Crikey, what a summer it has been at the UK’s seven biggest airports. Many of them have set records for passenger numbers. As none has expanded, that spells bigger crowds than ever.
You might be thinking everyone is home by now – but Stansted has left it to the last day of August for its busiest day of the year.
Given an all-other-things-being-equal between Stansted and its Essex rival, Southend airport, I would pick the latter for fast and friendly service – plus a 90-second journey from international arrivals to rail station platform.
Passengers prefer small airports, but Britain’s busiest hubs have their advantages too – from surface links to shopping. The largest seven in terms of passenger numbers comprise the key London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton), Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, with a total of 13 terminals between them.
After a high-pressure summer for the excellent frontline and backroom staff who keep them running, time to hand out some awards.
Parking
Money no object? At Gatwick North you can park within a single trolley shove of check-in.
Rail access
Birmingham and Gatwick North would be in with a shout, except both require an extra journey on a shuttle (or a long and confusing hike) from the rail station.
Manchester’s rail station has a wide range of departures, but it’s a long walk from any of the terminals. Heathrow Terminal 5 is handy for Elizabeth Line passengers, but for a combination of fast and frequent trains to loads of destinations, as well as a few steps from train to check-in, it must be Gatwick South.
Bus and coach access
Edinburgh, Birmingham and Heathrow Terminal 2 are strong contenders, but Luton – where the entire forecourt is one big bus station – is the clear winner.
Meeting arrivals
Bluntly, if I am waiting to meet someone, during the day I want decent coffee, and in the evening a convenient pub, both within sight of the emerging passengers. Edinburgh it is.
Security check
The least joyful part of any airport experience is the security search, and the dismal build-up in the shape of the queue snaking up to it. Heathrow Terminals 4 and 5 always feel pretty speedy, as does Gatwick North. But Birmingham is the surprise winner after big improvements this summer.
Shopping
… or, more accurately, retail opportunities only when you want them. Edinburgh, Stansted, Luton and both Gatwick terminals have labyrinthine trails through duty-free (though at Stansted you can pay extra to swerve them).
All four Heathrow terminals deliver plenty of purchasing possibilities that are not so in-your-face.
Wifi
Stansted.
Eat with a view
Wagamama at Gatwick South.
Drink (moderately)
Manchester Terminal 3 is possibly not going to win every award going for aesthetics, but I am a firm fan of the Lion & Antelope amid all the hyperactivity.
Best choice of airlines
Heathrow is the technical winner for the most carriers, but does not feature any of the UK or Irish low-cost airlines. So instead I choose Luton, which is the home base for easyJet but sees intense competition from Jet2, Ryanair and Wizz Air, just ahead of Manchester and Birmingham.
Pushback to take-off
At Heathrow this time spell can sometimes be measured in hours rather than minutes. Luton, Stansted and Edinburgh are often impressively fast, while Manchester is sometimes mystifyingly slow. Gatwick South is much closer than Gatwick North to the runway. But Birmingham, the quietest of the top seven, is likely to have you up in the air the fastest.
Passport control when you get home
At Heathrow Terminal 5 I have never encountered a queue of more than a couple of people ahead of me at the eGates.
Architecture
One of these airports won the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture: Stansted, in 1990.
Which is your favourite UK airport terminal, and why? s@hols.tv
Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
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