Manchester Airport is expecting its busiest December for three years with more than 1.7 million passengers expected to travel through this month and if you’re one of them, you might benefit from these handy tips.
The festive period can be hectic for many people whether you’re rushing to find the perfect gifts for loved ones or packing for a flight to see friends and family.
If you are jetting off, it’s important to be prepared and the northern hub has shared some tips for travelling through Manchester Airport this winter.
8 tips for a smooth journey through Manchester Airport this winter
Check which terminal you need before arrival
If you don’t travel often, you might not realise that Manchester Airport’s Terminal Three is now open so if you travel once a year to see loved ones, your terminal could be different to previous years.
To avoid any mishaps, make sure you check which terminal your flight departs from before you set off to the airport.
Book any required assistance in advance
If you or someone you are travelling with has reduced mobility, you can book assistance.
Assistance services are run by a specialist provider at Manchester Airport and you can book them in advance through your airline.
When travelling at busy times of the year, it’s important to book in advance to avoid a lengthy wait for assistance when you arrive.
Leave plenty of time for your journey, especially in bad weather
While wintery weather can be a pretty sight, it can also disrupt transport so making sure you’ve left enough time to get to the airport is important.
This year, there is some planned industrial action on the transport network.
Having a plan B is useful in case your journey is disrupted.
Remember the liquids, gels and pastes rule for hand luggage
Make sure products in your hand luggage containing liquids, gels or pastes are in a clear, resealable bag and don’t exceed 100ml each.
This includes items you might be taking away with you either as a gift or as a home comfort during your travels such as perfume, aftershave, make-up, condiments such as jams, butter and marmite, beverages and snow globes.
If these exceed 100ml, you’ll need to pack them in your hold luggage.
Remember certain foods contain liquids too
Solid food in sealed packs is allowed through security, but if a food item contains a liquid, gel or paste, then the regular hand luggage rules may apply.
Mince pies and yule logs are fine but Christmas puddings are very dense and can sometimes be flagged by the security scanners at Manchester Airport as a result.
This means your bag would need to be manually searched.
They are technically allowed in your hand luggage but the airport advises they are packed in your hold luggage, for this reason.
Check if your airline allows Christmas crackers on board an aircraft
While there is no hard-and-fast rule on taking Christmas crackers on board an aircraft, some airlines will let you take one or two sealed boxes, whereas others ban them altogether.
In many cases, this is dependent on the rules in the country you’re travelling to.
To save time, make sure you check if your airline accepts Christmas crackers in advance of your journey.
Do not pack wrapped presents
If your bag is selected for secondary screening during the security process, wrapped presents may need to be opened by a security officer for inspection, whether in your hand luggage or hold luggage.
Where possible, you should wrap presents once you have reached your destination.
Take off coats, jackets and other winter wear before reaching security
You can help keep waiting times down by removing outer layers before you reach the front of the security queue, having them ready to put straight into a tray.
Try to be as efficient as possible with trays – as long as items aren’t covering one another, items can go in the same tray.
If you have lots of outer layers, they will take up more trays and more time to be checked.
What happens if you miss your flight due to airport delays?
Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming the 1.7 million passengers who will travel through our airport over the festive period. This is a special time of the year for many, and we’re determined to make sure our guests get their Christmas off to the best possible start with a smooth and enjoyable journey through the airport.
“Being prepared is vitally important though, and we realise that, for some, this will be their first trip since before the pandemic. I’d encourage everyone flying out of Manchester over the Christmas period to check for road and rail disruption in advance of their journey to the airport, and to familiarise themselves with the current security rules.”
To find our more, you can visit the Manchester Airport website.
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