Never flown out of Birmingham airport before (and hopefully never again!!). A complete disorganised chaotic checkin and security system. Makes the whole experience a nightmare. read more

Birmingham Airport - BHX - Security chaos! - Airports Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Mmmmmm ..... not bad. I've been in worse airports than BHX. but improvements can be made. A bit confusing to get around and find things. You have to be "on your toes" to make your way around BHX. Some better signage would be great. Now that I've been through this airport, I feel I can get around better. At this time, there is some construction. So it may take a little longer to get around. Overall this is a reasonably decent airport. read more

Birmingham Airport - BHX - Airports Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Its still a dump. Parking/drop off is about a 2 mile walk through the hampster tunnel. Refurbished check in and security have improved things just before the half mile walk through some of the most tacky bullshit expensive duty free shopping in an airport. Slimy people ready to pounce on you if you make eye contact. A twisted convoluted pathway through all of this unnessersary rubbish designed to torture disabled and special needs customers. This is cruel and inhuman. Smelly bathrooms abound. read more

This was one of the worst airports I've ever entered . It would have been better if I travelled the 3 hours to Heathrow . The departures area was total mayhem. I thought I was never ever going to get past it. When I was finally finished checking in , you then have to take an elevator upstairs to the security area, thus was totally ridiculous as they create 3 lanes and control how many people go one, with the fast lane folks getting priority and go in an elevator even if there's just 2 people while the other two lines get longer and longer, and the wheelchair folks just go as they come up . I waited about 30 mins here to finally get the elevator up only to encounter the huge security line you then have to go through, I had no idea how long this was going to take , probably an hour, as we moved slowly up, my saving grace came when one of the security personnel came by to ask who had a 2.25pm flight , as we'd probably never make it, and pulled us forward. Even then it was another 15 mins, then finally another 10 minute walk to the gate and then get in a shuttle to take us to the plane. This was just a crazy time at an airport. Was so relieved to finally sit in my seat! Learnt my lesson! Not flying out of here again! read more

I flew in from Amsterdam to Birmingham, UK on what might have been a historic weekend! Yep - it was the day after the original, official Brexit day and let me tell ya, at least for Birmingham Airport, they were prepared to leave! There were three lines at Passport security - UK citizens, EU citizens, and Other passports. Went thru the Immigration line super fast - Non-EU, non-UK passport at 9 pm on a Saturday night, was a breeze, despite only two Border Security counters being open. From their, it was a hop thru to a slightly confusing bag claim area and then was headed out to the exits and a long walk to the parking area. Departures Saw some great games on the floor of heading towards gates 40 - 68 Tip: parking lot 4 Yelp / 2019 read more

This is equivalent to a third world airport! Can't drop passenger off at entrance without paying. Horrible layout. You will definitely get your steps in! Terrible, disjointed set up inside. Ugly and filthy. Bathroom gross, out of TP, few and far between. Poor signage. Nightmare going through security. Husband took off his belt and it didn't come through. Ray; they never found it! Have to walk through yards and yards of Duty Free crap to get to gate. Minimal food choices. Absolutely awful. read more

I'm trying very hard to find positives of this airport but I struggle to find some. Maybe the fact that they have the new scanning system at security? Or that you don't need to go all the way to London from theNorth of England to catch a plane? There are a lot of low cost airlines such as Ryanair who fly from Birmingham airport and that is exactly how it feels: a low cost, no frills airport. But if I pay for a business class ticket with a mainline airline such as Swiss - I expect service and there is none at Birmingham. Arguably they have a fast track security line but they sell tickets for that so there is a lot of people who buy a pass and it is as busy as a normal security line. The lounge is just subpar and there is limited dining options outside the lounge. The boarding of the aircraft is done via a separated type of "room" which makes it very difficult for the ground staff to manage any priority passengers such as business class or frequent flyers. And my biggest complaint is that during the multiple times I've been here, there was never enough space for people to sit and wait for their flights so everybody sits on the floor. Will avoid if possible - not impressed. read more

