Stansted airport worst airport for mothers flying alone with babies!

[Natz96]

I’ve been travelling out of Stansted airport for years and haven’t had a lot of issues but this was the first time I travelled with my toddler abroad. Security were great and sent me to the front of the queue and helped to keep baby entertained while I was x-rayed but at the gate after I had my boarding pass scanned I asked ‘how am I supposed to get downstairs?’ Thinking I was going to be sent to the lift where I’ve seen people who are in a wheelchair go for years and she said ‘down the stairs’.. I was shocked, I had no idea they would expect a woman travelling alone with a baby, buggy and bag to go down a set of stairs to get to the plane. I asked again whether I had entered the wrong location because I saw a man in a wheelchair being taken elsewhere and I was told that’s people with ‘special assistance’ and that I’d still have to use the stairs. Luckily aman was standing next to her that worked at the airport and offered to help me and carried my buggy down for me. If I had known that I would have checked my buggy in or not have flown from stansted at all.. also when I arrived back in the UK a similar issue occurred that we had to walk all the way to the transfer bus (meaning taking the stairs) without the buggy. What a poor airport for mothers flying with their babies. Has anyone else had the experience?

Yes I’ve had this experience at Stansted. I don’t know if it’s specific gates that have this problem, or all of them? We’ve mostly flown from the ones that Ryanair tend to use. Our most recent trip, DH carried the buggy down while I managed DC. But once I was flying alone with DC and faced the issue of getting the buggy down the stairs, with a DC who could not manage the steps alone. A kind man helped me in the end; the gate staff refused!

This is the same of all airports that don’t have air bridges. I travelled multiple times a year with my / sc when they were small so baby, buggy, wobbly toddler, nappy bag, hand bag, toddler’s bag, hand luggage off you go down the stairs with fit men striding past you not offering to help. Its awkward and a bit of a pain but you aren’t disabled so it’s possible (just sometimes)

You just have to ask for help. If I saw you, you would not have to ask, I would help you.

I have never had the buggy returned on arrival at any of the airports I have used with a baby. I opted for a sling to assist and a lightweight buggy I could carry with one hand. Don't think its just a Stansted thing.

I used to frequently travel through Stansted solo with a baby and toddler(s). I just used a sling for the baby, for that kind of reason.

The main issue I remember with Stansted was that there was absolutely nowhere to sit down, anywhere - very little seating and it was always all taken! However this was about 10 - 12 years ago (my connecting flights switched to Gatwick, think I was last in Stansted in 2017...) while they were doing renovations, so hopefully that issue was solved!

I also had a very suspicious experience with one of the officers at border control in Stansted when I was traveling with 3 children under 5, and I am pretty sure he was planning not to return my passport (I had a pile of paperwork, passports and birth certificates, and my own UK passport which was close to expiry). He handed back everything except my passport and waited for me to leave (I think he thought I would be too distracted by the children to notice) but I did notice, and I asked him for it, and he slowly handed it back to me without saying anything. I reported the incident, but never got a satisfactory answer or explanation. That has made me much more vigilant about everyone, even the officials that before that time, I naively believed you could trust.

That’s not true at all.. many airports I’ve been to have managed to attach the gates through the tunnel to get on the plane.. you don’t even need to go down a level.

Really? I’m a frequent flyer to Turkey and the buggy is waiting as soon as you get off the plane there.

The tunnel is an Air Bridge.

They arent universal. Often theres a bus ti the plane, or a short walk and upstaurs.

Disabled passengers use a special lift. But space is limited.

Okay, but you said it’s the same of all airports lol.. which it isn’t.

At airports/gates WITHOUT AN AIRBRIDGE is what she said. So, yes, correct. If the airport/gate has an airbridge it (usually) doesn’t apply.

Okay, I stand corrected then. I didn’t see the last bit of the sentence.

I don’t think it’s that unusual. Unless you book special assistance, you won’t get special assistance. I just returned from Crete with an eight month old and had to fold the travel buggy at the gate, get down the stairs and get onto a bus to the plane. They took the travel buggy at the bottom of the stairs to the plane and we got it back on the baggage carousel. Same on return. This was Gatwick.

