30, from touchdown, taxiing to the gate, to walking through arrivals and being picked up in the short stay car park, took no more than 5 minutes roughly. Southend is miles better than the glorified shopping centre called Stansted and I hope the Manchester flight stays for the long term.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | February 2018 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |