Southend Airport

NotVerified | Car park charges at this airport are astronomical, you can’t even drop off and collect now without having to pay a charge. So greedy. Shame, otherwise it would be a lovely airport.

✅ Trip Verified | Used to like the airport but now the same as everywhere else. Smallest airport charges to drop off passengers which is just greedy. Security is a joke and now you have to queue for an hour to get in. Would have recommended last year but get the impression their management can’t cope with the extra passengers, disappointing.

✅ Trip Verified | I was very disappointed that upon arrival at the airport at 1.30 at night I found the airport entrance hall closed. People were standing outside like homeless people or sitting inside the train-station on the floor. I was lucky that when I arrived it wasn’t raining and it was relatively warm outside. I needed to use the toilet after hours of travellig and as everything was closed the toilets were locked as well. Luckily there was a kind man at the train station who opened the toilet there for me. It is disgraceful. Some travellers don’t live in London or in the area and travel long hours so they can get their flight and instead find the airport locked so they cannot use basic facilities like the toilets. Next time I am travelling I will definitely use a different airport and company for my travel. I know that staff were just following the rules established from higher up. In general the airport is clean and staff helpful. However I wouldn’t recommend this airport to anybody or tell them to use it only in daylight.

✅ Trip Verified | Amazing small cosy airport, staff are very helpful and aware if you’re lost in the terminal, food is amazing in departures, might have had a bit too much of it though. But all together everything is amazing.

✅ Trip Verified | This is a lovely local airport however the only criticism is the state of the Ladies toilets. When I used them yesterday (17.00hrs) they were absolutely filthy - no soap and disgusting toilets. I don't know why they cannot keep the toilets clean - other major airports with far more passengers are able to do so - absolutely disgusting!

✅ Trip Verified | Avoid like plague. Their lack of management caused lots of people to miss their flights on the 6th March 2019. Luggage checked in and accepted about 1h before departure (after a long queue). Joined another terrible queue for passport control, where no staff or managers were present to check or help those with immediate flights. Fast lane was opened next to this queue, empty, with member of staff onlooking and not having the initiative to ask for help. We approached a member of staff to ask if we should be moved through fast lane, as flight was soon departing: reply was all will be OK, no worries, they will wait for you! Zero announcements in the airport, no warnings whatsoever. At passport control, an alert for imminent flight departure flashed on screen. To no avail, same result, another member of staff just asked us to wait in queue at security. After security check (the third queue) was eventually passed, we arrived at the gate, only to be told by a junior manager that we are now denied boarding and that the pilot decided to unload luggages for all those caught in their queue. 20-30 people affected. We were all made to wait 45 min to get luggages back (plane was late to do this, instead accepting people arriving there because of the ground staff inability to do their jobs properly). A couple of hours extra followed, to get explanations and pathetic excuses. No alternative flights offered, the only junior manager present totally overwhelmed by the situation (video available). I will never set foot in this place again and ask you to consider very careful when choosing this airport. Their complaints service even asked people to use their insurance to get money back (have it in writing), no apology or accepting any fault on their part even if they caused a few holidays cancelled etc. (heard a couple next to us who missed their connection to Dubai and the entire holiday). Absolutely horrific place and service, stay away, just choose a proper airport.

✅ Trip Verified | It's a nice small airport. Security was quick and through and I was in the departure gate in no time. Shopping and dining is very limited. One pub. A small coffee shop, one small electrical shop, and about 2 small places to eat. It's very manageable distance wise to the gates. The only issue is if you're coming from London it's a long way away and coaches from central London don't exist like to Luton if you're flying early in the morning. It's either driving, expensive taxi fare from London or booking a room for the night in Southend-on Sea which is what I did in order not to miss my flight.

Not Verified | Thought I would give this airport a try after seeing a silly price ticket on sale. The flight was booked for a 6:30 departure but the first issue is that there is no public transport to catch an early flight so I had to take an expensive taxi. The second issue is that this allegedly underused airport could not cope with 4 departures that were due to leave at the same time, It took 45 minutes to pass through what must be described as the most inefficient screening process of any UK airport as the queue extended almost outside the small terminal. Once airside there are next to no shops on almost no food outlets so the queues to eat meant we did not have time for breakfast. Sorry Southend, you are a small airport with big airport queues and no trains when I needed a train so I won't be coming back.

Not Verified | Awful experience. Boarded a flight to Dublin with Stobart Air on Mar. 12. Ground staff pre boarded us all outside in the freezing cold and rain for 20 minutes. No thought to hold us in the terminal. All soaking wet, cold and furious. Worst service ever.

✅ Trip Verified | It’s a great airport, in any very quick, passport control is a breeze, and security quick and efficient. Three to four cafe coffee shops. Giraffe, Costa etc... The only downside is the Moneycorp excanhge rip off, I’m surprised the airport allows it. A 35% spread on the Euro sell at 1.3871, buy at 0.9311 is criminal! But people just don’t know! They then have the nerve to advertise “don’t get stung by credit charges”!