To ask if you flew from Manchester recently

[TinasCrockeryPot]

Posting for traffic really. Has anyone flew from Manchester airport recently? What’s was the security queue like? We were thinking about getting to the airport at 4am for a 6.30 flight but reading about the recent waiting times I’m not so sure about that

Many thanks BarbaraofSeville

We flew to Poland last week - security was totally fine. We got there at 3.30ish for a 6am flight.

@Bornsloppy

We flew earlier this month but went down the family channel but it was chaos - I've flown through Manchester loads and it's always shit but this was worse than ever. Apparently everyone has forgotten what they can and can't pack, and what needs to come out of hand luggage for security checks. Made it through in about an hour but it was straight to the gate via a quick dash to the toilets.

We've booked our summer holiday flights to fly from a different airport.

I've no doubt some people slow down the security, but surely that applies at all airports, so why does MAN seem to be so bad when most other airports don't seem to have the same level of queuing/delays etc?

Stupid question, you can only buy fast passes for adults for security. Can you not take children or are they free?

@Hell0G00dbye with kids and pushchairs you can buy the fast track but that queue can be big too. From experience if you have a pushchair you go down the fast track anyway so it would be free if that makes sense

Crikey - Newcastle's my nearest airport, and I grumble about their not being many destinations available for direct flights from there. But the upside is there doesn't tend to be a significant queue at security. I hadn't realised it was so different at Manchester, so I shall stop grumbling about Newcastle :)

Flew from T2 on Thursday - 8am flight, arrived about 4.25. Security queue was about 5 minutes long which I was very surprised about. We arrived early expecting delays but instead we just had a lot of sitting around.
Arrived back Monday PM and collected luggage no issue after queuing for 5/10mins at border control. That's said, our return flight was an hour late as the plane couldn't depart Manchester on time due to security issues (I can only guess the staff were delayed)

T1 on 2 March - so not that recently but still in the last month.

I’d recommend 3 hours before. The security line may not be long but there are large numbers of case rejections. Ie needing to go for secondary hand search. My bag wasn’t even scanned. It was a 40 minute wait for secondary - this was with fast track.

If too many rejections it can stop the entire line as future rejected cases have no where to go (if that makes sense).

We actively avoid Manchester. It's so overcrowded and poorly organised that I actually felt unsafe. I am usually a very chilled flyer and I enjoy the whole airport experience, but Manchester made me scared. It's not just the hours of delays, it's the unnecessary, dangerous bottlenecks of crowds and the crumbling, grubby infrastructure.

@TinasCrockeryPot

Posting for traffic really. Has anyone flew from Manchester airport recently? What’s was the security queue like? We were thinking about getting to the airport at 4am for a 6.30 flight but reading about the recent waiting times I’m not so sure about that

We flew in to Manchester (and out of it again) three months ago, from an airport in Scotland.

The Scottish airport was well managed, calm and comfortable to be in. Easy check-in/out and baggage reclaim. People respecting social distance, passengers good natured even during a flight delay and staff helpful and supportive even during flight delay.

Manchester airport was the opposite, a nightmare; huge long queues waiting to be processed through (UK internal) security; many passengers not social distancing or wearing masks but the staff could not care less. I witnessed Manchester airport staff being abrupt and unprofessional to adult passengers younger than themselves.

Does anyone know if booking fast track do I book for the time of my flight, or when I think I’ll get to security?

@FlipperSkipper time of your flight

I've found Manchester OK recently (generally been flying at around 10 am though). Birmingham has been another story and has had horrendous queues. The queue management there has improved though and they will move you up the queue if your flight departure time is getting close.

Fab, thank you @DazedandConcerned

Dd will be in her pram as it’ll be too early in the morning for her to be traipsing threw an airport when we need to leave home at 2am at the latest to get there three hours before boarding

I used to get so annoyed at Manchester security staff pre covid ; it was on the website in black and white that only large items like ipads had to be taken out of bags and put separately into trays and yet they always, always made people do the same with phones, I complained once and showed them their own rules and just got a shrug and a scowl in return.
I wish I could have used Liverpool or Birmingham for Easter but easyjet don’t fly to Malta from there.

We are flying from T2, does anyone know if that's busier or quieter than the others?

@BorgQueen

I used to get so annoyed at Manchester security staff pre covid ; it was on the website in black and white that only large items like ipads had to be taken out of bags and put separately into trays and yet they always, always made people do the same with phones, I complained once and showed them their own rules and just got a shrug and a scowl in return. I wish I could have used Liverpool or Birmingham for Easter but easyjet don’t fly to Malta from there.

Yep, I agree. The staff don't abide by their own posters etc and insist on taking things out of bags/cases etc that aren't shown on the posters. Then you get the "wait of shame" when the x-ray picks up something and your bag is "parked" in the naughty queue, whilst the staff stand around talking until they think you've waited long enough to be punished before they get your bag and ransack it only to find it's been triggered by something not on the prohibited list in the first place!

@winewolfhowls first thing in the morning it’s much busier - especially on days TUI has loads of flights going first thing.

I'm so glad Ive booked fast track for security. Still plan to get there 4 hours before next week!

I’ve just discovered Airportr via the Manchester airport website :
You can get your luggage picked up from home and bypass bag drop off, all travellers need to be present and show passports when they come to collect , it’s costing me £59 but it’s cheaper than adding 2 lots of large hand luggage.
I really don’t like having to pay but at least there’s a good chance of actually getting on the plane now.
If easyjet decide to use common sense and allow earlier drop off then I can cancel and get a refund.

Just realised Ryanair don’t allow you to drop off suitcases until two hours before

Forget that - they aren’t currently operating from Manchester, even though they gave me a quote, what a joke 😡

Flew out from T2 last Saturday. Waited about 30 mins to check in bags, but just after we reached the desk the luggage belts stopped moving ( too many suitcases apparently) which caused a delay behind us. Queue for security was loooong, but well managed. Took us about 1 hr to get through I think. We arrived at 6.15 for a 10am flight, which was plenty of time.

Getting worried about DD and her friends travelling next Sunday morning. Flight at 6am, they are planning to get a taxi at 4 ( we live 15 minutes fro: the airport). We are all at a party the night before, might just be best for them to go straight to the airport!