By host on
09/05/2012 08:32
Over the bank holiday weekend, passengers at Stansted Airport were subjected to queues of up to two hours. It wasn’t just disgruntled travellers that were unhappy either, a spokesman for the airport deemed the wait “unacceptably long” too. “The majority of passengers arriving at Stansted pass through border controls quickly and securely,” he said. “However, at peak times, and similar to many other UK airports, immigration queues can be unacceptably long. “We recognise that maintaining strong border security is a priority but we also want to see sufficient resources available to meet passenger demand and keep delays to a minimum at the busiest times. “Our customer service teams work closely with the UK Border Force to help manage queues and assist passengers at peak times but we believe further acti ...
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By host on
25/04/2012 10:57
The talks about a baggage handlers strike at Stansted Airport over the Easter weekend, which were luckily cancelled, got us thinking about the best and worst aspects of air travel. Most of us have had flights where everything has just gone wonderfully smoothly and without any hitches, while other times it seems that nothing goes right. Here’s a light hearted look at some of the good, the bad and the ugly things about travelling by plane...
The Good
Provided everything goes according to plan, these are some of the things we love about flying:
- The chance to catch up on some of the movies we didn’t manage to see at the cinema
- Time to read, listen to music, or whatever, without feeling guilty that we should be doing something else
- An unexpected upgrade
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By host on
11/04/2012 10:42
In a recent interview with The Times, Nick Barton, the managing director of Stansted airport, revealed that the airport could increase the number of passengers it handles to approximately 36 million if it was exempt from Civil Aviation Authority regulation, which could help to ease the congestion at Heathrow and Gatwick.
Stansted managers have approached the authority about easing the burden of regulatory restrictions, which apparently cost the airport about twenty grand a week. They feel that the savings made could be passed on to airlines and passengers and enable Stansted to better use its capacity, which is roughly double the current annual passenger count.
Barton alleged that the CAA’s current regulatory regime is based on an assumption that Stansted Airport retains “substantial mark ...
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By host on
07/03/2012 10:21
Apparently many UK travellers are planning to travel during spring this year in order to avoid the hectic summer holiday period and its accompanying inflated prices. A recent press release by internet comparison company, Cheap, has revealed that many Brits are hoping to save hundreds of pounds by holidaying earlier in the year. They collected data from a number of different travel channels which showed that more than half of those questioned are looking to take advantage of the Spring break and are possibly more willing to take their children out of school than to pay the higher prices in the summer holidays.
Once the school holidays begin in summer it is not unusual to pay more than 50% extra for travel when compared to other periods. Small wonder that many parents want to avoid having to fork out during this time, especially when the ...
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By host on
07/03/2012 10:16
With Stansted being the closest airport to the Olympic village where the athletes stay, it will play an important role in this year’s Olympic Games. They are expecting the day after the closing ceremony to be the busiest day in the airport’s history, but there will also be thousands of extra passengers travelling via Stansted during the rest of the Games, including various competing teams, sponsors, Heads of State and other VIPs as well as spectators and media.
Detailed plans have been developed to ensure that every airport company does their bit to manage the enormous number of passengers and equipment passing through Stansted. These were already tested last year during President Obama’s State Visit and FC Barcelona’s attendance at the Champions League final at Wembley (with 10,000 fans!) where Stansted was able to demonstrate its ability to manage ...
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By host on
29/02/2012 12:24
Whether you’re staying in a hotel near Stansted or flying out via Stansted Airport, we thought you might be interested in what shopping is available at the airport. After all, there’s nothing to beat a bit of retail therapy when you’re trying to pass the time! 
Although Stansted Airport isn’t anywhere near the size of Heathrow, it still has a very decent selection of shops to choose from when passing through. Whether you’re looking for gifts for family or friends, fancy treating yourself to a bit of duty free perfume or are up for some serious fashion shopping, there is something to please everyone. If you need to stock up on some basic travel essentials or some reading material to keep you entertained, like at most UK airports there is a Boots the chemist and a WH Smith at Stansted. However t ...
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By host on
15/02/2012 14:07
Perhaps we’re getting better at coping with the snow lately in the UK or perhaps it was just a case of being forewarned about the weather in advance, but it seems that Stansted Airport didn’t have too many problems due to last week’s snow. During last year’s snow Stansted didn’t do too badly either and was closed for only 4 hours, which was a lot better than Heathrow or Gatwick. They were on standby to take diverted aircraft last weekend too.
Prior to that weekend the Observer wrote that Stansted Airport was gearing up for the snow expected. No one was in any doubt that there was going to be severe weather, but many people were probably wondering how the airport would cope.
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By host on
27/01/2012 06:51
Staying in a hotel near Stansted Airport rather than in London itself is a much more affordable way to visit our country’s capital city. The Stansted Express has made it a cinch to get into London, so it really isn’t necessary to fork out for an expensive London hotel.
During ordinary hours the Stansted Express leaves from Stansted Airport every 15 minutes, so it’s easy to catch it at any time of day, and it will usually have you in London Liverpool Street in about 46 minutes. It also stops at Tottenham Hale on the way (the only stop it makes) giving you even more options for exploring London. Take a look at the Stansted Airport timetable if you want more details and to check when trains are running late at night or early in the morning, as well as weekends.
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By host on
06/01/2012 10:19
Most people know that Stansted Airport is London’s third busiest and the fourth busiest in the UK, but did you know that it is also the most punctual airport in Europe, and the third most punctual in the world?
According to FlightStats, an online flight tracking and airport information service, over 88% of scheduled flights left on time from Stansted during November this year, which is better than any other European airport. Stansted offers the most direct scheduled European flights in the world too, so it’s not because it is less busy either.
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By host on
20/12/2011 06:48
Whenever Stansted is mentioned the first thing that comes to mind is the airport, but there is a lot more to the area than just that. If you find yourself staying in accommodation near Stansted Airport for a while there are plenty of things to do and attractions to see nearby.
London is very accessible from Stansted Airport via the Stansted Express, so whether you want to go shopping, sightseeing or enjoy a bit of culture, it’s easy to make a day of it. Trains run frequently and the journey takes less than an hour.
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