Lanzarote Arrecife Airport

Flew back yesterday (Thursday). Queue for security stretched back past. Check in desks. Staff were rude and very unhelpful. Did not seem to have anything like enough scanners for the volume of traffic.

As before quite pleasant small airport let down by its security - just rude and confrontational. Arrival was OK but we waited some time for the luggage even though the airport was quiet. Thomson check-in slowish but why don't the security people make it clear they want electronic items separately and who thought forcing a passenger to put a buggy through the x-ray machine when it was obviously too big was sensible.

Recently passed through here again without problem. Departed on a Saturday security well organised and no queues. From bag drop to airside in less than half an hour. Can be different at busy times especially Thursdays as per my previous comments. Terminal is adequate and no long walks to gate.

Arrivals and security very quick and efficient. Baggage reclaim poor and slow. On leaving huge queues after check in to get to security and confusing instructions from staff who were mismanaging the lines when you got close. Surly security staff and hold ups caused by slow screening due to operator stopping belt to chat with friends! Absolute rubbish system. Airside crowded and this in December! Must be absolute murder in peak season.

Ridiculous walk to reach the coaches on arrival. This however pales into insignificance given the absolute chaos upon departure! Long check in queues at Thomson desks and then even longer queues for security. The lack of organisation and rude personnel had to be seen to be believed. We arrived at the airport 2 hours before departure and only just made it onto the plane in time. No chance of a drink or duty free shopping. It was my friends' first visit to Lanzarote and she loved the holiday but will not be returning due to the airport experience.

Both incoming and departure are difficult in this poorly air conditioned building. The staff are very slow and my experience at the airport was very poor.

Saturday lunchtime flight. Found the security queue snaked right back to in front of the check-in area probably due to several German charter flights at the same time. In fairness though it moved fairly quickly and from arrival to airside took no longer than 40 minutes I have experienced much worse as would those with longer check-in queues. No queuing ropes or staff to monitor the queue. If you have a pre-booked transfer these appear to be leaving from the upper departures level requiring negotiating a ramp up to it far less convenient to the previous arrangement when you walked straight from arrivals to the coach bays. Otherwise it is fairly civilised.

ACE to EMA. 6 gates opened for 3 UK flights leaving within 30 minutes of each other. After waiting in Online Baggage Drop queue for over an hour and with the remaining 5 gates almost clear it was questionable whether any flights could be boarded in time. No organisation at all no assistance to clear confusion no communication. Pitiful shopping facilities and overpricing in duty free area. Only positive airport was clean. If only Lanzarote had another airport!

This airport is clean queues are well managed and the staff are polite and actually smile at you. A good selection of shops and an area with a bar where you can sit outside prices are a bit steep but no different from any other airport. Flew back to Birmingham Sunday 8th April total time from entering the airport to sitting in the sun was 20 minutes!

Stansted-Lanzarote return. The airport was quite small and confusing with grubby shops selling not much and inconveniently placed gates. The cafes and restaurants were nowhere and toilets disappeared. It was ok with its seating area. As an airport just to sit and wait for you plane it served its purpose. The parking was also confusing and poorly sign posted.