I really appreciate this airport! I have family in Devon but I live in the US, so being able to fly…read moreinto and out of this location is a total game-changer for me. They have direct flights to Dublin, which means many major world cities are just one connection away from here, including my home airport, MSP. And considering how many interesting holiday destinations are directly connected here (Greek islands, Canary Islands, numerous beachy parts of Spain, decidedly non-beachy parts of Finland, etc etc), I imagine that people in the SW of England must be pretty pleased as well. Curiously no flights to London, though, as of May 2024.
This is the smallest airport I've been to! I'm used to big-city airports so I'm childishly charmed by its small footprint, its adjacent cow pastures, and even the little prop planes parked on the grass. You would think the smaller scale would result in shorter waits at security, but no. Everyone, including flight crews, waits in line for a single person to scrutinize everyone for several minutes. I was in security for thirty minutes on a Friday morning.
There are a couple of convenience stores, some comfortable lounge areas, and an actual Executive Lounge with drinks, baked goods, a latte machine, and other snacks. I'm not sure many people would think it was worth paying outright for entry to the Executive Lounge, since the publicly available seating is pleasant enough, but I was glad I was able to get in by flashing my Priority Pass card.
My least favorite thing is that they charge you even to drop someone off or pick them up! My dad just wanted to drop me off at the terminal and had to pay five pounds. I think many people just tolerate walking in from the road. I think it's mean to put us in that position.
The staff I dealt with were very kind! I had a question about routing my luggage, and several people were summoned to weigh in and ensure that my needs were met. Mostly I'm just glad that, as someone who needs to get to this area from the US, I have this option available.
