London Luton
Operated By: |
 London Luton Airport Operations Ltd |
Website: |
www.london-luton.co.uk |
Terminals: |
1 |
This Review: |
Only Terminal |
Rating: |
 |
| LTN LONDON TT0107 /221750 |
Last updated 04/08/2008
General: |
Small regional airport serving UK, Ireland and EU. Home of EasyJet and Britannia airlines and strangely where departing England football teams leave from! Unlike Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick Luton airports station is some 10 mins away by free shuttle bus (from newly opened Luton Airport Parkway station previously about 15 mins from Luton station) |
Appearance: |
Luton has recently opened a new terminal and it makes the airport look sleek, modern and efficient.... until you enter the old terminal building now housing passport control and departure gates. After the splendour of the new check-in area with its couple of shops high tech looking desks and information screens everywhere you come down with a bump as you walk through into the old terminal building to go through security into the departures area. The buildings looks tired with stained carpet and warn looking walls. Passing though security the main waiting area has been tarted up with a couple of shops, a bar and a KFC. |
Inbound
Domestic
Small annex on the side of the terminal building. You collect your baggage before passing through passports or customs. The reason for this is that one end of the baggage belt is out on the tarmac and it just passes through a hole in the wall into the collection area .
International
All flights are treated the same as domestic.
As I have only flown into Luton from the UK and Ireland I have not needed to go through immigration.
The baggage hall resembles a small lean to that has been tacked onto the end of the terminal building and may have been a cattle shed in a former life. It is cold, not very inviting and despite the fact the luggage only has to come a couple of hundred yards takes ages for items to come round.
As I have only flown to the UK and Ireland from Luton I have not needed to go through customs.
Regular free shuttle buses link the airport terminal with Luton Airport Parkway station from where there are regular Thameslink trains back into Central London, South London and the South Coast as well as north towards Bedford. There are also some trains from Midland Mainline back into St Pancras and towards the Midlands. Coaches from outside the terminal go to many parts of the UK.
Outbound
Domestic
Makes the international departures lounge look like the Ritz. Possibly the most worn out part of the airport with absolutely nothing to do other than stare at your nonexistent flight!
International
Leaving the departures area for the gate you enter another coach station come mutant conservatory, like Dublin. In fact seeing this is where the flights to Dublin leave from the architecture looks as though both airports brought the same kit from the airport equivalent of IKEA!. The departures area is not very large with little to do and even less to buy. My advice would be to stay in the bar next to KFC until your flight is actually called.
No bars on the land-side of the airport and a small pub on the air-side. There is also a small bar next to the domestic gates.
Cafe near the check-in gates land-side. A small cafe on the air-side.
No real restaurants to speak of on the land-side of the airport and only pub grub or KFC once you are through into air-side
Couple of shops on the land-side and few more once you are through into air-side though there is not much of a selection other than the usual suspects of a newsagents, a bookshop and a branch of Dixons.
The toilets are very clean and well maintained.
