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The New Manchester Airport Terminal 2

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bradders1983

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Just wondered what peoples thoughts were about it. I used it myself on Saturday afternoon for a 4pm flight and to say I was underwhelmed was an understatement.

The new bit has essentially been bolted next to the old bit so the new check in area is next to the old one, and of course barely any airline is using the new bit. Its very nice and shiny though.

Security hall was the best bit, a breeze.

After this you go up a level to departures....very disappointing. Counted 5 outlets not open, told some werent even opening until next year. Queues to get into all the eateries, although I did enjoy my two pints in the Amber Alehouse.

Then came the trip to the gate. They have built a new pier with gates called A1 through A12, thought we may have one of those...oh no. Off to gate 203, which is as about as far from the new bit as you get. To get there it takes you back downstairs, past all the security screening again, and then through a door....which is a bit like a timewarp as you end up in the old bit of T2 which is exactly the same as it used to be (minus gates 212-215 which were lost in the new bit).
Same gaudy red seats, the only different being all the shops were closed and boxed off. Given the terminal was shut for ages you would have thought they would have refurbed the old bit too, this isnt happening until next year.

All in all a bit of a letdown....still, I am told the Arrivals experience is good so I still have that to look forward to.
 
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cactustwirly

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Never used Manchester Airport, but it can't be worse than Stansted surely?

At least it has seats at the gates, so definitely better than Luton, which has the worst gates of any airport I've used.
 

bradders1983

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Never had any issue with Stansted. Its just the whole throwing money at a new terminal, not having everything open, and then keeping the same 25 year old bit of the terminal untouched when the place had been shut for a good year
 

Caboose Class

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One of the the best thing about Covid / lockdown is not having had to use MAN for the past 18 months.
 

scrapy

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The plan was to start refurbing the old part of T2 straight after the new part opened in spring 2020. So the existing gates 201 to 211 wouldn't have been used simultaneously with the new terminal. COVID has obviously delayed things but the old part will be redeveloped with more retail and catering.
 

bradders1983

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Went through Arrivals last night. A long walk from the new gate A6 but once there the new arrivals section is night and day compared to T1, T3 and the old T2. Its absolutely massive, sailed through. 9 belts also in operation with another three being built.
 

Acfb

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Which airlines use T2 these days?
It had a bit of class when airlines like AF, KL, DL and SQ used it.


I used it in 2016 when I flew to Osaka via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific. It's very sad what has happened in Hong Kong since 2019 but I hope the Cathay flight lasts. I haven't been to Manchester in a while and am more familiar with T1
 
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bradders1983

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Sooner they bulldoze T1 the better, both piers are a disgrace given how they have had to seperate out incoming and outgoing passengers.
 

Cdd89

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I’ll be a bit sad when the old bit is rebranded. It was designed by the same architects as Heathrow Terminal 4 and it really shows. It all feels oddly familiar and full of nostalgia despite never having used it until recently!
 

Grumpy Git

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Manchester Airport is just a total a car crash full stop. Unfortunately it's the one I have to use 95% of the time.

Needs flattening and starting again.
 

bradders1983

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Manchester Airport is just a total a car crash full stop. Unfortunately it's the one I have to use 95% of the time.

Needs flattening and starting again.
Terminal 1 is a mess, how they have tried to split arriving and departing passengers. The old pier is ridiculous, how must it look to anyone arriving from Dubai on a big A380, you get off and you have to walk the full length of a crumbling pier.
 

Grumpy Git

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Terminal 1 is a mess, how they have tried to split arriving and departing passengers. The old pier is ridiculous, how must it look to anyone arriving from Dubai on a big A380, you get off and you have to walk the full length of a crumbling pier.
Then down a flight of stairs, underneath the corridor and back up another flight of stairs!
 

Andyh82

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I was a bit underwhelmed by the airside retail offer

There are a few pub style outlets all with long queues and where you need to wait for a table and be seated, and then a few coffee shops also all with long queues and very slow throughput as one or two members of staff make all the coffees one by one.

They’ve also tried to make it a bit upmarket rather than mainstream.

There seems to be nowhere where you can just grab something quickly, If there was a big Greggs they’d be rolling it in. A McDonalds/Burger King would do well also.

Presumably the airside part of the old Terminal 2 will have additional outlets once they’ve refurbished it?
 

Bantamzen

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Which airlines use T2 these days?
It had a bit of class when airlines like AF, KL, DL and SQ used it.
I went through T2 last week for a Tui flight, and Jet2 were also present as were KLM.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the airside retail offer

There are a few pub style outlets all with long queues and where you need to wait for a table and be seated, and then a few coffee shops also all with long queues and very slow throughput as one or two members of staff make all the coffees one by one.

They’ve also tried to make it a bit upmarket rather than mainstream.

There seems to be nowhere where you can just grab something quickly, If there was a big Greggs they’d be rolling it in. A McDonalds/Burger King would do well also.

Presumably the airside part of the old Terminal 2 will have additional outlets once they’ve refurbished it?
Yeah the retail offering in T2 is pretty poor with queues for tables at all food / drink outlets. Obviously work is continuing and this won't be the end product but I was very glad to only have a half an hour to burn before my gate was called. Security was quite quick though for a 07:45 flight.
 
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