Manchester Airport

As airports go Manchester is not going to win any prizes. Last week passing through security we were reprimanded by a somewhat aggressive security agent for having too many items in our bag of liquids, exclaimed he never saw so many. (what exactly is the number of tiny tubes that you can carry on?) then he reprimanded us for not putting Chapstick, lipstick and stick deodorant in with the liquids, that’s a first for me and I travel a fair amount. The scolding included using a large size zip lock, he then handed us a flimsy sandwich size zip lock bag saying that was the only allowed size. Do you feel safer knowing that my stick deodorant will now be in a sandwich bag rather than in my case?
On the way home to the US through Manchester, just before boarding I was pulled aside at the gate by a young woman wearing one of those neon vests (security?). She asked the reason for our stay, what I did for work, what hobbies did I have, whether it rained during our stay (we were in the UK that is a stupid question, of course it rained). My husbad was also questioned by a different agent. She was pleasant enough, but it was weird, and have no idea how those specific questions would raise a red flag that I was a threat. When I asked why we were questioned she cheerfully said that we did not have stickers on our boarding passes.
In addition there are flights of stairs everywhere, with elevators posted ‘to be operated by staff only’. Compared to most major airports MAN is at the bottom of my list.

Where do I begin? The actual airport itself is good, lots of restaurants and shops, but the grief it takes to get there is totally unnecessary! It took nearly 2 hours to get through the security line with no apparent reason why. Lots of standing around with many looks of confusion. The security agent looked through my bag (and many others) without any obvious reason and no reason given. I have no problem with my bag being searched, but I got the feeling the agent was looking through bags just go through my stuff. Again, I understand and have no problem with security as I travel a lot, but at least have a reason for going through every single item in my bag!

Manchester airport is packed with an array of shops that you can spend hours in which is good of you have a long wait for a flight. It’s been hit and miss a few times when it comes to security processes as sometimes depending on the time of year and day the queues can be very long however they are quick and efficient at moving and they have what seems to be an endless array of security belts to go through.
It’s well linked to local transport with a train station attached and links to metro station as well. Nice comfy seats in departures that you aren’t sitting on top of each other.
It really is what a main airport in a big city should be

Manchester airport is LARGE. From the free wifi to the selections of resturants, you’ll have your choices to see and do.
Be prepared to walk to your gate! There are a lot of folks queuing up to get to their gates but no place to go, so they’re creating an obstacle wall to get through.
over all, it’s a great place to visit when you have to transfer.

Manchester International Airport is a splendid airport. Three terminals, two runways, fantastic staff, excellent connectivity to the city via road, rail, tram and bus services, major international operators, direct flights to around 200 destinations world wide and the ability to transport you to most corners of our roundish world with just one stopover make it an excellent airport from an airport point of view.
The duty free section isn’t too bad either but, more often than not, I am flying home to India (with a stopover usually in DXB or AUH) or to mainland Europe. So, the duty free options here don’t make much sense to me. The abundance of cafes and bars is in line with what is expected of a major airport these days.
The beauty of our airport, for me, is that it’s not so small that its worth is limited to holiday makers looking for sunshine in paradise, nor is it so big that the human factor crumbles under rudeness and apathy. It’s the right size, with the right kind of people managing it and has something for everyone.
For me, it is also a matter of joy that I can proudly tell people that the world’s biggest commercial airliner the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747, the most beautiful looking aircraft ever, come to town twice every day! But that’s besides the point.
Oh, and as an added bonus, it has the Concorde on display. Not any other Concorde but BA’s flagship Concorde due to its registration G-​BOAC, with BOAC being the original name for BritishAirways; British Overseas Airways Corporation. How cool is that!

