I’m flying out of Luton to Geneva on Friday at 7am. I’ve never been to Luton, how’s the place looking at the moment? Will it take 2 days to get through security? Will I get stuck in traffic?

I’m parking at a mate’s house in Dunstable and getting a taxi over.

No bags to check and I’m already checked in, so straight to security.

Thanks

Nah….

We flew to Munich from there last month and whilst the place is as grim as **** it was all pretty efficient.

Should be ok if you’re not checking in bags. If security queues are long, you can always buy a Fast Track ticket to get you through quickly. As Watty said, it’s pretty grim!

As I understand it, the quickest way to get there (and through security) is to show a bit of leg just when time is running out.

At that point, a “geezer” will stop and say “Hop in! I can take you out to Luton Airport.”

Then you’ll be sorted. He’ll of course expect you to thank him by saying/singing:

“Ooohhhh-weeeeee….ooooohhhh Luton Airport!
Ooohhhh-weeeeee….ooooohhhh Luton Airport!
Ooohhhh-weeeeee….ooooohhhh Luton Airport!”

have a great holiday!

I can’t read Luton Airport without seeing this ad in my mind’s eye.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaEjIlZsuTg[/video]

awful it seems…. wife and kids are due to fly out to meet me soon, thought I’d check the airport situation and it’s hellish….
You have to pay for terminal drop off. Poor road access to the terminal – buses from free drop-off area/car parking can get caught up in heavy traffic, leading to a 5 minute journey taking 45 minutes. Big (hour +) queues at security, but you can pay extra for fast track security.

I’ve heard it’s a bit of a shitshow at the moment, my biggest worry is the taxi not turning up and then taking hours to get to the terminal. I figure taxis can shoot up a bus lane?

Yup, shitshow I live pretty close by but tend to use Heathrow just to avoid it. Charging for pick up and drop-off really is the pits.

Terminal 5 is an airport utopia by comparison.

As Vinnyeh said can be a royal pain in the a..e. Allow plenty of time

Charge £3 for 10 minute in drop off zone. So be prepared for the taxi to add to your fare. Access is limited one road in and out for all – taxis, buses, cars and can get very congested. Oh and the Taxi isn’t likely to let you get out on the access road as they use CCTV to monitor and then send tickets out for illegal drop offs…

How about getting the taxi to drop me at the Holiday Inn and walk from there?

I went on a Monday morning back in May, an hours drive from Cambridge, got in there at 7ish, no traffic on the run in or out, parked in the multistory for the time I was there and only a small amount of trouble in that it asked me for £250 on the way out, but a quick call to the help button people and confirmed that I had pre-paid and I was on my way.

Passing through security was fine too, there were quite a few people on the gate side, but it was ok.

Was a Monday morning though.

You could get dropped at the station and get the rail link bus from there, that’s been reasonably quick when I’ve used it. Luton airport is a very depressing place.

How about getting the taxi to drop me at the Holiday Inn and walk from there?

^^ this, pretty much always this. It’s a short walk from the hotel (Ibis or Holiday Inn) to the airport, absolutely no reason to drive up to the terminal unless you’ve got heavy bags and/or kids/elderly in tow.

It’s crap, and they charge you for the transparent plastic bags you have to stick your toiletries in.

You could get dropped at the station and get the rail link bus from there, that’s been reasonably quick when I’ve used it.

Ditto this – its pish to get there on public transport and Thameslink trains run all night.

I don’t think Luton airport is any worse than Gatwick or Manchester TBH.

I don’t think Luton airport is any worse than Gatwick or Manchester TBH.

😯

I’ve not been to Manchester, but Gatwick’s in a completely different league. Direct train link from the airport, no silly unexpected charges, much better shops and restaurants…

The taxi drop off bit is completely pants

It’s a slightly rubbish airport but it’s not massive so at least it’s easy to get about. Charging for clear plastic bags is rubbish, make sure you have one. Food options not great either

Luton is also massively cramped inside with insufficient seating, why should people have to sit on the floor in an airport?

Ditto this – its pish to get there on public transport and Thameslink trains run all night

Hahahahahahah – relying on Thameslink to get you to an airport, be it Luton or Gatwick – is asking for trouble. MrsJ used to travel weekly via Luton and after a short time gave up on Thameslink and forked out for a taxi, just to be sure of getting to the airport on time.

Of course that didn’t solve the problem of how to get back again after arriving in Luton …

I gave myself 2 hours to get through Manchester at the beginning of July, and only just made the flight.

Hahahahahahah – relying on Thameslink to get you to an airport, be it Luton or Gatwick – is asking for trouble. MrsJ used to travel weekly via Luton and after a short time gave up on Thameslink and forked out for a taxi, just to be sure of getting to the airport on time.

Of course that didn’t solve the problem of how to get back again after arriving in Luton …

I lived in St Albans for a couple of years and got Thameslink trains practically every day – IME they’re no worse than any other trainline serving central London (which admittedly isn’t great, but still infinitely preferable to London traffic) 😕

Luton is also massively cramped inside with insufficient seating, why should people have to sit on the floor in an airport?

Why would you want to sit down when there are all those lovely shops just waiting to relieve you of your hard earned coinage? Luton, Stansted etc: shopping centres with aeroplanes outside.

The get dropped off and walk the rest of the way is the best option. When doing a pick up or drop off I tend to use the back route (through the industrial estate) and drop off on Percival Way outside the Signature building. It’s only a few minutes walk from there.

That said the access road isn’t quite as bad now as it was last summer. I know no end of people who missed flights after just sitting in a queue of traffic for hours.

Security has always been ok. Departures is a bit of a bun fight with not enough places to sit unless you want something to eat.

Arriving tends to be good though. But of a queue at border control but offset by the bags already going round the carousel (not that it will be a worry for you).

Never mind the Lorraine Chase Campari ad this is the real spin off 😉

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dldJCeZjcBo[/video]

Haha, I figured I’d missed an obscure reference in codybrennan’s post, now I geddit! 🙄

Thought I’d update incase anyone else is planning a trip.

Getting dropped at the Holiday Inn was a good plan, took 5 minutes to walk (would be fine even with kids and wheelie bags) and the traffic was at a standstill past there. God knows how long it would have taken in a car. This was at about 5am.

The place was busy, but to my disbelief, security was incredibly fast, probably only about 5 minutes. I’ve waited much longer at Heathrow and Manchester. That said, it could easily just have been a fluke.

So now I’m in Frankie and Benny’s with 2 hours to kill. Damn their inconsistency 😈

That’s good to know Andeh.

I have all this not to come with my 7am flight to Transylvania .. Trying to balance out the pros and cons of a night drive from Devon vrs taking my chances with public transport… 😯

Just a thought but I used JustPark at East Mids last week. Same set-up, £2 to drop off, access road is in a camera monitored ticketing zone. I booked a Just Park space with chap lived 5 mins away, he dropped me (where he knew he could), even brought the car to the airport on return. £35 for a week. Dare say there are similar at Luton.

Thanks Taiksawa!

Didn’t know about JustPark, may well be just the ticket…