Birmingham Airport (BHX) is the seventh busiest airport in the UK by passenger numbers. While it might not be the largest Airport, it is rather well managed and a pleasant experience overall. My favourite thing about the Airport is the AirRail Link - this is a super cool Monorail which runs from Birmingham International Railway Station. This is a free service that takes around 90 seconds (services leave every two minutes). Unlike many airports around the world which have monopolised the tracks and transportation, it is great to see them offer a free service. I loved the self-driving carriages and the views and music inside, I did notice a couple of people just riding up and down. When leaving the airport, your best bet (to avoid an expensive taxi) is to either use the bus station (plenty of buses stop right outside), OR you can use the AirRail link to get into Birmingham International, from there it is around a 10-15 minute train journey into Birmingham New Street, for the city centre, where you are then able to access train journeys all across the country. Birmingham International also links in with the NEC, where you can visit shops, restaurants and even more hotels, it is also home to Resorts World. The airport is clean and there are a couple of places before security including All Bar One, Costa, Marks and Spencer, Spar and WHSmith, these would be useful if you're staying at the airport hotels, but do take note of their opening hours as many are shutting early right now, even though some do advertise 24/7 openings! I did not use security myself, but I did notice the waiting times were minimal. As the Airport isn't too big with only one terminal, there are many countries/destinations which the airport doesn't serve, including the USA in terms of non-stop journeys. For example, a flight to New York, for example, would require changing at either Amsterdam, Dublin or Paris. There isn't a great deal of shops/restaurants after security, it is minimal but hopefully, you won't be there long anyway (delays pending!) 4* read more

Birmingham Airport - BHX - Airports Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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The new security scanners are awesome. You don't need to remove anything from your bags, not even liquids or laptops. It's a breeze. Plus there's a choice of lounges and all are good! There's likely to be one near your gate! Long term care parking doesn't cost an arm or a leg. If ONLY they would hurry up and get done with the construction. And the toilets could be cleaner, bigger and more in number! read more

I love an airport that is quick to get through security and has great links from the station. My train today took ten minutes to get from Birmingham new street to international with a five minute sky rail link to departures. It took around 30 minutes for me to get through the security here and the security and staff seemed surprisingly upbeat as pleasant...another welcome surprise. One other thing to note is the scanners at the gates recognise barcodes on your phone so don't be worried about not printing passes! If you are considering flying fro. East Midlands....don't....international is better on all fronts. read more

Birmingham Airport - BHX - Airports Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

BHX is a nice little airport with all you need. Good reachability, nice restaurants, friendly staff. The free wifi is also a treat, but not behind security :( read more

I have been using Birmingham International (Terminal 2) regularly for almost three years now and I find it provides a good service, as airports go. The security has changed recently, terminal 2 doesn't have it's own security anymore and it appears to have been merged with terminal 1s security. The security is very thorough but as a result slow, so if you are travelling at peak times add another 15-20 minutes contingency onto the time before your flight. The route from security to terminal 2 has also been changed and travellers are now herded down to the shopping area of terminal 1. So now travellers using terminal 2 have more choice. Just remember to keep an eye on the flight info for your gate and the few minutes you will need to get there. Another REALLY good thing I noticed on my last visit here is there is now FREE WIFI - YAY! You do need to register and answer a few questions, but then you are given an hours worth for WIFI. I hadn't checked for WIFI here in a long long time, but I'm glad I did check last Sunday. Another recent addition to the airport is there is a small Marks & Spencer in Terminal 2 (pre-Security) All in all a really nice airport, well done BHX read more

Birmingham Airport - BHX - Terminal 2 - Airports Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Middle of the road airport in my opinion. It was very hard to traverse through because the signage was unclear and there were lines everywhere; ticket counters, security, etc. Security, believe it or not, was the most efficient and impressive thing about this airport. Although the lines were long, they had a very efficient means of moving people through and clearing security checks. The ticket counters though; show up 1.5 hours before your flight. read more

