London Stansted Airport

Passed through twice recently and it's much better than my horror experiences here a few years ago (when the queues for security snaked all the way to the main doors). Arrival a breeze with the automated new chip passport readers. Beware the extra bag volume check by hawk-eyed Ryanair salespeople on quotas just before the Ryanair gates. I'd love airports to offer simple changing booths for gents so that I can change from summer wear to UK-compatible clothes or vice versa without standing in a puddle beside a toilet.

It's not the best airport in the world but not the worst either. Light and airy with a train station in the basement (and trains which run until 1:30am on a Sunday which I think is reasonable); plenty of shops airside albeit with a shortage of seating in the main lounge area (fine near the gates); all immigration queues open at 12:30am on a Monday morning - but 20 minute queues nonetheless. The only inexcusable error was a lack of open lanes for security on departure. Stansted Express is great with the Victoria line from Tottenham taking you into central London very quickly - and at comparable prices to the other London airports. Given the number of people it handles and the nature of its main airline customers (who presumably would be happy if there was no investment in the passenger facing facilities at all) it's fine.

Regarding several comments about transportation costs to and from Stansted I've been using the EasyBus for a while now and really can't fault it. Book in advance online and the roundtrip from the terminal to Victoria Station or Baker Street only costs about £10. The journey takes an hour and if you're delayed/early the team at the desk will transfer your ticket onto the first available bus. Miles cheaper than the Stansted Express and a much better drop-off. Strangely easyJet don't seem to advertise the bus on their website but you can find it on Google. Highly recommended!

Mid-afternoon departure with Turkish Airlines. Transited from easyJet domestic flight. Bags quickly onbelt straight to onward check in to drop luggage. Option for buying train ticket for onward travel to central London available at bag claim if needed saving buying outside the airport. Arrivals hall busy but plenty of signs for directions of airline desks. No queues at THY check in. Bags dropped. Staff helpful and polite. Used cafe in airport for light meal - not expensive. Range of options available including bars snack bars and shops for sandwiches / drinks. Other shops are creeping into the departure halls taking more space though. Some current work to upgrade the facilities evident but not intrusive and the whole place operating well. No delays at security - straight through to departures - wide choice of eating and shopping. Monorail to gate (which is up escalator) for flight. Further options for drinks / snacks in gate area. Except for airline staff attitude at check-in for return flight which is not under the mandate of the airport this was another good service from a busy airport.

I have been using STN now for 4 years and in this four years it has improved from very poor to excellent. I would prefer to use STN over LHR (apart from T5) and over LGW. Security is now a breeze with many lanes open and never waiting time longer then 15 minutes even in the busiest times. Both landside and airside have a good variety of retail stores not as many as LGW or LHR but at the end of the day it is a low cost airport. Satellite 1 and 2 are connected by a train so no need for a long walk and if you are flying on FR walking times are not any longer then at LGW when leaving from furthest gates and certainly much shorter then at some other airports (AMS CDG etc). Airport itself feels very airy light and refreshingly new. Arrivals have been done up and now the immigration flows quickly especially if you travel on a new passport with the chip as you can use the automated barriers. It is a shame that it is mostly a low cost airport. STN deserves so much more.

Nothing especially bad or good about the airport. What I don't like with most London airports is that they're far from the city and transportation costs a lot (and I mean a lot) even when it takes an extremely long time to reach the city centre. This one is no exception. Apart from that very "low-cost" feeling not the best airport to wait in but I had no problems there.

Arrived in STN from Dublin on Ryanair. A bit of a trek to immigration but ryanair seem to like the far flung closer to runway gates. Joined the EU/UK queue and after a minute or so the guy at the desk realised that an ROI flight had landed stood up and directed us to a door on the left where there is no passport control due to the common travel agreement. All in all from gate to easybus transfer roughly 25 mins. I can't comment on check in as I departed on the same day with online check in. Security could have been faster. Quite a long queue with many scanners not in operation. And then the trek to the gate. All in all a good experience bar a few little niggles. Transport into London could be a bit cheaper. Easybus cheapest at £13 return but takes a while. Could do with a few more security staff. Other than that airport is nice and airy a welcome change to Dublin's cramped feeling arrivals (low ceiling) and packed departures (even at 0500).

I use Stansted often since for Ryanair it pretty much connects Glasgow Prestwick to the rest of Europe. I have slept in the airport twice now and each time they seems to bump the air conditioning up (In England Mid October) so that there is a real chill about the place also a few less armrests on their awful seats wouldn't go amiss. The number of people queuing up for 6am to 8am departures is quite staggering. You build it and they will come. Security Q's are always a bit long and staff abrupt. Airside is typical shops. This airport is clean. Flying back in at 11pm can be a bit hit or miss with runway opening times. My major gripe and its a major one is transport costs to and from London center. It is pure madness (though an excellent service) that a one hour plus National Express journey will cost you £10 single. This is one of the priciest airports to get to and that is a real hindrance - surely some cheaper or more subsidised option could be introduced easyBus tried in vain to increase competition here but in the end raised their prices to 50p less than Terravision.

Stansted is always good to arrive into and always bad to leave from. Arriving requires a little bit of a haul to the baggage area but it all works as intended and you can be out quickly. Thumbs up for that. Departure is where the well thought out Stansted plan fails badly. Too many people for the terminal to cope with. The departure area is cluttered with too many shops and check in is too close to the doors leading to jostling crowds. Very bad. Then security is almost always under-manned leading to long queues. There is no excuse for this the process here is broken and is down right annoying. Once you get through the same problem exists as outside. Crowded inadequate waiting area with far too few eating options Again Bad. So arrive at Stansted and leave from somewhere else is my advice

I think that it has all been said before but lets compare the recent experience at Stansted with Tenerife airport Long queues at Security at Stansted with security staff rather harassed. At Tenerife much more efficient. Took about a quarter of the time to get through. Outside Tenerife airport fleet of Taxis waiting you just hop on at Stansted you have to go to a desk and order one then wait for it to turn up. Cost of food and drink at Stansted way in excess of Tenerife prices. I could go on but you have got the message. I have found the same at Malaga airport the Spanish just seem to do it better.