Happy 2009 everyone. Having trouble juggling the hours in the day....but have managed to come throu...
Happy 2009 everyone. Having trouble juggling the hours in the day....but have managed to come through with a review at long last. :)
Member since:03.08.2001
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I seem to be turning into a reviewer of Airports. It’s not intentional; it’s just that, for the first time in ages, I am travelling a little more than usual. We’ve just booked a holiday to Benidorm and we will be flying from East Midlands Airport, so I thought I would tell you a little bit about the Airport and what you will find there.
East Midlands International Airport is located near to the southern boundary of Derbyshire. The airport 21km (13 miles) southwest of Nottingham, 11km (17 miles) southeast of Derby and 30km (19 miles) northwest of Leicester.
The airport can be reached by public transport from Derby, via the 73, 121 and 123 buses. From Long Eaton there are the 5B and "Air-Line" services which run between East Midlands Airport and Long Eaton. There is also a “Flightlink” coach service, from Chesterfield bus station. Details of all these services can be found on the Derbyshire County Council Transport web-site (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ derbyshire_public_transport/AIRPORTE.HTM#che).
There isn’t a Railway Station near to the Airport, so it’s not really that convenient to travel there by train. The nearest stations are at Long Eaton and Loughborough;
both of which are about ten miles away if you want to get a taxi. We usually get a taxi from our home in Chesterfield. This is a good, but quite expensive option, and usually costs us around £40 for a return trip.
If travelling by car there are car parking facilities available. There are over 4000 car parking spaces which can be found in the short and long stay car parks. Advance booking is not necessary, but is advisable in peak season. A regular courtesy bus operates between the long stay car parks and the main terminal building. This is nice if you have heavy bags to carry! Charges for parking vary depending on length of stay, but you can call 01332 852852 ext 3263 for further information.
The airport is located near the M1 Motorway and travellers are advised to leave the motorway at junction 23A for Northbound traffic and at Junction 24 if you are Southbound. The Airport is well signposted, but with my sense of direction I’m always glad to have someone to drive me there – there are advantages to not owning a car!
East Midlands Airport is smaller and less congested than some of the other UK alternatives. I prefer it to Manchester Airport, my other closest International airport, because it is easier to navigate and I feel more comfortable in the smaller (and friendlier) environment. Facilities at the airport are good; you will find all the essential things you need along with other less essential features.
INFORMATION DESKS
There is a 24 hour information desk located in the main terminal building and a message board for passengers is next to this. This is very useful if you need to leave a message for a passenger, because this is the place everyone knows to look. To leave a message, or make enquiries, the telephone number is 01332 852 852.
AIRPORT FACILITIES
Cash machines can be found in the arrivals area of the Main terminal. A lost property service is operated from the Information desk and there are 2 bureaux de change. There is a First Aid Room, baby changing and nursing room (in the International Departure Lounge) and a play area in the Main Terminal. There’s also a television in the lounge, so everybody can be kept amused. I have never experienced any major delays, but there is always this possibility, so it is nice to there is something for the young (and not so young) to do! I was also interested in the viewing area; this is open to everyone, not just the passengers, and I remember enjoying watching the planes when I went with my dad to pick someone up from arrivals.
REFRESHMENTS
There is a food hall on the first floor offering a variety of meals and snacks, including a Burger King, Upper Crust, Country Kitchen & the Local Hero traditional pub. Apart from some designated areas, the airport is no smoking, so you expect to enjoy your food in a smoke-free environment. We had a drink in the Pub, but we decided to eat at Burger King. Our food was very nice and not too much more than we would expect to pay at the Burger King in Chesterfield. We were able to sit anywhere in the food hall and were not limited to just sitting by Burger King.
HOTELSI have never had to stay overnight near the airport, so I can’t comment on the hotels. There is The Thistle Hotel, which is located in the grounds of the airport; very convenient, but maybe a little noisy! There’s a Holiday Inn at the nearby business park and also a Hilton located a short distance away. There are other places to stay in the surrounding area, but this all depends on how much you want to pay and how far you are prepared to travel! The Information desk has details of accommodation and the staff were available to help all day.
SHOPPING
Don’t expect the huge variety of shops provided at the larger airports, but there is still a good selection. These include a Booksplus newsagents & books shop, Boots the Chemist, a general convenience store, a Derby County FC Souvenir shop, an aviation gift shop, a lingerie and swimwear shop, a cosmetics and jewellery shop, a toy shop, a football shop, a music store, a hairdressers, a sweet shop and a sunglasses and hosiery shop. In the International departures lounge there is a smoking area and a Duty Free Shop. There is a Travel Centre between the Main Terminal Building and the Departures are.
We didn't buy anything from the shops, but browsing kept us occupied for quite a while. We especially liked looking at the models in the Aviation shop; I've not encountered one of these when I have travelled from other airports (unless I just never noticed among the larger number of shops in the bigger airports).
Everything is easy to find, and because the Airport isn’t too big, it is very convenient. Prices are higher than you will find in the High Street, but this is only to be expected at Airports! Food and drink prices are always more expensive (but not astronomical), but there is a good selection and the place was pretty clean and tidy.
CHECK-IN
Check-in desks are located in the Main Concourse area and I have never experienced a long wait. This might have something to do with the fact that we are always there before anyone else arrives, but I still have no complaints about the service. Staff have always been friendly and helpful; there are always one or two exceptions to this rule, but generally my experience has been good.
DISABLED FACILITIES
Although I have had no experience of these myself, a friend of mine (who is a wheelchair user) has told me that the facilities are generally good. There are disabled toilets, electronic doors, a lift to the food hall and adapted phones that are lower to the floor. Wheelchairs are available for the less mobile, but if you require assistance boarding the plane you need to mention this when booking. This is useful to know, because if you just turn up there may not always be an ambulift available.
When choosing a holiday I always ask to see if there is a flight available from East Midlands Airport before I consider the other choices. I have found some destinations that you can’t reach from there and sometimes there are times when the flights are not available on the days I need. This is not a major problem and is probably because of the size of the Airport; you can’t expect it to offer the same service as a major International facility like Heathrow.
I would recommend East Midlands as another choice for your holiday flights because I always find I am much more relaxed when I fly from here. I know I am biased, because it’s the closest airport to where I live, but it is still a really good place to travel from.
Try it and see what YOU think!
Note: I was going to provide a link to the East Midlands Airport web-site, where you can check arrival and departure times, as well as finding information about the airport and it's facilities. The site doesn't seem to be working at the moment. For when it is the URL is http://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/
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good op, my only experience of this airport was when I was trying to get to Manchester, and we couldn't land for fog, making a one hour flight into a four hour journey! At least we landed safely at EMA! Helen
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Advantages: Not too busy, pleasant staff, personal service, comfortable, clean and tidy, easily accessible from major roads Disadvantages: Needed more things for the children to do
Oct 12th, 2001
(Oct 14th, 2001)
very helpful by (100%):