Not as many shops as you would expect for such a large city airport. Overall it's good, easy access via parking or train. The main problem is that the construction approach as been to add new facilities in a random way, like the main departure is via a single staircase which looks like it would go to a service area or some staff area. Although as a commuter airport I think it does ok. Good places to eat and drink in departures. Edit: i forgot just how slow passport control is here. read more

Birmingham Airport - BHX - Airports Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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It's small and easy to navigate but when I arrived for an early morning flight it was extremely packed. Also the security bag check took a very long time they ran several peoples bag thru several times and some of us nearly missed our flight. read more

I have travelled to the UK four times now, and I have yet to have a good experience at this airport! I am convinced that my American accent does not sit well with airport staff, although I have been nothing short of gracious and polite. This last time I was there was on 9/1/21 and a customer service rep in Assisted Travel was downright rude to me each and every time I approached her desk to ask a question. I observed her with other travellers and she absolutely dripped honey. I was awaiting my ride, and it took close to two hours for him to arrive. This area of the airport was across the aisle from a shop called Spar. If you encounter any issues, by all means, post a review of your experience. I hope she was just having an off day! read more

I got to baggage collection after 17 hours travelling. I had around 60 kilos of luggage because I was relocating from Asia to Europe. The baggage trolleys needed a pound coin! I don't live in the UK so I don't have pound coins! There were no staff around to help. I had to drag my sixty kilos outside without a trolley. It was very annoying and exhausting. I can't imagine how bad it would be if you had young children or were elderly. I can't think of another airport that does this. Very few ex-pats or visitors from outside the UK are likely to have pound coins. read more

I really dig the shuttle you get from the train station. It's like a miniature adventure park ride before you do the flight bit. Or, am I just an eternal child?! (And hopefully, when you fly, you're off on adventures so it's exciting to do the airport bit afterwards.) It's easy to find your gate. It's clean. It's got a decent enough range of shops and eateries for before your flight. (For example, I decided to buy two new MAC lipsticks before jetting off this time.) Staff have all been helpful and lovely on my two visits. It was easy enough to get to from Leeds, which suits me well since Leeds Bradford doesn't seem to ever have affordable flights to where I'm going. I'm a fan! And I'll likely be back. And when I am, I'll update with more useful information! read more

I quite like Birmingham Airport. The parking is ok if you know what you are doing. its clean, not to big, not to crowded and has a few decent shops inside. Probably more than an airport of its size should have really. All in all not bad at all. There are also cheaper parking alternatives quite nearby. My trick is to park in Birmingham International train station for £6 per day and then get the monorail across to the airport ( takes five minutes and drops you in the airport ). Otherwise you park in the long stay for £12 a day then have to wait for a bus in the rain and then catch a bus to the station which drops you outside. HONESTLY never park in the long stay there you are wasting money and time. read more

Last time I went in England, it was in London, so compared to it the airport is for sure much smaller here in Birmingham, though absolutely big enough for what you need while waiting on your flight. Amongs lots of others, you can find the famous Costa Coffee, Prêt à manger, or  Accessorize. For ladies, even this kind of airport nailbar will help you to see time fly faster. The security check was one of the most intense ever experienced ;) Plan that you might spend a little while if your suitcase is picked up to have a deeper check. They even used checking tools I had never seen in my life on mine! All gates are quite close from the main shopping area and there is nothing else to do once you are at your gate so move on last minute ;) For passengers arriving for the first time in Birmingham, bus 900 is leaving quite often directly to the city center (to pick up right in front of the airport exit) : approx. 45 min journey and you are in town! Warning : even though nobody coming from out of the UK would have some when they get there, buses only accept coins, it is not possible to pay your journey with bills! So be ready to have coins with you (2,10 pounds one way) OR to give a big smile and explain with your strong french accent that you are very sorry but didn't know and will make some change and be back. They might be touched and let you get in for free ;-) read more

