East Midlands Airport Missed flight - where do I stand?

Hello123_2

Caz3121 wrote: »

I travel every week and security can be a real pain at times although have not experienced what you did. I would have been tempted to spend the £3 on Express Lane http://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/emaweb.nsf/Content/ExpressLane although even on that site it states
"Please note we cannot guarantee a maximum or minimum queue length or time. All passengers are subject to the same security procedures and regulations and we therefore recommend that you allow enough time for the standard security and x-ray screening. East Midlands Airport is not responsible for any passengers who miss their flight because they did not allow enough time to go through the check-in and security process."
It is back to "what is enough time?"...surely 2 hours should be plenty!

This was not here on Sunday?!

hollydays

I went through a Spanish airport on a bank holiday a few years ago, the queues were huge, I suspect there were lower staffing levels because of the holiday. However, a member of staff came into the queue and intercepted everyone on an imminent flight and eventually brought them forward.

hollydays

I take it you went straight from Luggage drop to security though?

Alan_Bowen

Two hours should be more than enough, as you can see other airports, including Manchester,also owned by the same company, go through the queue asking people to come forward if they are close to departure. I would send a polite but firm letter to the Managing Director setting out the circumstances, proof of arrival time if possible(car park receipt for example) and a full list of expenses. It is only by making them pay for their inefficency that they learn

lea2012

Ryanair check in opens three hours prior to departure as far as I am aware (I might be wrong) so I have a feeling the airport will say that you didn't allow enough time to get through security etc. As you say there were other people that missed, but if there were only 20 or so other people, that could be a rather small percentage of the overall total of people and they may try to wriggle out of responsibility.

Personally I agree with the others and feel that there should have been someone there asking you which flight etc, and if you raised the matter with them then they should have done something to assist you better.

I hope you manage to get some money back, but in future either be there three hours before or pay for the express check in if possible.

Grumpelstiltskin

Now we know it was EMA I wondered why you didn't use the express lane, I know you feel as though you shouldn't have to pay extra and EMA security can be a PITA although they keep bleating on about the extra lanes they have opened. Mind you I'm going there Friday morning so I'll see what it's like then.

richardw

Airports first thing in the morning for the first flights of the day can be crowded with a massive peak of people arriving at the same time.

I think the airport and airlines need to get together to manage this known problem better.

mgdavid

EMA security is a complete disgrace and the more people that complain the better. It was pretty bad 18 months ago, we travelled to Faro on a Saturday lunchtime and it took ages, we just scraped on the flight. I flatly refused to be intimidated into paying extra for a fast-lane service, when it is obvious that if all the staff and lanes were equally spread and properly staffed there would be no queues.
I note that others say it's bad at Manchester too - they are both owned by MAG so it's looking like a management tactic to raise revenue.
Complain to your MP and the local authority.

stoneman

We had the same problem at EMA last year. Actually got to the airport with 3 hours to go because I have to go to the Ryanair desk to get my passport stamped. 1/2 hour queue in the RA line, then we had all of 2 1/2 hours before our flight was due to leave. We had to run from security to the gate and we were the last ones allowed on the flight, they shut the door behind us, as we taxied out you could see at least 10 people standing at the gate, they had just missed the flight.
We then had nearly the same thing there later in the year but it only took us 1 hour to get through. I refuse to fly from that shed again.
Security there is a joke. And then they have the front to charge you for dropping passengers off!:mad:

Grumpelstiltskin

Looking at tomorrow's departures from EMA from 05.05 to 08.10 there are 20 departures.


The airport can't cope with that many. All the works going on what are they doing? Making more shops and restaurants/bars.