Manchester airport is getting better and better.
I was there twice in 2 weeks. Both times i sailed through security. There seemed more staff than ever. I was asked to remove my coat and shoes and put my liquids in a clear plastic bag. The whole process took about 10 minutes from entering to going through to the departure lounge.
We went straight to the bar and managed to get a table. Drinks are pricy

This airport is laid out a little differently than any others I have used. It is a decent airport in terms of user friendliness. The third busiest airport in the UK, it serviced about 23 million passengers in 2014. There are flights to about 225 destinations and it is used by about 60 airlines give or take. It is an extremely convenient alternative to the London airports when your ultimate destination is the north of the UK. There are, of course, flights to multiple destinations in Europe and the Middle East. There are flights to a handful of North American destinations while Asian routes include Hong Kong, Islamabad and Singapore. Shortly, Beijing will also join the list.
There are three terminals. There does not seem to be a rationale to which airlines are located in which Terminal. T1 is the largest while T3 is the newest. I have only used these two and never been in T2. T1 underwent an overhaul in 2009. It actually has a newer look than T3, which was opened in 1989, apparently primarily for British Airways though the latter only offers frequent shuttles to Heathrow for connections nowadays (BA does have a couple of regional flights operated by a partner). Getting between terminals is actually easier and quicker than in most larger airports. The signage is good, which is necessary because the layout is a little funky.
T1 is my preferred terminal between it and T3 as the modern look post-​security is striking and quite nice. The check-​in areas for both T1 and T3 are generally efficient and both are reasonably spacious for the number of passengers. The security in both is generally well managed and the baggage claim also is decently timely in its operation from what I have seen. The security is particularly large and reasonably efficient in T1. It has been well staffed each time I have used it. T3 has a bit of a cramped feeling outside of baggage claim. I have only used passport control in T3 and it has been quite easy and efficient each of the two times I have had occasion to pass through.
Approach to the airport by car is not as facile as it should be. Dropoff at T1, in particular, is not that easy to figure out as it is a rather isolated area that is actually in the garage. It is not obvious when trying to find it from the outside on foot. The T3 pickup and dropoff area is easier to find but more difficult to navigate as it is very small for the number of vehicles that are using it. Getting taxis is not a problem and there are a handful of hotel shuttles that offer transportation to and from their properties.
The amenities in this airport are quite adequate. Pre-​security, there is a pretty decent area for coffee and small bites outside baggage claim in T3. I particularly like Joe’s Kitchen and Coffee House. The restaurants and shops inside security at T3 are also relatively impressive. There is a Starbucks and couple of restaurants available. I recommend Balzar Mediterranean Restaurant if you want a full dinner before you fly. The Soho Coffee that was there unfortunately appears to have closed. The aesthetic appeal of the facility with the shops and restaurants is one of the better I have seen in an airport facility. I have not used any of the airline lounges in the facility.
In general, I find MAN to be a good option when I have had business in «the North». The number of options for flights to and from the airport is quite extensive. The facilities are actually pretty nice, particularly in T1, and the amenities are plentiful. The waiting areas are reasonably comfortable and the services are efficient. It provides a good choice for getting to and from the area.

I’ve been through this airport a few times now and all my experiences here have been good.
My latest experience was really efficient, and I was able to get to my gate a lot faster than I expected. The security process was quite thorough, which although can be a pain, is definitely necessary.
Free Wi-​Fi worked really well, so that’s a huge plus!

Cute little airport, so-​so facilities. Not an ideal place to get stuck. The place is quite efficient, so it is great if you are late or want to go quickly to your gate.

Le type note un aéroport, il est fou. Non, je vais parler du repas que j’y ai eu (il est quand même cric cric, complètement disjoncté). Passons la nourriture (typiquement anglaise, typiquement infecte) pour parler des bières. Contrairement à d’autres (Zaventem, je te vise), l’aéroport a conclu des partenariats avec les brasseries artisanales locales. Une carte explicative sur l’historique et sur le type de bière proposé, des bonnes pintes comme j’aime et de quoi tuer le temps tout simplement!

Thankfully they offer free WIFI albeit for just 1 hour (?), so when you accept make sure you set your count down clock since the customs line took just about that time to get through!
Inside the ticketing/​baggage area, it reminded me of a James Bond movie as the entire scenery made me feel like i was 007 himself. Cool steel frames & glass surround you, with monitone grey & white color tones throughout the airport. Very modern chic feel to this airport!

