 Poster: A snowHead
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In it now - off for a few days to Nice/Alpes Maritimes.
Seen some shockers at Stansted etc but THIS takes the biscuit. Massive queue to even get into the massive security queue.
Must be great in high season.
Add in £3 to be dropped off at the terminal (didn't need to use it), £2 for a trolley (didn't get one) and God knows how much (10 quid wouldn't surprise me) to jump the security queue from Hell and you can see they're pulling out all the stops to really enhance the passenger experience...Well done LTN!
Disgraceful set up. Never flown from here for years - flights will have to be 5 quid return before I'd consider it again.
Angry Flyer of Luton. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Luton is AWFUL. Even though I live really close I’d rather travel to Heathrow if if means I can avoid all of the horror you mention.
The £3 drop off particularly irks me, especially when they keep changing the road layout. The confusion and the congestion means that the simplest drop off takes so long you’re dangerously close to going over the time limit and being charged a tenner!
It’s not even the cost that bothers me per se; it’s that it feels like they have actively brainstormed every possible way to fleece a captive audience. Hate it!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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In the summer months the traffic is so bad i have to get out before the holiday inn roundabout and walk or i would never get to security . On the bright side it saves the drop off charge.
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I flew extensively out of Luton in 2005 every other week for 7 months when I was working abroad, and it was a user hostile experience even then. My pet hate then was the separate queues at each check-in desk, rather than the massively more effective cattle grid, as you had to gamble on which desk had the unsupervised trainee operator, and which queue contained family from hell. Also, as mentioned above every other aspect of the operation seemed to be set up by a sadist determined to make people suffer.
Needless to say I haven’t been back since.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Make Gatwick (our local) look positively first world!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Like the poster above, I live less than 30 mins away from Luton, but we now will actively look for flights from other airports even if it means a drive and potentially an overnight in a hotel.
hateful place
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I can only assume something has gone wrong somewhere. Luton isn't brilliant although it's better than it was a year or so ago but I quite regularly fly out Thursday evening (about 7-ish, so far from a quiet time) and it's always tolerable. Rarely takes me more than 5 minutes to get through security.
However I also use LGW just as regularly and it's a far, far better experience. Luton feels like airports did over 20 years ago to be frank. It's more like a crappy old bus station really
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| dsoutar wrote: |
| It's more like a crappy old bus station really |
Its got one of those too. A complete pain to get to unless you drive. One to avoid if you can.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I live close to Luton and id rather endure the confusion and the rinsing there than spend money and time travelling all the way to the other side of London.
I don't think the Gatwick experience is all that great, and compared to Salzburg or Chambery, Luton is a dream.
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I fly Luton Geneva regular in the summer leaving on Thursday evenings and have never had an issue with queuing.
However the £3 charge and £10 penalty is particularly awful. The whole think reeks of how much they can just chip out of their customers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ive always thought they do it deliberate in an attempt to get you to pay for fast track
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
Massive queue to even get into the massive security queue.
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I'm sure that'a not really the norm. I've always preferred Luton over Gatwick and Stanstead and never had a real problem with Luton Security even though it does sometimes take a while to get through.
They do say though, that the best test of customer service is what happens when things go wrong. Sounds to me like Luton has lots of room for improvement.
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The 6-8am period is a very busy time i have flown later in the day and it has been quite quiet!
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You know it makes sense.
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Once flew out of Luton in about 2004 and made it onto the plane without once getting my passport out of my back pocket.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Hi @TomE, .... But were you flying to Aberdeen?
Luton can be an absolute pain, agreed, but so can Stansted
Tip:
Don't go to the drop off .. you have to pay your money and possibly get find because the queue to get out is too long.
Go to the mid stay drop off point
51.875627, -0.378170
https://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/want-to-drop-off-for-free
There is a free shuttle bus taking you to "Bay B" at about 50 meters from the entrance to the check in rather than have to drag your kit about 400 meters from the drop off point.
The buses seem to run about every 12 mins, but its much handier than the scrum at the official drop off.