Birmingham Airport - BHX - Bus stop - Airports Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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Yelp's been suggesting BHX as a place for me to review so here we go. Normally I get the train to Birmingham International Railway Station or I get dropped off by the bus stops at the Railway Station (free to do so). I get the free Air-Rail Link (Which used to be called MagLev and was the first proper public magnetic levitation railway in the world.) It's only closed between 2am and 5am (Are there no planes at that time?) Checking in online creates a slight confusion as you still have to work out where to go once you arrive at the airport. While you wait there's bars (to steady your nerves of course) And plenty of food. Try and allow 10 minutes on top of the arrival time. Best chance to relax in the departures or work out what Toblerone is the best offer to have. read more

It's a wonderful little airport, that is easy to get to by public transport or by car. If you travel by train there is a free shuttle service metro link which is like a glass pod that glides above the buildings/roads (very Jetsons!) Because it's not too big it's very easy to find your way around and getting through the check-in's nice and quick. The staff here are helpful and friendly. The only criticism is that with it only being a small airport that means they are limited to the places to which they fly. read more

Ok I see many people reviewing Birmingham airport and many positive comments, which on the whole I would agree with. However I have a rather sizeable issue. Why do all the shops close at 8pm? I was on a flight which departed after 8pm so I witnessed the retail outlets all closing their doors and locking up. I believe the restaurants remained open but I could be wrong as I did not go and check, but I can say they the nero closed along with everything around it. I felt sorry for the people who were on the Dubai flight as it was delayed for 2 hours and they were not on the plane, so best of luck with that. The airport is fairly modern and certainly makes it easy enough to get around it, in my opinion there are more eating options before you go through security. Speaking of security and i know it is the pain of all travellers but I found this line to be slow and painful. I think they could have opened more lanes but I always think that!! Once you are through security the gates are well labelled and there is ample seating to sit on if you want to. Its not the best airport but it certainly does the job. Sort out the closing time of the amenities and I am sure I might be able to stretch to that 4th store. read more

In general, I like airports. They're big, and shiny, and have shiny things and planes and did I mention shiny things? You turn up, show some paperwork, and then you get on a plane and go somewhere else. It's a nice system. Birmingham has a nice layout, the staff I encountered were all incredibly helpful and friendly - and the selection of shops and eateries is more than acceptable. Even the usual "airport premium" on prices was almost bearable. The shuttle from the airport to the rail station was unexpected. It made me smile and giggle like a 5 year old who's heard the word "bum" in conversation. I navigated round the airport easily and quickly, and even though my flight out was delayed, things still moved as fast as they could. I approve! read more

Small but nice & clean airport - I fly from here regularly and like that there is a range of shops and restaurants & unlimited free Wi-Fi to make your waiting time comfortable. The walking distances are short and very clearly signposted. Security checks can be very busy, so it's better to plan in enough time. The parking is charged with normal high airport prices - my tip is to pre-book parking for your duration on www.ncp.co.uk. Very easy and a much cheaper process. Safe travels! :) read more

Around the BHX there are office complexes. BHX has subway, burgerking, starbucks, and a few other food chains here. Saved the day when I needed food in a pinch. Parking lot at the train station, and you can take the automated shuttle into the airport. We flew out of here to Scotland. Airports in the UK are much more efficient than the states. My only complaint was that I lost my car in one of the NCP parking lots. Parking was also really expensive. I left my car for 5days? and it was nearly 200GBP. read more

It's tolerable, but that's about it. Check-in and security is the same as any other UK airport, although BHX is, unlike some airports, mean enough to charge passengers for the bags to put liquids in. Once you're through security, you're funneled through a tunnel of duty-free, which, unless you actually want to buy 2000 cigarettes and an oversized Toblerone, is a fairly unpleasant walk. The departures area isn't much better - finding somewhere to sit down that isn't part of a restaurant or bar is a challenge in itself. When I fly I usually take an empty water bottle or two and refill them once through security. Heathrow has dozens of clearly signposted water fountains. At BHX, there's one, hidden away by Gate 49. If you don't find it (and most don't) and want a drink, well, that'll be £2 a bottle please. I understand that airports have to make money from passengers, but BHX does this in a remarkably obnoxious way. It's not all bad - BHX is fairly small, which is a plus, and the AirRail Link from the station is quick and free. Overall though, flying from here isn't a great experience. read more

