Manchester Airport

Second time we have flown through this airport and met our expectations and exceeded in some areas. One of my favourite aspects of the airport is the clear signage. As we were flying with Jet2.com, we were not sure where the ground level check-in was but the airline logo was shown on all signs. Had to queue ad least half an hour to check in due to a mechanical failure with the luggage belts but was made up by the duty free and cafes on offer. Cleanliness to a high standard, and staff were helpful and Wifi connectivity great.

Queued for check in for 45 minutes, even though we'd arrived when they opened. Looked like they had a tech problem so a few desks were closed. Check in very polite. Security an absolute nightmare. Some security woman decided to split our bags and phones/tablets into numerous trays which made scanning a nightmare. Out of the 4 trays one went through fine and the other 3 awaited a swab and re-scan. But because it was so busy and they only had 3 people dealing with 2 sides the trays piled up. People were stressed and frustrated. You were trying to keep an eye on your valuables going in one direction, your bags deemed ok in another and trying to stop your kids from stuffing their fingers in the portable a/c units in another, whilst trying to shout "yes that's my stuff in that tray" to the security person who is completely blinkered. I'd hate to take a blood pressure reading after that. Awful experience that took over an hour. Duty free was missed because of lack of time and that makes me worry that shops will suffer due to the chaos in security.

Excellent airport. T1 and T2 has more to do than T3, but all good terminals. Since redevelopment of security in the last 10 years, there have been no queues whenever I have travelled. Bags can take a little time, but bar that, everything is quick and efficient. Staff are very good, and T1 has many places to eat, drink, shop, and sit. Gate announcment on screen system works, with numerous screens displaying information. Station is also very convienent.

I think Manchester Airport (mis) management must be doing all they can to drive their passengers away to other airports. The good points: The meet and greet car drop off at T2 is an excellent service. Passport control on the way back - straight through and very friendly border staff. Luggage was unloaded and on carousel very quickly. The bad points: Security. Paid £3.50 for the 'fast track' security which was a complete joke. It was holiday season and the queues were horrendous and moving ridiculously slowly. As with my last review some of this was down to completely unprepared holiday makers at security - come on guys, we've had the liquid rules for a long time now. However, a lot of the problems were down to bags being pulled for inspection for no apparent reason. Mine was pulled for asthma inhalers, not on the banned list, don't have to be in a clear bag, never get pulled out for it anywhere else. Asked the security guy why mine was pulled when inhalers are not on any list and the queue was enormous, he couldn't tell me why. Asked the supervisor why, he told me 'it was a liquid'. I pointed out to him it wasn't and his reply was 'well it is here'. So overall a better experience than last time but security is a still a complete shambles and they really need to sort it out.

I used to use Manchester Airport in the 1990's and always thought how progressive and well organised things were. How things have changed - T3 is dismal, dark corridors and cramped gate areas. Most ridiculous however, are the provisions for car rental. Long waits for the buses and queues at the rental village but most incredible is the total absence of any signage for the rental return. Coming off the motorway, there are no signs whatever. I had to stop and ask to find that you needed to follow the signs to T3 and only there as you approach the drop-off area, is there a sign for the rental village. Totally unacceptable.

Terminal 3-Terrible signposting to baggage drop (half a bus full tried going the wrong way). Very small security check area leading to queues even when there aren't many people trying to get through. Hardly any eating/shopping facilities and what there is is cramped and dirty and altogether a very badly designed space in which to spend time and money.

I can only comment on T3, and it sounds like other terminals are not as good. T3 security is a quick and relatively pleasant experience. Recently I've regularly been through security and in the departures lounge within 15 minutes of alighting at the railway station - I'm a quick walker but that's still good going. Staff are on hand should a bottleneck begin, and extra security lanes are opened up. Once in the lounge it's quite nice, with the newly-refurbished restaurant area. There's only limited shopping. If you explore a bit there's even quite a bit of public seating. Some of the gates are a bit strange and cramped, with standing in a corridor the only option at times, but overall I'd rate the airport highly.

Manchester. What do you expect? It was busy, but Manchester Airport coped with this well. Security was easy and there are lots of bars and restaurants to choose from in Terminal 2. Would fly from Manchester again.

T1 is not pleasant and security can be a pain, there are a few quiet corners where you can take your drink and relax. T3 is a nicer place to be - it's dated, and there's not a massive amount to do, but it's never taken more than 20 minutes to get from the drop off to the gate. Both terminals have the same standard overpriced shops and bars. For the most part, the staff are friendly, and baggage reclaim's never been an issue. I've yet to experience T2 - that's coming up in September.

Poor standard of services available. Security slow and queues badly managed. Ground staff badly organised. Regular delays with aircraft parking stands and equipment issues with ground crews. Car rental bus service appalling.