Manchester Airport

Manchester airport is dirty, tired and busy. It desperately needs upgrading and always looks so depressing on arrival. There are always enormous queues in security with rude, officious staff. To get WiFi you have to agree to sign up to the spam email letters.

Queues at Manchester Airport e-passport scanners are a disgrace. Have travelled through 4 times this year. Every time I have been made to join long slow queues. Loads of staff shouting at passengers instead of more usefully employed doing manual checks. An abysmally poor re-entry to the country. Rude staff in shopping outlets, insufficient seating, tired and gloomy.

Immigration at Manchester airport a complete shambles. 100 yd queues beFore even getting into the hall. E-passport lane to be avoided at all costs. Most people haven't got a clue how to work it - why on earth isn't there a large sign explaining just how long you have to stand in front of the damned things? Then 2 hours to get our luggage back. No one in authority in evidence and staff on the ground ineffective. No other Airport comes close to this third rate, antiquated, unòrganised disaster.

Manchester Airport has felt to me that it's become the Gatwick/Heathrow of the North - a conveyer belt for people with hard working staff at the end of their tether and struggling to be friendly/polite (although they are still trying, unlike the London airports). We were queuing for 35 minutes just to get through immigration (the 'super quick' e-passport lanes are slow and sluggish and don't work for about 1 in 8 people which causes further queues). Baggage conveyer belt was broken, which was another 20 minute delay. As it grows, it gets worse. The airport can only be recommeded with caveats now.

Avoid Manchester airport at all costs. I couldn't use transit as I was travelling Ryanair so had to go through to arrivals and back into departures. Luckily I had plenty of time. It took 80 mins to get through security - so disorganised, staff calling out flights that were departing within the next hour and those people were sent to the top of the queue. The queue in front seemed to get longer. We were coralled into a tiny space, smelly and airless - it was horrendous. Eventually arrived in the departure lounge, went to gate when flight was called - no seats at or near the gate - once again we were coralled inside roped off areas to stand for 40 mins until we boarded. Only for the fit and healthy - I will never use this airport again.

Arrival at Manchester airport is pretty smooth, with automated passport scanners. However, the place looks old and tired. The fact that rental cars are off site is inconvenient, although there is a free shuttle bus provided. At departure I found the security very efficient. I like the system that a bunch of people can can prepare at the same time in the same line, so you feel less rushed. Staff were efficient and polite. The departure area is quite cramped, it was very full, but there were still some free seats. The lack of information was very annoying. The monitor kept saying it would take 5 minutes to announce the gate, for at least about an hour.

I traveled alone into Manchester with 2 children (4 and 6 months). The experience may be better for people traveling without children. For arrival a 2 hour wait in the passport check line. After 7 hour flight that was delayed by 2 hours my children were exhausted and my older son was on the floor crying. Not a friendly anything from passing by staff. You have to pay for the carts. I did not have coins and the coin machine was not working - staff did not help and had to rely on other passengers. The reason I gave 2 stars is that security staff for departure were pleasant and eased my sons anxiety about letting go off his back pack. However on the other side was another story. The security officer decided that he should send our bags back through the machine again. Some stuff was taken out and put in a separate basket so I only noticed and collected it by pure chance. We spent about 40 minutes there in the way of everyone else waiting for our bags to go round again. At this point we were running a bit close to the departure time. We first have to pass by what seemed like a mile of perfumes in duty free. When I got to the gate I see that there is a long flight of stairs down and no elevator or escalator. There was a phone for people with "mobility issues". I picked up the phone and explained to the man on the other side that I am trying to get to gate 26. My plane leaves in 30 minutes. I am alone with 2 children and a pushchair, could you please help me. The answer "Proceed to the gate. This line is for wheelchairs". At which point he just hung up. Once again the other passengers were amazing. Two gentlemen helped me to get to the gate. It turned out that there was a long flight of stairs up again after we went down. So even if I had thrown the pushchair down there was no way for me to get back up with an infant.

Will never use Manchester airport again. Got off the plane to be met by hundreds of passangers from other flights all heading for passport control. Then more passengers merge half way into the queue, basically pushing the rest of us back. No staff to direct the late comers to the back of the queue which lead to arguing and bad tempers. 1 hour and 20 minutes to get out to then to find the bags and prams in a heap due to blockage on the carousel - avoid if you can.

Just apalling - terminal 1 is dull, crowded, dirty. Usual bland overpriced chain food and staff are very aware that customers are passing through so no attempts at customer service. Endless queues, surly staff with poor grasp of English language, hostile security staff and no where near enough passport control gates open. For e-passports they only have 5 or so so be prepared to queue again. My advice is use a different airport if possible.

Last week travelled in and out of Manchester T3 from Scotland and the security is as bad as recent reviews state. Shouting at people and especially repeatedly at non-first language English speakers is unacceptable, as is being threatened with a long delay should you fail to meet one of the requirements, many of which I'd never heard before e.g inhaler in a plastic bag, plugs to be on display. Easily a 30 minute experience with lots of stressed passengers standing on top of each other. The airport in general is poorly laid out with long walks along narrow and congested routes and T3 is a claustrophobic and overcrowded space completely unfit for purpose. For first time in 45 years I have made a decision never to use an airport again. Such a great city and wonderful people deserve so much better.