‘Appalling’ airport drives passengers away

IT is hardly surprising that Leeds Bradford Airport is incurring losses of more than £10m. (Yorkshire Post, December 23).

Far from this being attributable to the effects of the Iceland volcanic eruption, may I venture to suggest that the real reasons lie rather closer to home. The customer experience at Leeds Bradford is, frankly, appalling. I approached a recent visit to collect friends returning from holiday with a mixture of despair and anger, having become wearily familiar with the money-grubbing routine that this now involves.

As usual, I had no option but to be charged £2 to merely enter the car park, and then had to walk in the pouring rain to the arrivals area, the provision of any sort of covered walkway apparently being beyond the ken of the airport’s management. As usual, I was charged a further £1 to obtain a trolley in order to transport my friends’ luggage. As usual, they arrived back soaking wet, the aircraft having parked 100 yards away from the terminal, and they having had to traipse into the building through the rain. And, of course, we got even wetter going back to the car.

Never again. It is Manchester for me from now on, with its sensible and practical facilities that appear to have been designed with the comfort and convenience of passengers in mind.

Leeds Bradford Airport does not deserve the custom of those it treats with such scant regard.

From: Rose Hamilton, Horsforth, Leeds.

I’M afraid I will never use Leeds Bradford Airport again, even though I only live a couple of miles away. When I go away, I want to relax. I don’t want the hassle of an airport that rips you off from the moment you turn up by taxi.

At least you’re made to feel welcome at Manchester. The best thing to happen here would be for Robin Hood Airport to expand and improve.