MAN Airport (Manchester Airport (MAN))

Member Name: hunnybabyuk

Product:	Manchester Airport (MAN)
Date:	19/07/09 (99 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Transport Connections, Choice Of Flights & Airlines

Disadvantages: None

Manchester International Airport, with airport code MAN, is located outside Manchester City Centre near the town of Wythemshawe.

Manchester Airport is owned by the Manchester Airport Group who own not only Manchester Airport but also Nottingham East Midlands, Humberside & Bournemouth Airports too.

Manchester Airport has over 200 destinations worldwide ran direct by over 100 airlines from domestic flights to London and Scotland, European flights to places like France, Spain & Greece and worldwide flights to places like Dubai and USA. Carring 22 million passengers a year using a staff amount of 19,000

The airport is very easilly accessable from all over not just Manchester but the whole region and the rest of the UK. The airport has it's own bus, coach and train stations which connect into the airport terminal building. Buses run 24 hours a day on some routes ran by Stagecoach, Arriva and First to most of Manchester and the outer areas, route 43 ran by Stagecoach runs via Wythemshawe to Manchester Picadilly City Centre 24 hours a day (excluding xmas and new year). Coaches ran by National Express connect the airport to the whole of UK with direct coaches running from the airport to Scotland, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, London, Blackpool, Wales, Liverpool and Yorkshire to name just a few. The train station has recently been refurbished and now has a third platform meaning more trains can stop there, the station is located next to the bus/coach station and has direct trains to all over the North West, Scarborough, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Newcastle & Glasgow/Edinburgh. Trains take just 12 minutes approximately to get to Manchester Picadilly station where you can connect onto trains to the whole of the UK including the West Coast Mainline where Virgin Trains run to Birmingham and London Euston, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Parking is also available with hundreds of spaces available. The Metrolink, the famous Manchester tram network is also currently expanding and is looking to add metro trains to the airport by 2014.

The airport has 3 terminals, Terminal 1/2 and 3. The terminals are linked together by the 'Skylink' a set of moving walkways. Terminals are just moments away from the Transport Interchange using the walkways and screens located nearby tell you which terminal to go to as each airline operates from one of the 3 terminals.

When you get to the terminal your greeted by your airlines sales & information desk or the desk of the handling agent and the checkin counters. Screens tell you which desk to go to for your flight. The screens are new plasma type screens and a very clear to read.

Once you checkin you follow the signs, usually by going up stairs, to get to security. Once you get there theres notices reminding you of prohibited items in your hand luggage including sharp items & liquids over 100ml per container, with bins to dispose of these if you forgot about them, theres then two lanes, one for normal security and one for Fast Track, Manchester Airport have been spending a lot of money on refurbishing the airport, one of the new additions is automatic ticket barriers at security. Originally you would show your boarding pass to a member of staff who would then tell you to proceed to go through security screening but now they have introduced automatic barriers, a bit like those at train stations, you scan the barcode on the machine and the gate opens for you to go through then you go through the normal security search where there obviously still is security staff.

The airport has a fantastic range of shops some of which are new or recently refurbished, including top names WHSmiths, Dixons (part of Currys) & Boots, and a great duty free shop which has also recently been refurbished, infact in terminal 2 you have to walk through it to get to the gates, quite a good idea in terms of making people see it and possibly stop to buy some goods. You can buy your items and collect on your return to which is good if you want to buy a lot.

The terminals have some fantastic eating places which some have also been refurbished or are new, but watch out as you know airport prices are high but stick to the high street bands like Burger King, Greggs, Costa Coffee and Starbucks but they have recently opened new restaurants including The Food Village, Giraffe & out of town favourite Frankie & Benny's. So you have a very wide choice in all 3 terminals so even the fussiest of eaters are catered for.

In the terminal building you have toilets & seating areas everywhere and screens tell you which gate your flights leaving from, the screens are also new plasma lcd style and very clear & easy to read. Huge signs will help direct you around the airport terminal and the gates are clearly sign posted.

Generally all flights leave on fingered gates, meaning you walk directly onto the plane but usually have to walk down steps to get there however there is a lift which can be used for wheelchair and pushchair passengers. Tannoy announcements are made at the boarding gate when your flights boarding by airline or handling agent personnel.

In Arrivals when your flight lands you generally walk off the aircraft straight into the terminal, from there it's usually a flat straight walk to passport control and baggage reclaim, usually along a long coridoor. When you get to the passport control checkpoint, you have two lanes, one for EU passengers and one for passengers who do not have EU passports, obviously anyone from the UK would enter through the EU passengers lane. They have barriers out to control the queues but every single time I have flown into Manchester I walked straight through very quick security both in departures and arrivals I have NEVER waited more than 3 or 4 minutes and I have travelled at busy times so very good indeed.

Once you clear passport control you go through an automated door to see TV screens to get your baggage belt then take the stairs or lift down and your in baggage reclaim from there baggage belts are well sign posted and screens on the belts re-confirm the flight that belt will have bags for and a great thing is the screen also tells you a rough time of when all the bags will of arrived so you can see exactly the most amount of time you'll have to wait for your bags.

Once you've got your bags you go through customs, theres two channels, Green for passengers with nothing to declare and Red if you have to declare items to customs. From then you go outside and into the arrivals hall where you will find a WHSmith and maybe a SPAR or Boots depending on the terminal, courtesy buses will be outside to take you to car parks & airport hotels, theres a wide range of hotels from budget to quality available on or nearby the airport including Hilton, Travelodge & Premier Inn. Sign posts are good here too they will direct you to checkin if you have another flight to catch and also the transport interchange through checkin.

The airport is huge but is very well sign posted for people who don't know there way and has some fantastic transport connections with buses, coaches, cars & trains, it has fantastic facilities and I have never had to queue for security or passport control like at other airports. The airport is clean and the refurbishment is making it fresh and new, which is due to be completed soon with new shops, new security, new screens and new restaurants.

Summary: Great