Recently I have seen A LOT of airports. They vary massively in quality. Some have an abundance of shops and bars, some have next to nothing. Some are easy to get about and some are like your trekking through the Himalayas. Birmingham on the whole is quite a good one in my opinion. Security is straight forward, there is a full on shopping centre past the checks and you can easily while away some time browsing through the various shops selling booze to hand bags. (I did not look to long at the handbags) There is a decent bar before security - All Bar One. A decent bar after security - Spoons. There is also a nice restaurant in the form of Giraffe. Also if you are flying in to the airport to go to the NEC you don't even need to go outside, there is tunnels that take you all the way. All in as airports go this is a good one. (Although it probably helped that all my flights went on time!) read more

I am lucky enough to have an airport in spitting distance (well, about an hour via a short walk and a train ride) from where I live. Not only an airport, but a good one. One which has never lost my baggage, nor rushed me for my flight due to security or taken anything off me during check in. In fact, when flying to America, we experienced the ultimate scare... Overweight baggage! However, during check-in we were informed of our sin and allowed to remove a gigantic hardback book from the offending suitcase and put it into hand luggage (saving us an extortionate sum). Fabulous. It's very easy to get to from Birmingham Centre (and not too pricey for a taxi if you so wish), as you can get from Birmingham New Street station direct to Birmingham International in 10 minutes. You then get the fun of riding the "airport eggs" (small monorail system) which link International and the NEC to the airport. Inside the airport are the normal shops and services you would expect in terms of shopping, eating and drinking, but they have a smoking deck (a real relief if you're going on a long flight) and a tonne of seats where you can await the news of your flights on the LCD boards. As a pro tip, the Pret in the terminal does takeaway coffee for the reasonable price of 99p (rather than paying £3+ at other coffee establishments in the vicinity). It has a Wetherspoons (normally full of people gettting hideously drunk in preparation for their big holiday to the Balearics), a Boots (not much more expensive than the High Street for most things), a WH Smiths and a couple of clothing and electronic stores. As above, I've never had an issue with particularly long or prickly security staff and have always been treated with respect (and normally quite a chirpy greeting depending on the time of day). In summary, If you have a choice to fly; Birmingham flights DO seem more expensive, but at least the service is chipper and the surroundings clean and efficient. read more

Yelp handily tells me "You've checked in here XX amount of times! What keeps bringing you back?"...and truthfully it's not through choice. However, that said, Birmingham airport is actually one of the better ones I have to frequent on a regular basis. This is almost a bonafide shopping centre in and of itself. There's a huge central area through departures with 3/4 bars & restaurants (including a very swanky Champagne bar I am promising myself I'll enjoy one day I don't have to drive back on my return journey!), as well as the usual Victoria's Secret (currently taking over UK airports) and WH Smith etc. They have tannoy announcements as well as loads of seating, and a whole other bar/shopping area in a seperate gate section so you're never stuck for somewhere to go if you have a while to wait. I think I'll always struggle to give airports more than the cursory stars as, let's face it, they're just a stopping place onto somewhere better - but Birmingham is pretty good and therefore I'm bumping it to 4. read more

Sure there's long queues and quite an unavailability of trolleys , especially when it's peak holiday time however I'd consider Birmingham airport as one of the best in Europe. The staff are helpful and guide you to wherever you need to be, and everything is well signed so you're bound to not get lost. Moreover, once through security you're faced with a good choice within duty free, and a lovely array of affordable shops and restaurants to fit any budget. Despite the slightly unattractive design, Birmingham airport has every necessity of an airport and therefore is great ! read more

