Which airport? MAN or LBA?

A_New_Start

Hi, simple question which would you choose? Manchester or Leeds Bradford?

Simple background, not been abroad for 17 years, heading to Mallorca this year, want the easiest (as much as can be) check in and security experience. Totally no idea what to expect, the process simply cannot remember. Going with others also as clueless!

I would prefer Leeds Bradford as its 30 minutes closer to home (possibly cheaper taxi), the Travelodge hotel is across the road (staying night before) and from watching a few YT videos, the start to finish seems to be an almost one way uncomplicated path to the gates and boarding.

Manchester, longer journey (and possibly more expensive) for taxi across the tops, no reasonably priced hotel nearby (under £100) and as bigger maybe more complicated to navigate for the unexperienced?

Nothing between them in the cost of holiday. I know both have been in the news lately and both have had their criticisms but just looking for peoples thoughts?

Wonka_2

You've answered your own question - but a lot depends on airline you're planning to use and where you're coming from.

I travel regularly on business and have a similar conundrum for each trip - but for me it's dictated by flight price and MAN is `both cheaper and more frequent (plus I can choose to use the train if flight times permit)

I've had more bad experiences at LBA (security/passport control queues and weather diversions) but that's based on 2-3 flights a month) 

zagfles

Go for Leeds. I live in Manchester but prefer flying from Liverpool, much quieter smaller airport, never flown from Leeds but guess that's similar. Navigating MAN isn't easy for people who've never been there before, and security is a pain, often long queues, and they always seem to divert one of our bags to the manual check line, almost always for nothing we've done wrong, they seem to have a strange definition of "liquid" which no other airports have. Or their scanners pick stuff up as liquids which isn't.

Hotel across the road from the airport is great for an early flight - you can just roll out of bed and across to checkin without having to allow contingency for traffic/public transport/hotel shuttle delays.

Boat_to_Bolivia

Yep I'd go for Liverpool airport over Manchester any day.

I know a few people who have flown out of Leeds/Bradford and said the take off and landing can be terrifying depending on the weather.

kinger101

I've flown from LBA a few times, and what I really like about it is that it's a small airport.  You don't have to walk one mile through a shopping mall to get to your departure gate.  Manchester is better connected for ground transportation than LBA and is certainly more tolerable than Gatwick or Heathrow, but the smaller the airport, the easier in my experience.

Not having to travel to the wrong side of the Pennines is another bonus of course :-)

Wonka_2

Boat_to_Bolivia said:

I know a few people who have flown out of Leeds/Bradford and said the take off and landing can be terrifying depending on the weather.

Good point I didn't mention - if you're a nervous flyer then LBA's not much fun.

I've had arrivals there that at other airports might have been considered a crash rather than a landing

daveyjp

Despite the fact its a complete underinvested hell hole (!)  LBA every time purely for convenience, but I'm a few miles away.

The problems at LBA are generally because it can't handle high numbers of passengers at once.  Unfortunately in summer the majority of the first flights out are between about 6 and 7.30am so there may be a 2,000 passengers all checking in at a similar time.  However if staying the night before some airlines offer night before check in, take advantage and you won't have any luggage on the day of the flight avoiding lengthy baggage check in queues.

We had an 8.30 flight last year and from bags being checked to pass through security was only about 15 minutes as the hoardes had left.

bigfer

Never had a good experience at LBA. Could be just unlucky. Newcastle all the way for me, great metro link and a couple of good on-site hotels. I'm not counting on the Brittania hotel, that's a basket case.

DullGreyGuy

Big airports are busy all the time but rarely crazy
Small airports are quiet a fair amount of time but can become crazy as they're easily swamped.

All airports are broadly the same... most check in online and so once at the airport if you have checked/hold bags head to the baggage drop and then security or straight to security if you are hand luggage only. Once through security you'll have a range of shops, eateries and bars to spend time in before then heading to your gate to board the plane.

In a small airport its likely to be Boots, WHSmiths and Weatherspoons whereas larger airports can have Cartier, Harrods and a Gordon Ramsey restaurant in addition.

Distances are further in big airports but quality of signage in small airports can be terrible (and some larger) and so you end up going almost as far as it sends you off in the wrong direction etc.

Mutton_Geoff

LBA is more vulnerable to weather, ie strong winds or low cloud/fog since it only has a category 1 instrument landing system.

Most likely diversion is into Manchester anyhow.

daveyjp

Mutton_Geoff said:

LBA is more vulnerable to weather, ie strong winds or low cloud/fog since it only has a category 1 instrument landing system.

Most likely diversion is into Manchester anyhow.

Leeds Bradford has Category III on runway 32. 

Diversions in poor weather even with Cat III capable aircraft are often down to airline operating procedures at specific airports.