Bin von Terminal 3 losgelflogen.
Kein besonderer Fluhhafen, nicht sehr übersichtlich, viel Betrieb, relativ schmutzig.

Very efficient airport. Not a far walk from terminal to customs, but very long international customs line, took over and hour to make it through the line. Very courteous staff. International terminal is massive and great options for food or shopping. We really enjoyed the arcade spending our last few coins before we hopped on the plane back to the states.

Airport is huge and to tell you honestly I was so excited to arrive here to attend a festival in Billingham.
And this is also the place were our group took off to go back to home. The only issue is that our bus driver had hard time to find were he can drop us off. I guess putting more sign for bus driver were they can drop a group.
Other than that the staff were all smile while helping our group of 24 checking in to there flight!

I’m lucky enough for Manchester to be my local airport, and in nearly 20 years of travelling through this airport I’ve never experienced excessive delays or problems. Yes going through security often takes a while, but it’s still a lot quicker than Heathrow in my experience.
Once I’ve checked my bags and gone through security I can quickly navigate my way through duty free and get to the lounge area. One of the main things I love about Manchester is that there always seem to be enough seats. Several other airports I’ve visited are severely lacking in this aspect, often with no seats near to the gates.
Pro-​tip, although you can’t take a full water bottle through security you can take an empty one. I usually buy at least a coffee air side, and most of the food outlets will either fill your bottle for you or you can decant a glass of tap water.
Having tried the Escape Lounges I wasn’t that fussed, the seating wasn’t especially comfortable and about 50% of the people in the lounge were solely in there to drink their body weight in alcohol. Not what you want at 8am before a long-​haul flight!
Getting to and from the airport is a doddle with trains and trams every 10−15mins to Manchester city centre and beyond. Plus regular bus and coach services, all of which are connected to the main terminal buildings via covered walkways, essential on rainy days.

It looks like an old and dated airport, there is nothing much to do apart from drinking at the pub and wait patiently before boarding. The duty frees are very limited and there is not much shop around. Immigration controls always ask me when I am leaving even before entering the country and not even a nice welcome after the mini interrogation. You have to pay for trolleys in this day and age? They havin a laugh.

Ohhh Manchester Airport. You are fine, but you are not great.
I was flying out on Easyjet, and took the train in from Liverpool via Manchester Piccadilly. The train station was a bit of a hike from the check-​in area, but not too bad. However, give yourself plenty of time if you have any mobility issues.
I had fast track security which was still slow, but the lines for «regular» security were even worse. The security folks were, I will say, very friendly.
There are a few food choices but not many. You can get one hour of free WiFi, but after that you have to pay either by the hour, in a three-​hour block (which I did because my flight was four hours delayed), or for a day. However, it can be difficult to get a signal in some places.
Parts of the airport are unusually and inexplicably cold. For seemingly no reason. It was quite odd and fairly uncomfortable.
Having to kill about 5 – 6 hours in the end was not very fun at MAN. There really isn’t much to do, and finding a good WiFi spot can be tough if you need to be anywhere near your gate.
MAN is an okay airport, but really not a great place to kill any amount of time beyond the minimum.

I flew via Ryanair here from Belgium (and back of course). Security is a pain in the ass, but at least the security guys were friendly pains. The airport is clean, there are places to eat and drink and so-​called duty free things to buy.
The worst thing is that when you arrive and if you’re taking the train into Manchester, it is a bit of a walk, especially with heavy luggage. Worst thing after that worst thing is that the train to Manchester is a bus! Hopefully they’ll sort that soon and of course, it isn’t the fault of the airport.

I fly to Manchester every few years, I come from San Diego CA and unfortunately the direct flight I get goes into Heathrow so I literally collect bags and get picked up here.
On the way back home I do get a little time in the MAN airport. You’re able to easily get dropped off at departures, there’s plenty of signs telling you where to go, check-​in is quick, the security check goes by quick and overall everyone is helpful.
Bathrooms are clean, there’s a costa where I had a delicious coffee from today. There’s a few bars with table service for food and plenty of convenient stores to grab a magazine and a snack for your flight.

