Flying from LHR instead of MAN

[Grumpy Git]

My daughter is flying to Norway later this month and I'm helping her book the trip. We live In Liverpool.

The cost from Heathrow is about the same as from Manchester when you take the lower airfare into account but add the cost of LNW return from Liverpool to Euston with a travel card. However flying from London does have the disadvantage of making the overall trip about 8-10 hours longer.

Given the current reports of chaos at Manchester Airport, what route would you take?

 

[superalbs]

My daughter is flying to Norway later this month and I'm helping her book the trip.

The cost from Heathrow is about the same as from Manchester when you take the lower airfare into account but add the cost of LNW return from Liverpool to Euston with a travel card. However flying from London does have the disadvantage of making the overall trip about 8-10 hours longer.

Given the current reports of chaos at Manchester Airport, what route would you take?

Honestly, all the media accounts of Manchester Airport makes me want to avoid it, but it's not local to me.

 

[185]

At Manchester, if Ryanair's Torp flight is suitable, it leaves at a time of day where the queues haven't been too bad. We use it a fair bit.

Ideally, Widerøe (B&Q Shed Air) will hopefully relaunch the Bergen Liverpool flight at some point.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Heathrow is a very, very good airport these days provided you don't end up at T4 (which isn't bad, just not as good as the rest of it). But travelling there on the same day by rail from the North is more than a bit of a risk, and a hotel would add significantly to the cost.

 

[Purple Orange]

My daughter is flying to Norway later this month and I'm helping her book the trip. We live In Liverpool.

The cost from Heathrow is about the same as from Manchester when you take the lower airfare into account but add the cost of LNW return from Liverpool to Euston with a travel card. However flying from London does have the disadvantage of making the overall trip about 8-10 hours longer.

Given the current reports of chaos at Manchester Airport, what route would you take?

I’d still fly from MAN because getting the train down Euston, then on to Heathrow can introduce so many more stresses and complications. An 8-10 hour extension to the journey is unlikely to be soaked up by any delay at MAN. The effects currently seem at MAN are also not unique to MAN either. If you Google Heathrow airport, there are plenty of stories of similar situations. The narrative is ”chaos at Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and Dover”.

 

[Starmill]

If you arrive at Manchester Airport say 4 hours before departure time, but that proves insufficient for you to get through the security queue, then your airline will probably be in a position to assist.

If you book rail travel and it runs several hours late causing you to miss your flight, your airline won't care to try to assist you.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Booked SAS from LHR to OSL for a flight departing 15:35, (they have special 'Youth' fares which are incredibly cheap).

Avanti train arrives Euston 11:00, so should be OK!

 

[cactustwirly]

Booked SAS from LHR to OSL for a flight departing 15:35, (they have special 'Youth' fares which are incredibly cheap).

Avanti train arrives Euston 11:00, so should be OK!

Plenty of time.
Guessing the best way is Northern Line to Leicester Square and then Piccadilly to Heathrow.

Should be terminal 2 which is the newest terminal.

A lot of airports in the UK are very bad. Especially Luton and Stansted, Heathrow is night and day compared with those. Gatwick is ok, the only other airport worth using.

 

[thejuggler]

The Manchester issue is not new news. We last used it almost 4 years ago and despite arriving at the on site car park over 3 hours before departure we were then sent to a different car park and had to wait half an hour for a bus.

The security queues were horrendous and we ended up getting to the gate just as they were boarding.

We now avoid it.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Manchester Airport is indeed a very bad joke. I've flown to many European airports over the past 20 years and it is by far and away the worst of the lot.

The 'underground' security area in T1 was a car park when I first used the airport and is an abysmal experience.

People living in the south-east don't know they are born!

 

[Grumpy Git]

Plenty of time.
Guessing the best way is Northern Line to Leicester Square and then Piccadilly to Heathrow.

Should be terminal 2 which is the newest terminal.

A lot of airports in the UK are very bad. Especially Luton and Stansted, Heathrow is night and day compared with those. Gatwick is ok, the only other airport worth using.

I've told her to walk to Euston Square!

 

[Snow1964]

Heathrow isn’t perfect, I have been away for family holiday at half term, got back on Saturday afternoon, and couldn’t even get into the immigration hall at T5. Although there are about 50 passport positions, just 3 were open for UK passport holders.

They had a few people shouting that could use E-gates unless you have children, but being end of half term about 95% of travellers were in family groups so queues just got bigger. (They have since lowered the age for E-gates) but clearly only staff it at less than 10% of installed gates.

