Lovely little airport! (East Midlands Airport)

Member Name: vickitoria10

Product:	East Midlands Airport
Date:	14/09/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Location for us, everything you need, quite a few low coast carriers now use it too!

Disadvantages: Airport prices (that's not really specific to this airport though!) and shuttle car parks!

East Midlands Airport is probably my closest airport and I have used it many times. When I'm searching for a holiday it is usually my first choice airport due to its location and also its size. It is not a big airport by any means, but it's not a bad size for a local airport - I have flown from Humberside Airport before - now that's a small airport!!

East Midlands has now gone like most UK airports, in that there is very little to do before you go through security, there is a coffee shop and that's about it, there are a few more shops in the arrivals hall, for people picking up essentials once they've landed but this is very limited. All this is designed so that people go straight through security and are ready for their flight should there be any delays through security, which as many people will know, the queues are much greater since they introduced the liquid restrictions.

Also in line with other UK airports, the little plastic bags you need are now in vending machines which you have to pay for, I picked up a stash when going through Amsterdam Airport once I realised UK airports had started charging for them - if you remember pick up some before you go from the local shop - it just needs to be re-sealable and the right size! Saves you having to buy one at the airport - I think it was £1.50 for 2!

Once you are through security you will see the usual airport shops - WHSmiths, Boots, Duty free shops etc There is also a self service restaurant - which is very useful - when waiting for a flight I'm not keen on going somewhere where you have to order food and it is then brought to you - what if your flight is called early!? They serve food throughout the day and serve most things that you would need, sandwiches, snacks, drinks, main meals, breakfasts etc - these are all at airport prives so a good breakfast will set you back about £5.99 for 1 of everything of about £7.99 if you want the works! A bit pricey but expected in an airport - I can't go on an early morning flight without my airport breakfast, it's now become a ritual!

There are plenty of seats and a bar area and views of all the planes, although this is at ground level. If you go upstairs there's another bar, a small Burger King and Pizza Hut takeaway - you do have a better view up here but seating is limited and there is definitely more going on downstairs!

You will find the gates all the way along and also there are a few the opposite side of the Duty free shop. The gates are quite close to the walkway through the terminal and you will find when people start queuing - especially for the low cost carriers without designated seats that the queues can start to cause an obstruction. We just tend to go sit away from any queues that start to form - they do try and use the gates that are further away and less likely to cause an obstruction for the low cost flights but this is not always possible!

Parking - recently we have used Prestige parking or the airports own car parks that are within walking distance of the terminal, we have previously used the cheaper long stay car parks that are a shuttle bus away but on arriving back from Amsterdam a couple of years ago had a rather bad experience. We just managed to hit a driver shift change and ended up waiting 45minutes for a shuttle bus at 10.30pm at night - not ideal - it had already been a long day and we just wanted to get home. So now we pay the extra and park nearer the terminal! We have never had this problem at other airports and it may have been a one off but we felt it was something that shouldn't happen - there was more than a bus load of people waiting when one eventually turned up and some were left waiting for another bus - some even got a taxi from the airport to take them to the car park they were so fed up!

Overall, I find that EMA is an perfectly good local airport, I flew from Gatwick in the summer and although it was on a much larger scale I much prefer the range of shops and food available in East Midlands - yes there aren't as many but it has everything you need. For most European holidays and a couple of long haul destinations if the flight times and prices were right it'd be my first choice every time!

Summary: Excellent local airport with a good variety of destinations.