According to the many signs I saw on the wall, Manchester Airport won some sort of award in 2010… Now 2010 is 5 years ago and I really do struggle to see why. Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly serviceable… We got to the Airport, caught our plane and jetted off with limited issues, I just don’t think it’s maybe as good as some of the other airports I’ve flown from.
We stayed at an Airport hotel in Altringham (as we had to be at the airport for around 5am) and cabbed down in the morning. There are plentiful hotels to choose from around it and they all offer fairly reasonable rates as a place to lay your head down and catch a shower before an early morning flight. We got dropped off at Terminal 1 around 5am and prepared ourselves to fly…
First thing — bag drop. We had checked in online with Easyjet, so we figured that it would be in and out. How wrong we were… This could be down to the airline and not the airport, but several flights were all being routed through 5 check in desks (and clearly Tuesday 30^th December at 5am is a popular time) as we had quite a wait. Still, we got through bag drop and made our way to security.
Security was fine for us, pleasant even. We got greeted by a lovely lady who advised us to «pop our coats off» and we were through within 5 minutes. Some of our number got caught with a very unpleasant member of security personnel and had a bit of a wait, so that took a little of the shine off the experience.
The duty free shop was… again… fine. As we were flying to Iceland, we were pre warned to take booze with us (as it’s expensive on the other end). The staff were helpful and cheery enough and (as you can imagine) the booze was pretty cheap (we picked up a litre of whisky and a litre of vodka for £20).
The real issue was the food offerings. No Pret (WHAT?!), hardly any fast food choice and one giant Wetherspoons. The Wetherspoons was where we ended up, but the staff were rather brusque and we ended up in a bit of bother as we didn’t know if we would get our food in time for boarding.
The gates were labelled as 10 minutes walk away, but this was more like 5. The toilets were pretty gross (even early in the morning), but their was a smoking area (which I didn’t get time to try). We did end up catching our flight, but it was all a bit hurried as we had to wolf down our food and run to them (despite then waiting in a boarding queue for over 10 minutes).
On our return journey, we were quite confused by the layout. We were told to wait on level 5 (where we were dropped off) for our cab, but seemed to go up from level 7 in the lifts to get there. How does that make any sense?! If you are arranging a pre-​booked cab to get picked up, definately confirm where you have to be before you go tromping off to find your cab. It’s worth noting that our baggage came quickly and without any issue (and there are toilets by the baggage claim area — so if you’re busting after the journey — you can go whilst you are waiting).
Would I fly from Manchester again? Yeah… I think these days the airports I use are rather dictated by where I’m flying over choice of airport. However, this is not (in my opinion) the best airport to fly from as the food and drink choices are pretty limited and the layout can be a little confusing.

Busy busy place with lots of duty free shopps and nice bar, great place to chill down before fly.

We are very lucky to have such a major airport on our doorstep. Manchester Airport has 3 terminals and with such a huge variety of airlines flying from them you are easily able to get to Europe, Asia, North and South America and Africa.
On a recent trip I travelled from terminal 3 which mainly serves domestic and BA flights. The terminal is small but it has definitely improved since my last visit and there are more than an adequate amount of shops and cafes.
Amazingly I got through security with relative ease and without the usual queues that you often find yourself in there. Unfortunately the same can’t be said when I landed at Heathrow to catch my next flight.

Sehr unfreundliches Personal bei BA, und die Taxfree preise für z. B Okleybrillen ligen 40 € über dem freien Markt !!!
Die Sandwichpreise sind ok