 

[Lewlew]

Plenty of time.
Guessing the best way is Northern Line to Leicester Square and then Piccadilly to Heathrow.

Going via Paddington and TfL Rail/Heathrow Express would be my choice.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Plenty of time.
Guessing the best way is Northern Line to Leicester Square and then Piccadilly to Heathrow.

Should be terminal 2 which is the newest terminal.

A lot of airports in the UK are very bad. Especially Luton and Stansted, Heathrow is night and day compared with those. Gatwick is ok, the only other airport worth using.

I am not sure I would say that is plenty of time, as there is very little slack there for a cancellation or needing to go via Brum instead, both of which could add an hour or more. I would aim for 6 hours minimum between arriving at Euston and the flight time. Also arm her with backup options, e.g. make sure she has the means to obtain cash to take a taxi from MK or Watford if she was stuck there.

Heathrow did seem to hit the news today for a similar problem though not as bad, FWIW.

 

[Techniquest]

Going via Paddington and TfL Rail/Heathrow Express would be my choice.

Likewise here. Getting from Euston to Heathrow ASAP is clearly going to be worth the cost for Heathrow Express, I would not hesitate to use Heathrow Express with such a tight timescale!

Given it is highly recommended to allow 3 hours for long haul, 2 hours for short haul, if it is really as bad as people say it is with queues at the airports right now then I would aim to allow 3 hours as a minimum.

I arrived 4 hours before my flight recently, but that was partly because I was awake hours ahead of schedule and just wanted to get to the airport ASAP. Sailed through security, I think from entering the terminal to getting through to the catering part of the terminal was less than 15 minutes. So imagine my surprise when I heard the airports were suffering chaos since then!

Hopefully she has a great flight, I've never flown SAS so no advice there. They seem to have a good reputation though.

As for Manchester Airport, I don't remember any seriously bad experiences there. I last few out of there in the school summer holidays, so check-in was busy but that was to be expected. I think it was generally a decent airport, and actually I just remembered my last flight from there was in March 2019, and it definitely wasn't too bad. Equally, it is nothing exciting compared to the mighty Heathrow

And just like that, I want to go back there ASAP! I'd best get some money together and get some time off booked then eh?

 

[cactustwirly]

I am not sure I would say that is plenty of time, as there is very little slack there for a cancellation or needing to go via Brum instead, both of which could add an hour or more. I would aim for 6 hours minimum between arriving at Euston and the flight time. Also arm her with backup options, e.g. make sure she has the means to obtain cash to take a taxi from MK or Watford if she was stuck there.

Heathrow did seem to hit the news today for a similar problem though not as bad, FWIW.

6 hours is excessive.
Even if you arrive at the airport less than 2 hours before departure that is still ok. They won't board the flight until half an hour before departure anyway.

That was BA and their IT issues. The OP is flying SAS who don't have the same issues

 

[Bletchleyite]

6 hours is excessive.

6 hours is excessive if the train is on time. If the WCML falls to bits, as it has an inconvenient habit of doing, you want a bit of slack if missing the flight is (presumably) not an acceptable outcome.

I'm a master of cutting flights fine for business travel and have only once that I recall missed one. But for general business travel it's not crucial - rebook and stick it on expenses, and my employer would be fine with it as long as it wasn't too often. If you'll lose your holiday if you miss the flight, it becomes more important to have slack there.

Also would be a good idea to see what the OP's insurer says is necessary to constitute a valid claim.

 

[Techniquest]

6 hours is excessive if the train is on time. If the WCML falls to bits, as it has an inconvenient habit of doing, you want a bit of slack if missing the flight is (presumably) not an acceptable outcome.

I'm a master of cutting flights fine for business travel and have only once that I recall missed one. But for general business travel it's not crucial - rebook and stick it on expenses, and my employer would be fine with it as long as it wasn't too often. If you'll lose your holiday if you miss the flight, it becomes more important to have slack there.

Also would be a good idea to see what the OP's insurer says is necessary to constitute a valid claim.

Solid advice there with the insurance

Definitely agree with having to allow a large amount of extra time, that's surely just common sense. If it all goes to plan, and you get to London on time, then it's all smiles and you have plenty of time to make sure you have a good meal before the flight. That could be anything from sourcing some picnic food on a warm sunny day and enjoying that in the sunshine before going through security, or splashing out on a good meal in the airport itself.