Other airports I’ve been to have a lift at the gates as well as stairs, when an air bridge is not in use. Dublin for example. Or there’s a ramp down to ground level. Stansted is just poorly designed. As they’re constantly renovating or doing building work, hopefully they’ll eventually upgrade the departure gates. There’s plenty of passengers who wouldn’t need special assistance but who still might appreciate there being a lift, especially when managing luggage (my mother, for instance).

Not just a Stansted issue - many airports I’ve been through are accessible until you get to the gate at which point you are presented with stairs!

I’ve usually found staff or other passengers are then helpful if you have luggage and baby however.

This. it’s due to air bridges.

The low-cost airlines such as Ryanair often prefer remote stands because they’re cheaper and can speed up turnaround. And Stansted is heavily used by Ryanair and other low cost airlines.

So you have a few choices:

1. travel from Gatwick/heathrow with a more expensive airline such as BA which use air bridges from these airports (not sure about Stansted, perhaps they do)
2. continue as you are and hope someone helps, or ask for help from fellow passengers
3. check your buggy with the checked in luggage

I’ve just flown in and out of Stansted and find the stairs hard work with my bags, and that’s just for me, much harder work with a baby I’m sure. As has been said I think the more expensive airlines use air bridges and Stansted is the home of the low cost carrier.

I agree, it's not just a Stanstead issue. The worst is, when you get the buggy back with the normal luggage instead of at the plane.

For the future, you have 2 options: just ask for help, if nobody responds, awkwardly blocked the corridor. You be surprised how quickly staff / other passengers are there to help. Or plan ahead and take backpacks ... one with nappies and spare clothes for toddler and one with the other stuff for you. Then leave the buggy at the gate. They will take it for you.

And never attempted to get the train- that's another form of hell!

@ScouserSue

travel from Gatwick/heathrow with a more expensive airline such as BA which use air bridges from these airports

True a lot of the time but sadly that's not always the case, there are quite a few off pier stands at Heathrow and I think Gatwick.

Dispensing with airport supplied ground facilities reduces operating costs which in turn feeds back into reduced fares...it's one of the reasons Ryanair have retained built in airstairs on the forward left door of (many/all?) their 737s - amongst other things it avoids them paying the airport for either a jetty or mobile stairs.

Not surprised with what you experienced. If Stansted were to increase fees to the airlines to provide an adequate service for you (after all parent and young child is not unusual), no doubt Mr O'Leary would shout and moan about it.

@notimagain of course Heathrow has remote stands and boarding stairs. All airports do. But it’s the.low cost airlines that tend to use them as they’re cheaper and means the true around time is faster. However, if you use more expensive airlines such as BA out of LGW and LHR then you’re more likely to get an air bridge. Of course there are exceptions, such as a late arriving flight which means BA may need to use a remote stand,

i would say ask for help from other passengers. I would only usually have backpack rather than anything else to carry and I would happily help with the buggy down the stairs.

Just to add, i was once with an elderly relative in a wheelchair and all our suitcases landing into EMA and special assistance didn’t even turn up. The other passengers kindly helped me with the suitcases.

Oh I agree with a lot of that that but I'm just maybe managing expectations a little bit

BA routinely use off pier stands at T5 for quite a lot of their flights and not just for anything arriving or departing off schedule...

TBF at T5 the gate set up is such that usually you can access the relevant gate lounge area, which is at ground level, by lift if need be, so that a plus for buggy users, but of course there are steps at the aircraft itself.

UK airports are on the whole basically hard sell shopping malls with planes attached and very little interest in the attendees other than as cash cows.

They are particularly hostile environments for anyone needing a bit of help.

I was stunned at an Italian airport to see playpens for infants at security and was assisted by smiling staff (without asking) everywhere. The same went for the infirm. Lots of chairs and assistance and patience. That’s the way it should be.

Im kind of dreading older age.

And they are so often dirty and shabby