London City Airport

Excellent Airport. Found free wi-fi (usually have to pay at Heathrow) which meant I could work whilst waiting a good bar (bit pricey at times) and the new lounge is very smart. They are doing up the old lounge at the moment so it looks a bit worn but it is work in progress and they say it should be completed in about a month's time. The check in and arrivals process is a breeze (security is quick but can be a bit noisy at times but there is no hanging about). No queues smart terminal generally friendly staff very quick arrival times from plane to train and into central London - 35 minutes last time from the airport to Westminster.

Aside from the ruinous black cab fare from Finchely Road to LCY smoothing going. If could have taken the Jubilee Line and connected w/DLR but this being my first time I chose not to take any chances. Once inside the terminal there is a vast feeling of space. Check in a breeze. Surprisingly KLM contract staff friendly and efficient. Security draconian and intentionally unpleasant. Terminal laid out just fine. Coming in AMS-LCY you're off the aircraft and through passport control in around twenty minutes.

Flew out in the Friday evening peak. Check in for VLM had changed to machines since the take over by KLM/AF which is a shame. Machines take credit card or passport for id. If you use the credit card you need to swipe it in and out. which the machine doesn't tell you. Still a quick check in process. There was one idiotic business woman yelling in her mobile phone that she would never come back here because she had to check in via the machines. Obviously a "status" passenger missing the express lines. We sat and a had a meal in the restaurant before security. At GBP12 for the main I thought it was a bit pricey but the quality and portion size was very good so shant complain. Security was fairly quick. Tip - go behind a business traveller and not a tourist. Seasoned travellers have the routine down pat while infrequent users slow the process. The lounges were full once inside. We had a look at all the new shops. Shame there is a WH Smiths there now it loses its classy feel and a bit more downmarket in my eyes. Our plane started its boarding call about 45 minutes before the flight was due to leave. It was from one of the new gates. When I was looking for signs to see where they were there was a big board in the middle of the floor with directions. But two women had parked themselves in front of it and were blocking it. I had to get the idiots to move so people could see where these new gates were. They are through the bar and you have to dodge the waiter delivering food to the tables on the other side. The departure gate has strange stools to sit on. Very strange. But still better than most other airports I've been to.

I have used LCY over 30 times this year and can't speak too highly of the airport. It really is the way forward and makes the trip to LHR (for short haul) a waste of time. Improvements to the terminal have been most welcome and baggage is often ready for collection as you arrive in baggage claim. However the bar prices are eye watering (£4.30 for a beer!) and car parking the most expensive in Britain (£120 for three days) so take the DLR at £1.50 to Greenwich.

Very nice airport check in and security very quick. Has a tendency to get busy at times with standing room only. Good selection of shops and eateries. Expensive prices though £4.30 for a beer is excessive. Only frustration was on return flight to LCY was delayed at Zurich due to fog at London. However the fog at Zurich did not stop flights arriving and departing there. Will except that there may be some technical issues at London that restrict arrivals for this reason

Crazy little airport which you have to love. Very convenient to get off and on the plane. very convenient connections into London centre on the DLR. Tiny little airport with a lounge like your sitting room. Check-in way too small in theory but it all works because they only land mad small little planes that only hold a few people.

I flew out of London City Airport on October 24. Airport was total chaos because it was closed for several hours due to a security issue. The check in area was densely packed but I think all staff in this area were doing the best job possible to get everyone checked in flights rearranged and upstairs into the departures area. It's easy and quick to get wherever you want in this airport and if you are interested in watching aircraft coming and going there are plenty of areas to do this. On the way back the approach was interesting - circled London to make an Easterly landing past the office high rise buildings then a sharp nose dive towards the ground. Passport control and baggage delivery were quick and efficient.

LCY-EDI. Second use of the airport in a year. The main downside of this airport are the 'gate lounges' which are far too cramped for the load of even a Avro RJ-85. AirFrance also has the quirk of asking for ID along with your boarding pass when you get to the gate. Have not come across this before for a domestic flight. Upsides: the DLR access (the train was packed going out eben at 415pm); the security (through in about five minutes this at 4.45pm); compact size; the lounge capacity (enough seating even at 5pm. Probably my preferred airport for getting to London and likely to get more popular with the OK to increase the # of flights they can handle.