It's not a fun experience making a journey to an airport when it's on tight timings and there's an element of risk with missing the flight. That is seriously unwanted stress on a holiday!

 

[gordonthemoron]

I try to avoid all UK airports apart from Heathrow and London City

 

[Bletchleyite]

I try to avoid all UK airports apart from Heathrow and London City

LCY is awful these days, far too small a terminal for the number of flights. I'd rate it one of the worst. It was good when there were only 10 gates and mostly Fokker 50s and ATRs, you could turn up 15 minutes before the flight with checked bags.

I don't get the hate for Luton. I've used it about 100 times each way and very rarely had a serious problem.

Gatwick is awful. Stansted is worse.

 

[cactustwirly]

LCY is awful these days, far too small a terminal for the number of flights. I'd rate it one of the worst. It was good when there were only 10 gates and mostly Fokker 50s and ATRs, you could turn up 15 minutes before the flight with checked bags.

I don't get the hate for Luton. I've used it about 100 times each way and very rarely had a serious problem.

Gatwick is awful. Stansted is worse.

Just a horrible experience when at the gates, the departures lounge isn't great either. Gatwick is much better, it's a bigger airport with seats at the gates to sit if you arrive early. You're not hearded like cattle like in Luton

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just a horrible experience when at the gates

Personally I'm happy to stand up for 15 minutes if I am going to be sat down for two hours, but if you're not, just go down when it's "final call". Seats are all reserved now anyway.

the departures lounge isn't great either

I couldn't disagree more - it's got a lovely, spacious feel with the big vaulted ceiling. Can get busy, but they're working on that.

Gatwick is much better, it's a bigger airport with seats at the gates to sit if you arrive early. You're not hearded like cattle like in Luton

Gatwick I find horribly dated, and baggage handling is incredibly slow. If I've had to walk 20 minutes over that high bridge, I expect my bags to have beaten me to it. Never has this happened, ever. It's like Heathrow T4 which is the only bad bit left there.

 

[Lewlew]

I used Luton last week and it was absolutely fine. It wasn't overly busy but still a fair amount of people and we got through security in good time. Lots of staff around to keep things flowing. Definitely didn't feel like I was being "herded like cattle"!

 

[cactustwirly]

Personally I'm happy to stand up for 15 minutes if I am going to be sat down for two hours, but if you're not, just go down when it's "final call". Seats are all reserved now anyway.



I couldn't disagree more - it's got a lovely, spacious feel with the big vaulted ceiling. Can get busy, but they're working on that.



Gatwick I find horribly dated, and baggage handling is incredibly slow. If I've had to walk 20 minutes over that high bridge, I expect my bags to have beaten me to it. Never has this happened, ever. It's like Heathrow T4 which is the only bad bit left there.

I like to get my bags in the overheads, rather than having to get them checked in the hold. So I like to get on the plane with plenty of time.

I also hate the fact they board the aircraft before it is ready, then you're put in a horrible holding pen to wait for ages. Then its a horrible cold walk to the aircraft and up the airstairs.

Gatwick is practically the same price for a much nicer experience. Even BA is practically the same price as easyJet these days (often cheaper with their package holiday deals)


I don't find it that bad. Luton is really slow, had to wait over half an hour for my bags when I flew there.

Gatwick has had a lot of money spent on it to modernise it, especially the north terminal departures area. Feels like a proper airport with Jet bridges as well.

Haven't used Terminal 2 at Heathrow yet, but Terminal 5 at Heathrow is by far the best place to fly from (when BA have their IT issues sorted). Gatwick is second place after Heathrow.

 

[Techniquest]

I too don't get all the hate for Luton, it's an excellent airport. Not much in the way of views, and it's not like it's Heathrow, but it does a grand job.

Stansted I used to like, but haven't been for years so I can't comment now. Gatwick I don't love, but don't hate either. My biggest issue with Gatwick is the journey to it, from this part of the world it seems to take millenia, although that isn't helped by taking the slower way via the North Downs. If I went via London then on Gatwick Express, it would probably feel a lot quicker!

 

[roversfan2001]

As a regular user of Manchester Airport over the past few months, I've never had to queue more than about 30 minutes for security. If a flight from Liverpool to where I was going was a similar price then I might consider it, just to avoid any potential massive delay as they do seem to be alarmingly frequent at the moment. I certainly wouldn't be choosing Heathrow as an alternative.