# U.K airports to Spain



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

I tend to fly from Glasgow to Alicante and find checking in my baggage going through security easy and straight forward... doing it from Stanstead is a complete nightmare for me and full of jobs worth people and I try and avoid this airport if I can.

What is your favourite airport?

Maiden


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Gatwick - Málaga is great. Frequent, cheap and several different budget airlines service the route!! Its half an hour from both my Spanish house and UK house and is so easy!!!

Jo xxxx


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> I tend to fly from Glasgow to Alicante and find checking in my baggage going through security easy and straight forward... doing it from Stanstead is a complete nightmare for me and full of jobs worth people and I try and avoid this airport if I can.
> 
> What is your favourite airport?
> 
> Maiden


Yep, got to agree their, stansted is full of them. Bristol went downhill after they refurbished it , though it wasn't that good before. I'd have to say Exeter for me , easy access , not to big ,not normally any problems with weather like you get @ Bristol. Then again I hope I never have to visit a British airport ever again.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

gus-lopez said:


> Yep, got to agree their, stansted is full of them. Bristol went downhill after they refurbished it , though it wasn't that good before. I'd have to say Exeter for me , easy access , not to big ,not normally any problems with weather like you get @ Bristol. Then again I hope I never have to visit a British airport ever again.




I had to fly from Glasgow to Alicante but had to go via Stanstead as I had to see someone for a couple of hours. My hold luggage weighed in at 19 kilos in Glasgow and 22 in Stanstead! My hand luggage went through security ok at Glasgow and yet at Stanstead they told me I couldn't take my deodorant. I told them I had just come down from Glasgow with the same case a couple of hours ago. I quote
"they are obviously not doing their job properly and when not if we have another terrorist attack they will not be secure"
I also had to take my sandals off at Stansted because they have a big metal buckle on them.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> I had to fly from Glasgow to Alicante but had to go via Stanstead as I had to see someone for a couple of hours. My hold luggage weighed in at 19 kilos in Glasgow and 22 in Stanstead! My hand luggage went through security ok at Glasgow and yet at Stanstead they told me I couldn't take my deodorant. I told them I had just come down from Glasgow with the same case a couple of hours ago. I quote
> "they are obviously not doing their job properly and when not if we have another terrorist attack they will not be secure"
> I also had to take my sandals off at Stansted because they have a big metal buckle on them.


And was the person telling you this actually British ? The last time I was in Stansted , 2005, I had a job to find someone who wasn't east european.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

gus-lopez said:


> And was the person telling you this actually British ? The last time I was in Stansted , 2005, I had a job to find someone who wasn't east european.




ohh yes they were English no doubt about it


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

I have never shown my passport when I fly from the Uk into Spain but I have to stand in line at the UK border and show my passport, now what does that tell us?


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> I have never shown my passport when I fly from the Uk into Spain but I have to stand in line at the UK border and show my passport, now what does that tell us?


That you don't fly into Malaga.


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## JBODEN (Jul 10, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> I have never shown my passport when I fly from the Uk into Spain but I have to stand in line at the UK border and show my passport, now what does that tell us?


I thought they had done away with the border between Scotland & England.


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

when you Glasgow do you mean Prestwick or Abbottsinch (Paisley)? there is world of difference between them.

Prestwick isn't a BAA airport


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

Luton is nice and easy but I wish they had the eye scanners for the way back (it's not BAA) I like Heathrow too but it's just too expensive to fly with BA. Gatwick is my 3rd closest & happy to fly from here - parking is just further away here than Luton


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

donz said:


> Luton is nice and easy but I wish they had the eye scanners for the way back (it's not BAA) I like Heathrow too but it's just too expensive to fly with BA. Gatwick is my 3rd closest & happy to fly from here - parking is just further away here than Luton


I always do Luton to Alicante

no problems at either of them - especially if you're in a wheelchair

the wheelchair pushers at Alicante are much sexier than the ones at Luton though


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> I always do Luton to Alicante
> 
> no problems at either of them - especially if you're in a wheelchair
> 
> the wheelchair pushers at Alicante are much sexier than the ones at Luton though


Er......... you havent seen the wheel chair pushers at Málaga hun PHWOAOR!!!! 

Jo xxxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> Er......... you havent seen the wheel chair pushers at Málaga hun PHWOAOR!!!!
> 
> Jo xxxx


must just be Spain then:clap2:lane:


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

I used to like Coventry/
Small, quick & no jobs-worths.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

gus-lopez said:


> Yep, got to agree their, stansted is full of them. Bristol went downhill after they refurbished it , though it wasn't that good before. I'd have to say Exeter for me , easy access , not to big ,not normally any problems with weather like you get @ Bristol. Then again I hope I never have to visit a British airport ever again.