If you are being picked up get your chauffeur to pick you up there as well, you can call them to go there when you are on the bus.
I'd advise them to hold back and wait for your call at :
Percival Way
51.882177, -0.379933
Its a very quite spot place on the weekends.
The only confusing part is know where the buses go from ... I'd stand at bus shelter (I think its marked "D" On Google its marked "A") at
51.875761, -0.377546
I'm going to be using Gatwick more often now as we will have a direct Thameslink Service from Cambridge via St Pancras every hour (except Sundays)
Its not running reliably yet as they have not trained the driver for the route.
I don't know why they don't give them "Sat Navs"
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sounds like I am not alone in finding LTN to be a pain. Glad to hear others have had more positive experiences.
According to the display screen, the security queue waiting time was 16 mins - but it took us just under 40 mins from where we joined the queue outside in the main terminal...
Then delayed 30 mins on take off; and waited 45 mins at Nice airport in the Avis car hire queue.
All a bit trying but finally got away from Nice airport - and it was sunny/24C this pm on the French Riviera. (Heavy rain forecast all day tomorrow though....  )
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Luton's not alone.
Manchester security imho is often a pita. Rarely, if ever, less than 30 mins. Only quick if you get there *just* as they open the 2nd security area. Usually it's queue to join the queue. Sometimes it's queue to join the zigzag serpentine queue to join the queue to be directed to join the individual queues for each scanner, with typically 3-4 scanners out of 12-13 running. One of which is mostly reserved for those with business ticket or that paid the tenner to jump 3 of the queues.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Meh. By strange coincidence was reading this thread just as we were heading for Luton Airport. We were just back in UK for 3 nights and it offered the cheapest Easyjet flights out of GVA to a SE airport. Can't say the security wait was any worse than we've experienced elsewhere. Pretty skanky airport and amazingly little in the way of seating in the departure area. Must say that the Holiday Inn nearby was good value, clean and comfy with free breakfast even at 4.30am (maybe that's why we were lucky with the crowds!).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Luton is too small for the number of passengers that they currently have let alone for their projected figures over the next few years. It's used by budget airlines with budget fares so you get what you pay for...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Another Luton ‘local’, I don’t like the place either. I’ve known lots who have missed their flights due to the traffic getting up the hill (it’s better than it was a couple of years ago). I find Gatwick even more annoying though.
I much prefer the hour to drive to Birmingham airport or Stansted. We’ve even done the three hour drive to Leeds/Bradford and Manchester in preference to Gatwick.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Luton used to be really terrible rarely less than 30 minutes for security. Lately I thought it was getting better. Mind you there is insufficient seating area once you do get airside. I think it would be much better if they got rid of a loadof the shops and converted them to seating.
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| DrLawn wrote: |
Hi @TomE, .... But were you flying to Aberdeen?
Luton can be an absolute pain, agreed, but so can Stansted
Tip:
Don't go to the drop off .. you have to pay your money and possibly get find because the queue to get out is too long.
Go to the mid stay drop off point
51.875627, -0.378170
https://www.london-luton.co.uk/to-and-from-lla/want-to-drop-off-for-free
There is a free shuttle bus taking you to "Bay B" at about 50 meters from the entrance to the check in rather than have to drag your kit about 400 meters from the drop off point.
The buses seem to run about every 12 mins, but its much handier than the scrum at the official drop off.
If you are being picked up get your chauffeur to pick you up there as well, you can call them to go there when you are on the bus.
I'd advise them to hold back and wait for your call at :
Percival Way
51.882177, -0.379933
Its a very quite spot place on the weekends.
The only confusing part is know where the buses go from ... I'd stand at bus shelter (I think its marked "D" On Google its marked "A") at
51.875761, -0.377546
I'm going to be using Gatwick more often now as we will have a direct Thameslink Service from Cambridge via St Pancras every hour (except Sundays)
Its not running reliably yet as they have not trained the driver for the route.
I don't know why they don't give them "Sat Navs" |
From memory that trip was Cologne so definitely one where a passport would typically be used!
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