Or has Stansted airport gone to the dogs?

[LumelaMme]

It used to a be a great little airport. Now.... It's an extortionately expensive disaster. I did a pick-up there over Christmas. Oh my God.

The flight data on the website wasn't updated, so I left to meet a flight that was (as the airport should have known) an hour late. Then it took the airport an hour and half to produce the luggage.

When we paid for parking, the first machine, was occupied by a man shouting into the microphone, 'This machine won't take my money. Just get a decent system that actually WORKS!' Our parking cost TWENTY-TWO quid for less than four hours parking. Total and utter bloody rip-off.

It took us five minutes to get out of the car park. The traffic moved at a snail's pace, probably because everyone had the same problem as I did: the machine wouldn't take my ticket. I pressed the buzzer, pointed out that I had just paid a small fortune, and got the barrier opened.

This is meant to be a developed country. Surely we can do better.

The parking there takes the utter piss. So damn expensive, even for a short time. I worked there 10 years ago and it werent so bad then.

Actually, last time I went there, a parked at McDonalds for a bit til my pick up was waiting outside. No way was I getting my car in that car park for longer than needed. Only there 10 mins, cost £2!

The train service there is good though, so I use that.

Yes true Pippa The coach service there is good also cheap. The security can be and I hate having to walk through all those shops just to get to the restaurants and gates. (Why anyone thinks there are bargains to be had there I don't know ).

If you don't drive there it's ok.

I think the quick pickup now costs three quid. And we're not on the coach route, nor the direct train route, so the car is by far the quickest option. So we get nailed.

Stopped flying from there 5+ years ago cos it's such a miserable experience all round.

It's better than it was 5 years ago though wasonthe . I flew from Heathrow Terminal 5 just 3 weeks ago, it's too big, horrible, they also make you walk a really long way past the most high end shops to get a cup of coffee from the business lounge.

It's better than it was 5 years ago though
Oh, I don't know: it's better than it was during the building works last year, but if anything the car parking is even worse.

Could you make friends with someone in bishop stortford, park your car there then take the train one stop along to line?

Ah, we had lovely friends in BS but they thoughtlessly moved back to Germany...

I wasn't thinking of the parking Lumela I get the feeling that the 'powers that be' don't want us to actually use our cars. Just buy them and leave them at home

I love the idea of Stnstead being in London ffs it's further away than HARLOW !!