Flying this week

This applies to Manchester but I am sure all airports will have similar precautions in place so check before leaving home[msnsmile]

Sunday 1st July 2007

Manchester Airport is operating with additional security measures following advice from the Home Office.

Parking restrictions are currently in place outside all terminal buildings. Customers wishing to pick up or drop off passengers will be redirected to the car parks.

We are advising all passengers to arrive at the airport at least 20 minutes earlier for their flight and to bear with us through these extra security measures. Manchester Airport already has strict procedures for passenger pick up.

Passengers are reminded that security restrictions remain in place with regard to cabin baggage, and to make sure they have no liquids over 100ml in their hand baggage.

[jovi]

Thanks for the info Julie, we fly on Wednesday and I must admit that all the news has taken the excitement out of my holiday[msnsad] I am a worrier and am a bit worried about flying anyway, this has just added another thing to worry about, especially as we fly on 4th July [msneek] I have a bit of comfort in knowing that everyone is on full alert, I also worry about my son, as he flies alone on the 8th[msncry]
Why are people like this[msnmad] It makes my blood boil, it really does[msnmad][gun][gun]

Vicky please don't worry these precautions are to make things safer so they should make you feel extra secure[msnsmile2]

My 18 y/o old daughter is working in Starbucks in Terminal 1 at Man airport until she goes to Uni in September and she is going in to work today so I will find out how things are operating time wise etc.

Stop worrying you will all have a fab holiday[grouphug]

[jovi]

Thanks for the reassuring words Julie, they are very much appreciated[msnsmile]

[ShirleyD]

Vicky, I have been working at Gatwick this morning and other than a bit of knock on disruption from yesterday, it was business as usual. Gatwick has also stopped people using the departure ramp and one of the arrival lanes...6 down to 2, (though I'm not sure why as they have just recently installed very large concrete barriers along the terminal to stop what happened at Glasgow) so there are big delays getting near the airport.

I would agree with Julies post and say don't worry. The biggest moan from passengers today was not being allowed to have a pre flight cigarette [msneek]

I have just driven passed the airport (MAN) and there are Police at the entrance and the traffic is back to the round-a-bout (near the entrance to the Hilton)[msnsmile] My daughter has just gone into work and she will tell me how it looks airside when she gets home[msnwink]

[blott]

Be warned that this is a complete nightmare!

We arrived at Manchester this morning at 6.24 am (an hour early) and had to wait until 9.30 am for our taxi to arrive to pick us up (because of the hour early arrival time but also because there was an enormous queue of taxis/cars waiting to get into the car park and being vetted by armed police). It took nearly half the travel time from Orlando to even get picked up!

In the meantime, we were nearly suffocated by car exhaust fumes, whereas the normal roadway pick up area directly outside the terminal building is open air (with a canopy only).

The car park isn't large enough for all the cars parking/picking up and travellers arriving/departing with trolley loads of luggage. So, if you going to Manchester airport during this period, make sure that you leave plenty of time to arrive and know that your pick up on arrival home will probably be late.

I know we're on critical alert security at present but we were idly wondering during that very long wait as to what the difference was in potentially being blown up in a car park to waiting outside the terminal building? A lot more serious I would think... with all those cars containing petrol/diesel in an enclosed space.

[Robert5988]

At Heathrow all vehicles are being searched before they get to the tunnel. The queues are horrific and lots of people are missing their flights.

This information from someone I know very well who owns a Taxi business. He just phoned me.

[Katys Grandad]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by blott
Be warned that this is a complete nightmare!

We arrived this morning at 6.24 am (an hour early) and had to wait until 9.30 am for our taxi to arrive to pick us up (because of the hour early arrival time but also because there was an enormous queue of taxis/cars waiting to get into the car park and being vetted by armed police). It took nearly half the travel time from Orlando to even get picked up!

In the meantime, we were nearly suffocated by car exhaust fumes, whereas the normal roadway pick up area directly outside the terminal building is open air (with a canopy only).

The car park isn't large enough for all the cars parking/picking up and travellers arriving/departing with trolley loads of luggage. So, if you going to Manchester airport during this period, make sure that you leave plenty of time to arrive and know that your pick up on arrival home will probably be late.

I know we're on critical alert security at present but we were idly wondering during that very long wait as to what the difference was in potentially being blown up in a car park to waiting outside the terminal building? A lot more serious I would think... with all those cars containing petrol/diesel in an enclosed space.


[/quote]

Very annoying when you land early and spend an eternity waiting to be picked up.

I'm travelling from Manchester later this month and thinking about using the railway into the terminal. As Blott points out, a lot of these meaures merely shift the target so I'm not going to feel any safer on the train.

[Tonish]

Fortunately my next UK flights aren't until the 18th. But then I'm into Glasgow, out of Edinburgh the same day, then Glasgow and back the next day. Experience tells me that even though it's a couple of weeks away, there will quite likely still be serious delays. A real nuisance as I'm in a hurry on both days.

I really don't like to introduce a sour note, and I've got every respect for the efforts of the police snd security services, but I grew up in Belfast in the 70's and we had bombs go off every day, without causing anything like this level of disruption. I can't help feeling that we are doing the terrorists job for them by creating nationwide mayhem over every incident.