Marseille Airport

Flew into and out of MP2 in the last week and absolutely no complaints. Clean well maintained and well signed medium sized airport with good design that limits walking distances from check-in to security to gate. On arrival bags were on the belt when we got to luggage reclaim and we were straight out and into a taxi within 15 minutes of landing. Big picture windows over the apron afford excellent views of the aircraft while you wait for your flight to be called. Feels like an airport rather than a shopping centre that does flights on the side.

I often use MRS on LaNavette flights from/to Orly and I actually like the airport. AF uses the Hall 4 which is bright and convenient. Luggage delivery is usually quick and it is a short way to the bus station. Bus shuttles run every 20 min to downtown Marseille (€850 one-way) and every 30 min to Aix-en-Provence. On departure there are plenty of self-service check-in machines and security control is usually fast. On the downside there are very few shops and catering facilities so that I would recommend not to arrive too early before your flight.

Sadly my experiences seem to be following Mr Cullen's closely! Having felt like him that MP2 was beginning to get its act in order I had a poor experience a couple of weeks ago. At a 'busy' time for the terminal (ie 2 flights departing closely together!) management of two different queues was non-existent - and unnecessary given that in fact my Ryanair flight (to STN) was about 40 minutes late into Marseille and so passengers should not have been called to the gate at all. Result - on going forward to the border police passport control STN passengers were asked to stand to one side to let the others through (I think they were going to Eindhoven). Those of you who know the area at MP2 that I am talking about will realise the unpleasant scrum that resulted (after which we STN passengers were still required to queue at the 'gate' (ie behind a locked door) for almost 45 minutes before boarding. Once we reach summer schedules I'm going to try Leeds/Bradford-Avignon with Jet2 although recent posts on LBR (which I have not used for a couple of years) hardly fill me with much hope!

My third report on MP2 will be my final one as I will never use this appalling shambles of a terminal again - the worst yet. As before my departure was on a Saturday afternoon in August but just four flights were scheduled to leave in the three hours after I arrived. MP2 could not cope. We arrived just over two hours before scheduled departure and had the flight left on time would have spent 1 hour 50 minutes queuing. Among the highlights were 24 minutes waiting to give passport details (after 36 minutes in the check-in desk queue) and being accused of not submitting them online - like everyone else in the queue I had not been asked to. Another half hour waiting for the border police officer to open his booth. The final insult was an extra 20 minutes at the departure gate as they could not let passengers off the incoming aircraft - the terminal door would not open. So we finally boarded the aircraft 2.5 hours after entering the terminal all but ten minutes standing in queues. This place is an utter mess: inefficient chaotic cheap nasty and with uncaring staff I speak and understand enough French to know that it was not just a language barrier; I will accept the security staff who were doing their best. It should be avoided at all costs there are alternatives and I intend to use them.

I think MP2 is nearly getting it right! I have used it several times more since my previous comment and I agree with others that staff are (now) generally helpful and friendly and - although limited in extent and choice - the food and drink available in the departure area (I hesitate to call it a 'lounge'!) is of reasonable quality and is reasonably priced compared with many other airports. However passengers are still called to gates far too early - often before the incoming flight has even landed - so that the length of time queuing in the rather grim ground-floor area is too long.

Last August I wrote a rather damning review of MP2; this year I used the same terminal at more or less the same time of day and time of year. It has improved a little but there is still room for improvement. The queues are still there but they move more quickly; I timed everything very carefully. Check-in 10 minutes; luggage drop-off 4; security 21; passport control 10; boarding- pass check 9; boarding 8. However you look at it this is still an hour of continual queuing and as we were a little later than planned arriving at the airport it was literally moving from one queue to the next. The environment has not improved though I did feel the staff were more helpful and friendly than last time and generally it was not quite as awful. However the final episode illustrated some of the problems of MP2. With everyone on board on time the pilot announced that he could not start engines because there was so much rubbish blowing about on the apron. I was by a window and could see burst rubbish bags from aircraft just left lying around. We waited 15 minutes while some of it was cleared up but it was far from completely clear when we left. The whole place feels very uncared-for and it is obvious that costs have been cut wherever possible; as I said last time I understand the economics of low-cost flying but this seems to be a step too far - to the point where it is counterproductive in terms of efficiency and customer satisfaction.

I agree with Mr Benett's comment about this airport. But I think everybody here is a bit tough about MRS2. I traveled to Spain Sweden and Norway from there and the experience was not that horrible. I agree that MRS2 is not the most beautiful airport in Europe but I do not care about waiting 20 minutes in line (I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes) in a terminal badly decorated if afterwards I just have to drive 15 minutes to get to Marseille. I prefer this terminal next to the city than a luxurious one which is 2 hours from where I want to get.

A veteran of the 'proper' terminal and an admirer of it (see previous comments) I have now also experienced MP2 and have to agree that aesthetically it's pretty grim. I was fortunate to go through at a quiet time on my own and with hand baggage only but I can imagine that it can be a frustrating experience at busy times and/or with a family and all its luggage. Splitting off the cheap flights was probably quite a good idea operationally but certainly there's some room to think further about customer care!

I'd like to second Peter Cullen's comments on the new concept terminal MP2. It is an horrendous experience. Travelling with young daughter and wife on arrival no trolleys are permitted in the baggage hall so you have to carry everything. The terminal is a 10 minute walk (not under cover) to the car hire car parks. On departure no trolleys allowed in the terminal. Check in is not computerized so all baggage tags have to be written. You then have to carry your bags a further 50m to drop them off at the baggage belt and have your items rechecked. The shopping experience is not too bad. Finally we had to queue for one gendarme to finally turn up to check all our passports. One passport controller for 150 people you do the maths. The terminal is understaffed and those that do work there seem to have the hump because they'd rather be working in the other terminal. Pack light and if you are travelling with a family and have hired a car leave the family at the terminal collect the car and drive it back to the terminal. There is a drop off car park that allows 30 mins free parking in front of the terminal.

I have used Marseille in the past and found it perfectly acceptable. However last week I endured the new terminal 2 (warehouse would be a better description) for low-cost airlines; it is a truly horrible experience. I know that when travelling low-cost it is just that and you get what you pay for but this takes the concept to a whole new (lower) level. They obviously did not waste any money on decorating as it is mainly bare walls pipes concrete floors etc. On the few places they actually put some paint it is the most disgusting mixture of lime green purple and orange you can imagine. You get plenty of time to admire the 'design' of this box as you queue to put your luggage onto a conveyor belt (about 20 minutes and quite what cost it saves is beyond me) and to go through security (about 45 minutes). If this is the future of mass air transport it will surely kill itself it is a totally joyless and annoying experience. At least when you get to the aircraft it feels fairly luxurious.