Luton Airport

The new arrangements for drop-off at Luton Airport are a disaster. I have just arrived at 05.30 and the queue of traffic waiting to get in to the "drop off zone" stretches back to the Ibis Hotel and is causing chaos at roundabouts. Now you have to drop off further away from the terminal than you used to - and you are charged £1 (watch for that to go up) for the privilege. Luton is the airport equivalent of Ryanair with their grubby little money-making schemes (luggage trolley charge "fast track" security for a charge). The escalators to Departures aren't working - I guess they're about to impose a charge for their use. Otherwise it's not a bad little airport!

Hopeless mess of an airport . Traffic chaos caused by simply atrocious new traffic flows around drop off mean you can wait 30 mins or more to get up the approach road when it used to be pretty smooth flowing even on the busiest Monday morning. The front area of the airport is choked with secondary smoke from smokers who are allowed to use the paved and covered areas in front of ALL of the entrances.

I must report that the early traffic jams remain as deplorable as he described. I noted a sad trail of pax (with heavy luggage) who had been obliged to bail out of cars and taxis - an unnecessarily stressful experience for all. I am a regular user of LTN taking the Green Line coach service and had never suffered such chronic delays on the approach to the airport not even while the recent road construction was under way. I advise anyone with an early morning flight to allow an extra 30-40 minutes to negotiate that final congested mile.

I recently needed to take two friends to Luton Airport for a flight about 7a.m. so check-in about 6 a.m. We got to within about a mile of the Airport by about 5:45 a.m. and encountered a solid traffic jam. When we finally reached the drop-off area it became apparent that the jam was caused by people trying to enter the drop -off area and being refused entry. I am told by others that this is a common occurrence and considering the amount of new road development that has taken place recently is inexcusable. y friends caught their flight by the skin of their teeth (and by walking some of the way carrying their luggage) but there must have been dozens of people who didnt

Not having travelled via Luton for some time I was pleasantly surprised at the improvements. It is worth noting the £12.50 single rail fare from St. Pancras station in London is valid on either the First Capital Trains (slower) or the East Midland Trains (faster) which depart from the same level as the Eurostar trains. I took an East Midlands train which went non-stop to Luton Parkway where I stepped onto a shuttle bus and was stepping into the airport departures area a mere thirty minutes after leaving St. Pancras! With hand luggage only I already had my Easyjet boarding pass printed and therefore avoided the queues at check-in where the desks do not open until two hours before the flight. A tip for travelers is the M&S Food to Go situated close to the arrivals area if you want to eat well at prices lower than the various food outlets. All round the airport are machines encouraging you to buy a Priority Security pass for £3. Perhaps at a very busy period this might be worth it but when I went up to security there were only four people in front of me and I was through the first check in a flash. There were several scanners in use and the only two people in front of me for the one I was directed to and I was soon through the system. Airside seems a great improvement on the old airport as I remember it. I suspect at busy times there would not be enough seating but on this occasion I had no problems finding a seat in between walking about and exploring the shops. The departure screens are rather small and I suspect some people with visual impairment might find them difficult to read. Like other airports passengers are requested to wait in the lounge and only go to the gate when the number appears on the screen. Be warned the walk from the departure lounge to Gate Fifteen is quite a hike! All in all it was a surprisingly pleasant passage through the airport and I would certainly consider using Luton again.

First time through LTN overall a pleasant experience though. Only minus is the limited check in facilities for easyJet given the overall area available in the terminal. Shopping facilities typical of a mid-size UK airport security clearance fast and efficient with extra scanners opening when needed resulting in a smooth flow of passengers. Felt a little crowded every now and then but overall a smooth and trouble free departure.

Flying out of Luton airport for the first time I was very impressed by the set-up. None of the tedious queues at security associated with Heathrow and Gatwick plenty of good seating and refreshments and only a minimal walk to the departure gate for our easyJet flight to Istanbul (see my comments on Sabiha Gokcen airport). The arrival back from Istanbul was also pleasing clearing immigration and customs within twenty minutes of deplaning. I'll certainly consider flying out of Luton in future.

Outward journey was very smooth no problems. Not a big airport. Return was a different story. Passport control was very slow at midnight - I had to wait approx 25 mins. I travelled back to Central London - The Green Line bus company was very good on time to Central London. A bit pricey one way ticket - £14.