Liverpool Airport

I despair of this place. Since my last visit they have relocated security getting rid of the nonsense of queuing on the stairs. However they still encourage customers to cough up a few quid in order to skip a few places in the line. While security does need to be taken seriously I found it a a bit much to be given an extended and thorough pat down when the gate didn't even ping. Following the return landing though within 'spitting' distance of immigration passengers were loaded onto buses taken about 50 yards to a (wrong) door then presumably as a result of driver error transported around the block to another entrance marked 'international arrivals'. Here we all got soaked as passengers shuffled up the stairs along the long corridors and then got stuck in an enormous queue for passport control. And guess what they must love forcing people to balance their bodies and luggage on staircases because it's back down steps once more to immigration. The only redeeming feature is that the passports checkers are quite pleasant as opposed to the rest of the people who work at Liverpool. More than an hour from getting off the plane to showing your passport really isn't on!

Agree with that has been said about security. Why does Liverpool have to be so different to Manchester. Cheap and not cheerful and almost felt that staff were on some power game. The usual rubbish shops. Liverpool could be the small friendly airport - instead it's trying to be something its not.

I paid to use the lounge at Liverpool - don't bother. It is a windowless low-ceilinged room stuck in a corner. Food offerings at 0900 were limited to processed cheese and crackers and pre-wrapped cake - very disappointing. The security hall is much better than it used to be although paying for fast-track is cheeky.

From arrival at the Pricebusters car park to seating ourselves in Gate 3 area took approx 20 minutes including buying a paper at WH Smiths. Security was very quiet and the staff polite and helpful. Our return transit was equally smooth: our flight landed 30 minutes early and we had exited the car park by the scheduled time of our landing despite the walk from "International Arrivals" to passport control and the need to get our prepaid parking ticket validated at the kiosk because of the usual misreading of our number plate on entry. No passage through any airport is a painless experience but we know the ropes at LPL and by planning accordingly we seem to manage to avoid any major hassles.

Arrived at Liverpool for a 7.00 am departure to Geneva. Car park sign said long stay was closed when it was open. Panic over as we had pre paid. Entered EasyJet end of terminal at 05.20 to see a long queue but realised that we could skip that as we had checked in on line. Proceeded via the new route to the departure lounge. Absolute chaos - people arguing jumping the queue and desperate to make their flight. After waiting in line for 45 minutes we were only a third of the way down the line. Time now 6.15am. We decided to go back and buy fast track tickets at £3 each. Big mistake. When we arrived at the back of the fast track queue it was almost as long as the other - staff were under great pressure and it showed in their rudeness. Finally the dash for gate number 9. Not straightforward as the design is to take you through as many shopping malls bars and restaurants. Arrived at the gate to be told we were some of the first there for our flight. Still waiting for 80 passengers. Plane delayed 30 minutes.

This is my third trip using Liverpool Airport over the last three months and I agree I think I will switch to the more expensive Manchester - the experience is just not worth it. Having experienced the awful 'attitude' of the security staff on a previous flight (I was made to remove my thin cardigan - which concealed what exactly - leaving me stood in my vest) I pre- purchased fast track. This was a waste as it didn't work as the queue was as long. The Security staff seem to enjoy the fact that the queues are so long and enjoy doing extra security checks that no other airport in Europe seems to carry out. An hour and 20 minutes is not a reasonable amount of time to clear security. And just to finish you off when you arrive back in the country you queue once again for Customs.

The reviews I have read after passing through Liverpool Airport will encourage me to stop by this website before I next book a flight to an airport that I haven't traveled to. I can only agree with most of them. When I passed through the airport was not so busy (31st December) and still security was slow and inefficient. The most unimpressive factor were the pay machines in several places for "Fast Track" security. There were machines before you go through security as you go in to the hall and just before the lines in case when you arrive you are horrified by the queues and can then pay the extra UK Stg 3 for the fast line. I think that extra optional charge for security is shocking. In my opinion that just encourages inefficiency in the main queue so they can make more money. What will they do if everyone pays the Stg 3? Quickly add more security lanes?

Simply a poorly run and poorly managed airport. Don't park in the Long Stay 2/Pricebusters car park unless there's nothing else available. The car park is always extremely busy and you're generally forced to park in or near the overflow area ending up around 3/4 mile from the terminal. The walk (there are no buses) from the car park to the terminal requires dodging cars avoiding tripping on the awful footpath and if you use a luggage trolley playing the "when the will the trolley turn over and dump all my luggage on the road" game. It's an absolute joke of a car park. Now the airport - it used to be good. It was a small well run and organised business. Now the owners have become ambitious expanded the building in a variety of wierd ways and it's a dog's dinner. Lifts constantly out of order escalators turned off security queues that have to be seen to be believed ludicrous routes to the gates that generally involves zig zagging through endless shops the gates themselves that haven't seen any investment since 1980 staff who have turned disinterested into an artform filthy toilets etc etc. Every cliche regarding a bad airport is captured in this terrible place. Whilst Manchester has lots of problems it functions as an airport. Liverpool doesn't it's not fit for purpose currently and desperately needs top down management re-engineering.

When I first started using the airport almost ten years ago it was good - it was rather shabby and staff not particularly effective but passenger numbers were low and this meant speedy access to gate and speedy exits on return legs. During the last 4 years the airport has got steadily worse. The passport control / security areas are amongst the most chaotic of any airport I have been to. This has not improved despite new facilities - the problem is clearly with the staff. Some are just plain inefficient and therefore ineffective but by far the majority have a huge chip on their shoulders with a mixture of aggression and disdain for customers.

If you enjoy queuing for at security for at least 40 minutes every time you fly then this is the airport for you. When you get through to departures if the sun is shining you will then have the pleasure of sitting in a greenhouse style shopping/bar area with no air-conditioning. When you land at Liverpool regularly you will have learnt to look around anxiously to see if any planes have landed just before yours. If they have you will have the pleasure of standing outside in the wind and rain whilst you wait to get into the ridiculously small and understaffed passport control hall. I used to fly at least 20 times a year from Liverpool I now pay more for my flights to fly from Manchester because Liverpool is so bad.