There's nothing wrong with Brisssol airport!
Bearing in mind the alternative for me would be Heathrow - god forbid that I ever have to do that journey again via National-_we-are-the-most-expensive-bus-service-in Europe_-Express.
The problem in Bristol is the road leading up to it, a windy, narrow deathtrap otherwise known as a leafy, country lane!! And, in that usual British way, you have to pay a fortune for everything. Parking is 4 pounds now I think after 5 mins drop off, you have to pay for the trolleys etc etc.
Easy jet are the only ones doing Madrid - Bristol direct and I don't know what I'd do without it. It's cheap and pretty punctual. And only half an hour away from Weston super Mud - what more can I ask for!!


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> when you Glasgow do you mean Prestwick or Abbottsinch (Paisley)? there is world of difference between them.
> 
> Prestwick isn't a BAA airport




I did mean Paisley but I have flown from Prestwick many time to Paris and found it fine.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> There's nothing wrong with Brisssol airport!
> Bearing in mind the alternative for me would be Heathrow - god forbid that I ever have to do that journey again via National-_we-are-the-most-expensive-bus-service-in Europe_-Express.
> The problem in Bristol is the road leading up to it, a windy, narrow deathtrap otherwise known as a leafy, country lane!! And, in that usual British way, you have to pay a fortune for everything. Parking is 4 pounds now I think after 5 mins drop off, you have to pay for the trolleys etc etc.
> Easy jet are the only ones doing Madrid - Bristol direct and I don't know what I'd do without it. It's cheap and pretty punctual. And only half an hour away from Weston super Mud - what more can I ask for!!


I agree - and it's got an all weather landing system - bet Exeter hasn't! Actually it's all about personal convenience isn't it? Bristol is 20 minutes from our UK base, anywhere else is a real pain.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> I always do Luton to Alicante
> 
> no problems at either of them - especially if you're in a wheelchair
> 
> the wheelchair pushers at Alicante are much sexier than the ones at Luton though




When I flew into Alicante there was a women being pushed round and I marvelled at the height of her stiletto heels and thought she must have fallen off them to be in the wheelchair... then she got up and walked away once the attendant had fetched her cases.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> When I flew into Alicante there was a women being pushed round and I marvelled at the height of her stiletto heels and thought she must have fallen off them to be in the wheelchair... then she got up and walked away once the attendant had fetched her cases.


OMG you caught me!!!!!!
















not really...............


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## giritana (Aug 3, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> I had to fly from Glasgow to Alicante but had to go via Stanstead as I had to see someone for a couple of hours. My hold luggage weighed in at 19 kilos in Glasgow and 22 in Stanstead! My hand luggage went through security ok at Glasgow and yet at Stanstead they told me I couldn't take my deodorant. I told them I had just come down from Glasgow with the same case a couple of hours ago. I quote
> "they are obviously not doing their job properly and when not if we have another terrorist attack they will not be secure"
> I also had to take my sandals off at Stansted because they have a big metal buckle on them.


I also avoid Stansted - last time, when returning to Spain, an officious official confiscated my newly purchased jars of Thai Curry paste and Seville marmalade - then unavailable in Asturias, lol! I begged him, _shamelessly and piteously_, to allow me to keep them, so he laughed and told me to watch as he chucked them into a rubbish bin behind him at his desk! ( I'd hoped to collect a plastic bag of the appropriate size, in which to place them for security reasons, at the airport, but they'd run out, because of the sheer number of passengers passing through...!). 

My small opened bottle of drinking water - I was taking medication every hour and needed to swill it down - was also confiscated - when I pointed out that at Oviedo airport, Asturias, on the way to the U.K, I'd simply been asked to drink a little, to prove it wasn't dangerous, I was told, 'You're not in Asturias, you're in Stansted!' - sadly, how very true....! 

The queues were ABSOLUTELY horrendous - I was also amazed that this 'international' airport had all its display notices and tannoy messages in English only - I had to help 2 Asturian families negotiate their way through to the bus station there - non - English speakers not so welcome...! The train service into central London from there costs an arm and a leg - a big shock for foreign visitors who are sold flight tickets to this 'third London airport', lol!

I now live in Cadiz. so use either Jerez, which is lovely - small, friendly and easily accessible by bus from my city, or Seville - a 2 hour train ride from my home, but many more available flights. Some British friends here get the bus to La Linea and then walk across to Gibraltar airport, when there's a really good deal on cheap flights back home.

At Xmas, I flew to London with Vuelling Airlines - the 'cheapie' side of Iberia - great service with a smile, lots of leg room -I'm tall - and a bigger baggage allowance - 23 kilos, same as for Iberia scheduled flights! I am going to stick with this airline - wasn't even charged extra coming back, despite having 28 kilos in my case - all those foodie Chrissie pressies, lol!


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Yes , that's what they fail to tell people when they call it 'London stansted' is that it is in essex & that ' London gatwick' is in sussex , & that by car it will take you longer to get in to London than the flight from spain took !


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

gus-lopez said:


> Yes , that's what they fail to tell people when they call it 'London stansted' is that it is in essex & that ' London gatwick' is in sussex , & that by car it will take you longer to get in to London than the flight from spain took !


I find that soooo annoying. We use Gatwick, which is nowhere near London, its Crawley and on the Surrey- West Sussex border

Jo xxx


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