Airport parking – not done this for years! It seems like you book an arrival and departure slot. What happens if your plane is delayed and you go over your departure time. Is it better to add an extra day?

Also – I’ve just seen the Google reviews for Luton airport – does it really take ages to get through check-in?

Flew from Luton with bike in July – all pretty painless.
Booked in Purple long stay car park months in advance – was £26 for 7 days.
Press button and get ticket from machine on way in…left car untouched/unmarked for a week…use ticket at barrier to get out. Take your booking details (printout) with ou just in case. Easy-peasy. Shuttle bus drops you outside departures.
Don’t remember it taking very long to get through check-in TBH and it was the busiest day of the summer. Plenty of time for a cheeky Heineken in the bar before the call to the departure gate.
Biggest ballache about Luton was having to get back in the car heading north on a Fri afternoon straight into loads of bloody M1 queues 😈

Book it from 12:01am on the day of departure until 11:59pm an the day you#re back. It won#t cost much more (if anything). Then you’re safe if you have any delays.

Luton really is a god awful airport – slow and disorganised. Makes Gatwick look well run, which is saying something.

Don’t book days either side. I normally do flight time +2-3 hours for the way out and +1 hours for the way back. You won’t get charged extra if there is a delay – the parking companies are used to it.

Check in – never had a problem at Luton always plain sailing.
Security – can be very busy, so once you’ve checked in go straight to security. I know some people who checked in, went to Burger King and missed their flight as they didn’t get through security in time.

I live much nearer Heathrow but Luton every time as the planes do not go into endless holding patens before landing and so far have always been on time.
Use skyparksecure for the cheapest deals and give your flight and expected landing time not your fault then if it’s late.

I regularly use http://www.easyairport-parking.co.uk/ about once a month or so. Valet parking and usually reasonably priced if booked a little in advance. Let them worry about flight delays, don’t book contingency either side. You just ring them when you’re through passports / have your bags.

Luton isn’t too bad to get through security and there is no forced march through a shopping mall. There is relatively little food air side, the best you can hope for is pret. Or buy M&S food before you go air side. The best hot food in the place is probably burger king before air side! You can get away with being at Luton an hour before take off. You can’t at Stansted.

The worst airport is Stansted. Audit is always a rugby scrum, can rage ages to get through and then there is an enormous weaving path through a duty free shop. And you’re still 20 minutes from the gate once you get past that!