Eine der gelungeneren Flughäfen dieser Welt. Nach einem stressigen Tag zwischen Köln, London, Nottingham und Leeds kehrte abends am Manchester Airport erstmalig Ruhe ein. Der Lufthansa-​CheckIn war problemlos und nett, allerdings hätte er fast meinen Koffer schon wieder in die Heimat durchgeroutet, was aber noch nicht sein durfte. Zugeschaut und mitgebaut falscher Anhänger ich will nach Hamburg und nicht nach Köln. fuchtelnddenzeigefingerheb. Der Security Check ist wirklich der Hammer: Nach 15 Minuten Wartezeit alles aus den Koffern packen, durch eine ominöse Ganzkörpersicherheitsschleuse und dann wieder alles zusammengebaut. Die Wartezeit danach war noch lang, aber es gibt einen netten Wartebereich nachdem man durch den unvermeidlichen Duty-​Free-​Bereich durch ist das ist schon irgendwie aufoktruierter Konsum (ein sogenannter buying-​tunnel). Danach kann man sich die verbleibende Zeit mit sitzen, sitzen oder auch herumsitzen vertreiben. Aber man kann auch einfach nur herumsitzen. Oder daddeln, komischerweise gibt es jede Menge Daddelautomaten. Oder man gibt upstairs in Bars und Restaurants Geld aus und bekommt für viel wenig. 30 Minuten WiFi gibt es for free, funktionierte aber nur auf meinen private devices und kein VPN. Die Gates an den Flugzeugen sind in einem etwas beengten Bereich oder auch Zustand. Und trotzdem ist MAN sonst eine der besseren Flughafenerfahrungen.

Auf der Skala der schlechtesten Flughäfen () die ich kenne) steht Manchester bei mir ganz weit oben. Katastrophale Ausschilderung, fürchterliche unübersichtliche 70 Jahre Beton Architektur der insgesamt 3 Terminals, lange Wege zum Rent a Car per Bus. Irgendwie krieg ich in den Gebäuden immer Platzangst und Bekelmmungen. In Terminal 1 ist im Innenbereich aufgehübscht worden, alles maximal dem internationalen Mindeststandard an Shops und Gastro entsprechend. Habe selten so schlecht gegessen an einem Aiprort doch vor 15 Jahren in Sofia. Dazu abgenutzte und schmuddelige Sitze im öffentlichen Warte Bereich, leider auch die Vielflieger Lounge nicht besser möbliert und kulinarisch eine Blamage. Dazu wirklich ärgerlich, dass die Abfluganzeige nicht korrekt funktioniert und man ohne vorherige Ankündigung zum final and last call an das bis vor 10 Minuten unbekannte Gate gerufen wird. Da sollen die Passagiere wohl lange im Shop und Gastro Bereich gehalten werden. So schön die Gegend um Manchester ist und so wichtig die Kunden die ich dort habe — läuft mir immer ein Angstschauer über den Rücken wenn ich über Manchester Airport fliege.

Der Airport von Manchester ist eher durchschnittlich. Optisch ohne Besonderheiten, erfüllt er seinen Zweck. Wartezeiten bei der Ein– und auch Ausreise muss man einkalkulieren.
Die Shoppingarea ist für die größe des Flughafens gut. Es gibt alles, was es auch auf den größeren gibt.
Nur beim Abflug kam man sich etwas vor wie bei einer Zwangsaussiedelung.
Dee Gates für die kleinen Regionalmaschinen ist sehr klein und vom Gang her super schmal gebaut, das man sich durch die Wartendenen durschieben muss, um zum Gate zukommen. Dort angekommen stapeln sich die Menschen vor dem Schalter, in der Hoffnung das es bald losgeht.
Da die Engländer ja begeisterte Schlangesteher sind, muss man Diskussionen einplanen, wenn man als Deutscher nicht der britischen Schlangesteh-​Mentalität entspricht. Irgendwie schon lustig! :)

Ich kenne jetzt nur Terminal 1, aber das ist O.K. Klar, 70er Jahre Airport bischen aufgehübscht und an einigen Stellen noch original. Kurze Wege, schnelle Abfertigung. Ich bin das erste mal durch eine vollautomatische /​elektronische Passkontrolle gegangen (Ja, die Engländer trauen auch EU-​Bürgern nicht). Hat auf Anhieb funktioniert, sehr schnell und komfortabel. Shops waren gut, die Lounge OK, Internet frei. Was will man mehr

Hi Roger, wir sind gestrandet auf diesem Airport. wegen Fllugstreichung nach Heathrow, aber alle sind Super höflich und zuvorkommend, egal ich will nur schnell weg hier, weiter nach London
.

