Hi all
My sister and I are flying from Birmingham with Ryanair, and for the first time using the check-in on line and using the drop luggage facility at the airport. How well does it work, are the queues long? Have read on various sites it can quick or a complete nightmare. Someone mentioned that they missed their flight whilst waiting in line. Some complained it was just like checking in the normal way with long queues. what's the drop off like here? Have always used the normal check in procedures with package holiday. Any warning or advice would be greatly appreciated. I did put this question in another section but just got a rather unhelpful answer which said nothing really. I am a mature lady and have travelled a lot and just needed information on a procedure I am not familiar with, and not get a put down as if I am "stupid", reply. I noticed on the departures section of bhx they were only using 2 desks for two flights check in and bag drop, I would have thought there would have been separate queues for bag drop only, and more than two desks to do check-in, seems that its a waste of time checking in on line, if you have to still queue in line with the others who haven't. I am going to Gran Canaria on the 20th next month flight is 6.25am (half term) Anyone flown on this flight during these last few weeks. I do realise it will be busier half term

Thank you in advance
Dawnie-Rob

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Dawnie-Rob ,

I don't use BHX so I can't help with queue lengths, but Ryanair only offer online check-in so both desks should be baggage drop-off. I wouldn't have thought it would take too long to drop bags off, just allow 2 - 2.5 hours before your departure time. It's true though that with the popularity of online check-in with some airlines, and limited desks, the baggage drop off can sometimes take longer then regular check-in. This shouldn't be the case with Ryanair though as they only do online check-in. Ryanair flights are pretty standard, you litterally get what you pay for with them.

Darren

Hi there
Thank you Darren for your quick response, hopefully it will be ok. I watched the flight this morning, and noticed it got away early so it seemed that today everyone got on in time. Mind you, might be different in the school holiday!

Thank you again
Dawn

Does anyone know of a smoking area at Birmingham airport? Thanks in advance.

minione....as you probably know no smoking inside public buildings anywhere, you can smoke outside, we check-in then go back outside for one before going upstairs to departures.

Hi
My parents are flying from Birmingham to malaga with Monarch...although they have bags booked for the hold they are to check in on line...could anyone tell us..is there a seperate kiosk for pre checked in passengers just to drop off luggage etc from the normal check in in desks or is it seperate?
Also do monarch check in all their flights together on the same desks? Last year they flew with BMI baby and they were checking in 3 flights together from the same row of desks and the ques were awfull???
Thanks for any help
Jo x

We've always loved using this airport and now that they've modernised the security checking section, we love it even more. Knocks Stansted into a cocked hat.

Les

Hi
Has anyone been through the airport since the two terminals have been made into one?

Is there much difference in what was Terminal 1's departure lounge etc???

hi,

can anybody tell me how long the flight from Birmingham to frankfurt takes please? Also, are the car hire drop off areas clearly signposted? thanks

Just bumping this topic to see if anybody can help with the location of the hire car drop off in relation to the departures area please?
Thanks.

Shirley - flight is 1.5 hours. Take a look at this link for drop off locations
http://www.hahn-airport.de/default.aspx?cc=en&menu=rental_car

Thanks Helen. Son's brought the paperwork home this evening. His flights supposed to be 1hr 16 mins. I didn't make myself very clear about the car hire drop off. He's hiring a car for the drive up to Birmingham, I was wondering where the Avis drop off point at the airport is sorry.

Have a look here Shirley - it seems Avis is at point D http://www.birmingham-airport-guide.co.uk/car-hire.html

the Hahn link wouldn't be much use anyway, that's the place near Luxembourg that Ryanair use. They don't go there from Brum so he'll be going to the real FRA with BMI/Lufthansa.

And the Birmingham link is an unoffical site which appears to be completely different to what the real site says http://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/getting-to-the-airport/car-hire.aspx looking on Google Streetview the car hire returns car park is clearly marked as you run into the airport terminal area - but the short walk to the terminal seems to be uncovered so hope it doesn't rain.

Thanks both.

Steve, we found the car drop off sign on street view last night
Son's just text to say he's dropped the hire car off and checked in, in good time

thanks again

I need a camcorder for my hols and I was thinking of getting it from dixons travel at the airport.
Will it be much cheaper or do they add a bit of Extra as it's vat free.
What are the cons.
Thanks

grayson99,

In my experience, airport shopping isn't that much cheaper than the high street. If anything, you may find it cheaper. The days of duty free are long gone! I went through MAN the other week and was looking at the price of dSLR cameras. I paid less for both the camera body and lens of the model I was looking for than in Dixons.

Darren

Regardless of whether it will be cheaper or not I think that what would put me off doing this is going away on holiday and then discovering that there is a problem with the camcorder. With something like that I would always want to get it in advance and make sure that everything worked (and that I knew how to work it!) before going away on holiday. Buying it at the airport on the way out means that if you have to return it to the shop for any reason you won't be able to do this until you arrive back at the airport on the way home minus the recordings of your holiday - which sort of defeats the object of buying it in the first place.

I know that these electronical goods are pretty reliable but that doesn't mean that they are failsafe. A clumsy sales assistant who dropped it in the stockroom and just put it back on the shelf is not beyond the realms of possibility!

SM

VAT free? I don't think so. They sell at the same price wherever you travel to (including UK domestic flights) so they must be charging VAT. They might have a different price list to the ordinary stores but they probably hope that people assume it's cheaper without checking or have just realised they've forgotten something and are desperate. And there's a market in foreign visitors who may find something cheaper than at home, especially if they have a higher VAT rate.