Thanks David...I thought of the BHX web site as I pressed submit!

Birmingham Airport have discovered a new way to make lots of money. You now have to pay £1 for the privilege of dropping off or picking up!
See the press release here:
http://www.bhx.co.uk/page.aspx?type=bEyZftSD20U=&id=jAERoqnLlek=&article=lrE3PgZ04R0=

Terrific - have to pay to drop airport/airline staff members off at work now ...........!!

We are flying to Lanzarote on Thursday 22nd November from B'ham - our flight is at 11.45am and we want to be there 3 hours before to ensure that the 5 of us are seated together... we also have to park the car at the airport so i'm figuring we need to be there 3 and a half hours before.
We are travelling from Stafford down the M6 through Spaghetti etc or via the Toll.....our dilemma is do we leave mega early to ensure no traffic jams / delays with parking and then end up hanging around at the airport before the check in desk is even open OR do we give ourselves the hour / hour and a half that it would usually take us (leaving home about 7am)and take the chance of a delay / accident and not being there 3 hours before but then not have to wait around at the airport???

Sorry so long winded......We have flown from BHX many times before but always for 6/7am departures so we're really not sure what to expect traffic / parking wise.....any advice from a seasoned BHX traveller would be much appreciated.

Your hitting the M6 around the Birmingham area at a very busy period of aiming to get to the airport for just after 8am. Taking into account the propensity for accidents around those busy junctions I would allow yourself more time. You don't want to arrive at the airport stressed and worried!

We live in between Sutton and Lichfield and find the A road routes busy and take more time but ultimately you get there without jams on a motorway. It might be worth your while taking the M6 toll because then you only have a small bit of the M42 to negotiate at the end of the toll route. Might be worth the fee for the peace of mind it will give you and also if there are any jams on the M42 you will get the warnings well in advance and can then pop onto one of the many A roads for the last few miles of the journey.

Birmingham airport isn't a bad place to have to while away a few hours although I could do with comfier seats in the departure lounge!

HTH

We've heard from some "friends" that our holiday on Sunday could be affected by the possible foot and mouth outbreak in Solihull. Has anyone heard anything about flights being affected?

Thanks in anticipation

There is no foot and mouth outbreak in Solihull. It was given the all clear yesterday. The airport wasn't affected anyway despite the fact that parts of the terminal were in the exclusion zone!

Just a quick query if BAA strikes happen will it affect birmingham airport at all i no they are not one of theres but will they be functioning as normal hoping to fly from there at xmas and not sure whether to go ahead with booking now

Birmingham is not a BAA run airport so in theory the strikes against BAA should not affect it. However if there are delays in planes from other airports there will be a knock on effect but that shouldn't affect the majority of passengers nor the normal day to day running of the airport. Depends where you're flying to really but last time things were kicking off with BAA there was virtually no affect.

Ryanair unveils major expansion at Birmingham .... click here to read more in our Ryanair topic.

David

hi, flying from Birmingham airport this year, only ever flown from manchester before. can anyone tell me what its like? thanks

linzi_lou,

It's like Manchester only smaller!!! What specifically do you want to know? There's a thread dedicated to BHX where you might find answers to your questions or be able to get more specific answers. BHX's website has information on facilities, shops etc.

Darren

thanks, ill have a look through this thread and on the site

Its a lovely little airport that meets the needs of its customers virtually perfectly. It has a full sized frankie and benny's,snack cafe and burger king(quality, not cheap mc d's) all landside so you are not forced to trap yourselves early to go eat something decent. This way you can eat with your family before leaving.

It has ample shops landside also, WH smits/Wh smiths bookstores, CD shop, ladbrooks, arcade, newsagents, spar, foreign exchange and 2 millies cookies (yum yum) Starbucks.

once through the pretty painless security search- compared to bigger airports like Miami/Heathrow or Manchester.
You have a O'neils(i think or something similar) more of the usual suspects- duty free/wh smiths/claires accessories etc... Seating can be constrained at times at peak periods- 6-9am in summer etc...

Even the gates without the covered walkways(right at the end) are only about 5-8 minutes walk maximimum.
Perfect sized airport. - just don't coincide your flight with a Air india/Emirates departure/arrival as it quickly becomes a very very small airport what with all the "guests" welcoming/waving family off! then it is the airport from HELL!!!

There's also a Wetherspoons airside which does nice food. Plus a small museum called The Aviation Experience (http://www.bhx.co.uk/vtour/facilityPage.aspx?t=1&l=2&u=21) which has good views over the runway.

here's a really silly question, I know, but our break is all about timing!

I am taking my other half to Prague for his birthday, he doesnt know its all a surprise. We are flying from Birmingham with BMIBaby. Do they check in the flights individually i.e. do you queue up for the Prague flight or do they check all their flights in at the same desks.

Its just that I am trying to decide when to tell him where we are going. If its a matter of all flights checked in together then I MAY be able to delay telling him until the departure gate.

thanks in anticipation! Its not the end of the world if I tell him before check in but I dont want to spring the surprise in a check in area!

Last time I flew with Baby it was one big queue for all flights, just keep hold of the boarding pass and tell the check in staff not to tell you the gate or the boarding time verbally, otherwise he'll click

Thanks. I'm probably going to give it a try, but I am tempted to tell him the night before over a glass of champagne!

Just to inform anyone who wants to park at Birmingham airport. With NCP its only £23.92 to park for a week at their long stay carpark and transfer buses only take about 5mins.