Ich bin mit Lufthansa geflogen und kenne nur den Terminal 1. Dort ist es eng und schäbig. Da atmet noch der Geist der 70er Jahre. Flache Decken, schlechte Luft. Die Shops selbstverständlich entsprechen internationalen Mindeststandards, man will ja schließlich Geld verdienen. Das Pubklikum wird lange im Shoppingbereich gehalten da die Gates spät bekannt gegeben werden. Eine Unsitte im Interesse der shop-​owner. Nett auch der aromatische Duft des Burger King im Shopping Bereich. Die Flucht in die Vielflieger Lounge bringt auch wenig, völlig versiffte, eklige Sessel, das Speisenangebot begrenzt sich auf Kekse und diese fürchterlichen abgepackten Käsestückchen, aber wenigstens gibt es Platz und Fenster. Positiv waren verhältnissmäßig kurze Wege und zügige Abwicklung.
HIER FAHRE ICH NUR FREIWILLIG HIN WENN ENDLICH EINTRACHT FRANKFURT HIER EIN AUSWÄRTSSPIEL IN DER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AUSTRÄGT.

Improvable the airports structure seems pretty old and the attempts to modernize have not completely succeeded. In gerneral acceptable, especially the food court is good

Mein erster Flug ganz alleine ging vor 4 Wochen nach Manchester. Ich war sehr aufgeregt, dachte ich doch, ich würde mich nicht zurechtfinden, mein Gepäck würde verloren gehen oder oder oder. Als ich dann in T3 gelandet bin, ging alles ganz schnell: Passkontrolle, Treppe runter, das Kofferkarussell war direkt am Fuß der Treppe, und meine Tasche kam sofort. 2 Minutes später war ich draußen, und fand das ganz schön klasse, das alles so reibungslos ging. Dann ein ziemlich langer Fußmarsch, bis ich auch schon an irgendeinem Bahnhof war. Ich hab keine Ahnung, wo der Flughafen aufhörte und der Bahnhof anfing, macht aber nix, ich hatte es geschafft!
Beim Rückflug war alles ganz ähnlich, ich finde den Flughafen relativ übersichtlich, Check-​In, Sicherheitschecks etc gingen schnell über die Bühne. Noch kurz shoppen, dann sollte es zum Gate gehen DACHTE ICH. Stattdessen sammeln sich alle in der Lounge und starren auf einen Monitor, bis so 15 Minuten vor dem Boarding die Gate-​Mummer erscheint. Gewöhnungsbedürftigund ichhatte ein wenig Panik, dass der Weg zum Gate in etwa so lange dauern würde wie in Hamburg (mein Heimatflughafen), doch binnen 2 Minuten war ich am Gate und alles war gut.

T3 ist ganz schön voll…
Sonst ok.

Ok. Nichts ist besonders erwähnenswert.

Ein sehr schöner flughafen. Die infrastruktur könnte für diese grösse besser sein.

Ich persönlich mag den Flughafen nicht so sehr weil ich ihn irgendwie beklemmend finde. Im T1 ist, Angefangen bei der Ankunft bis zur Sicherheitskontrolle der Departures ist fast jeder Raum etwa so hoch wie ein normaler Altbau oder sogar normale Raumhöhe und meist klein und kurz und windet sich um tausend Ecken was in mir etwas beklemmendes hervorruft. Als Beispiel ist die Check-​in Halle ein enger Schlauch ohne Fenster, von dem die Hälfte wie es scheint keine Verwendung findet und der Lufthansa Check-​in beispielsweise befindet sich in einem noch kleineren und engeren Schlauch ohne Fenster parallel dazu, zu dem man durch 2 unscheinbare Doppeltüren kommt.
Hat man sich allerdings einmal durch das alles durchgearbeitet und hat endlich den Security check hinter sich wird man systematisch durch diverse Geschäfte geschleust durch die man gehen um an sein Gate zu gelangen. Erst nach dem ersten Duty free Shop durch den man wie bei einer Kaffeefahrt geschleust wird kommt man in eine angenehm großzügig wirkende Halle mit verschiedenen kleinen Geschäften (Boots, WHSmith, Elektrokram etc.) un