The good things about BHX are that there no queues either at check in desk or security point. The other good point are but can be looked at are cleanliness. Food and beverages are overpriced but as expected being in an airport. Shopping looks alright with some high street retailers and some higher end stores. The bad things are you could probably get lost if you hadn't been before. It's not a massive airport, it's just the directions and signs aren't greatest. Good luck finding a seat. Free WiFi the speed is okay, the sign up process is not. It feels like they're trying to use your personal information for their own good. Finally, the staff. They're miserable when you can find them. The departure board said "Gate open in 5 minutes" for a good half hour or so. The worst part is that if you wanted to ask about the delay, you can't. There is nobody wearing anything that suggests they work for the airport. They might be there somewhere, but have a fun time finding them. read more

Fairly easy to access from all parts of West Midlands , car parks are easy walk to terminals but very expensive . Terminals modern with lots of facilities . read more

My favorite airport, hands down: really quick and clean; you get to gates in a little bit; good affordable food; free wifi (and fairly reliable, unlike YYZ); super quick security (where they give you those transparent bags for free); and an own train station. If you are not checking in a bag (and have checked in already), yo can arrive by train as late as 30 min before. (I would not, but you could try and probably get away with it). And you get your bag, when checked in, in 12 min after landing. You can't beat that. read more

Can't resist going to cafe Nero when I'm passing or clear from a case. The staff are always helpful and there is always a great selection of snacks available. Clean and tidy areas that are often cleaned. If you're off on your holidays then don't forget to grab a drink and a snack on your way past! read more

Terrible security procedure, they let all the Europeans pass and then the non-Europeans. Even Europeans coming from a later flight were give priority. What a joke - especially when there is only one security person. I know the US might be worse sometimes but I'll let the Europeans complain about that. That being said, the airport itself is not bad when you leave. Actually you can leave the country without getting your passport checked by a single border agent... I would say they are more focused on selling you perfume, checking that your toothpaste is only 100ml, and keeping out non-Europeans than anything else. Overall my assessment is that the airport is only good when it is serving a small customer base and that as soon as you start to get some passenger volume their systems all crash. Not impressive for the second latest city in England. read more

Great airport- best thing is the massive world duty free shopping. Loads of deals, lots of great shops to eat and drink in and get last minute shopping. Security was thorough and very quick also minimal amount of walking to the gates. A very pleasurable experience. But the short term car parking is a real pain!!!! read more

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I often travel on the trains to get here from London, as often the airfares make it worthwhile here. Although it takes about 3 hours to get here, once I am here it really is much better than the London airports. From the NEC train station, a rapid transit train takes you to the terminal. Usually you only wait a minute or so, and takes less than a minute journey time. Its quick to get around the airport, they layout is very effective. Security controls are usually very quick too. The airport has two terminals, one for main carriers, the 2nd for Flybe and Ryanair. Terminal 2 has lots of seating, and a big Weatherspoons in the middle, as well as the usual shopping facilities. There's numerous places to eat throughout the airport. Verdict: Better than London airports and a quick to travel through. read more

As an ex flight attendant I've stood in some lengthy queues in my time but today BHX took the biscuit. Longest queue ever for a domestic flight.....security I know it has to be done and I'd never complain about that but why ant they be more efficient or have more bodies doing the job instead of yawning and eating sandwiches? read more

Birmingham Airport - BHX - The unimpressed look after a long day at work - Airports Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Airports. It's all about making a transition from one place to another. A good airport gets you through fast with being too unpleasant. Birmingham international is a much smaller than say, Heathrow and is easy to navigate. The security line is usually pretty quick. Easy to find gates. The bad news, everything extra costs money. Airport trolleys are £1 (non refundable), the Machine to release them is a bit fiddly. Drop and go parking is £1 for 10 minutes. Even the plastic bags for putting liquids in for security are 1£ for four bags. Wifi from memory is free - for 30 minutes (although this time limit doesn't seem to be strictly enforced?) Selection of restaurants is pretty good. Better once you pass security. Shops are ok. Basic odds and ends. Duty free selection is pretty average. Birmingham international, great if you want to just get through it. Make sure everything is in order, Take a train to NEC, quick Shuttle to the main terminal, drop bag off, walk through security, go to gate, get out. read more