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Recommended Reviews - Shannon Airport
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Absolutely love this small Irish airport Very refreshing and we have used several time Very good alternative to Heathrow

What a treat to have a small airport that makes check in and boarding quite easy and efficient . All airline check ins are within view of each other and there are shops for Irish gifts for those of us who didn't get a chance to shop and see many sights. Long trips to the US are not generally exciting or comfortable so ease of getting settled makes for a more pleasant trip!!

We had to arrive three hours before our international flight so we did, however, the check-in counter didn't open up until an hour later - that was really funny. Also, there's a US Immigration counter which didn't open until 7:30 a.m. so that was another wait. These issues all became minor at Shannon - because this allowed us to fly right into domestic at O'hare. This is mind blowing to me, after all of my experiences of flying into the international terminal and then having to deal with the immigration queue (after a 13 hour flight, it's a drag). It was refreshing, getting out in terminal 1, going downstairs and waiting for your luggage and jumping into a cab. It all took about 30 minutes (that's a record for me folks)!!! So for this convenience I give Shannon 4 stars! The airport itself is clean and organized. The couch that I sat on in the gate area was comfy.

I loved this airport. It was completely empty and so quick to fly in and out of. They let you work your car I front for up to 15 minutes to unload all your bags. Check in staff is friendly, quick, and efficient. No lines anywhere! They even have a cute wine bar before security and several spot after security to buy sandwiches, souvenirs and drinks. Only negative was I couldn't locate a place to refill my water bottle so I had to buy water. If you are flying to sweaty airport in NY there is no customs there so you will go thru customs at Shannon Airport. Awesome experience!

There is only one terminal. Very small and that's why there is no room to confuse or lost. "Aer Lingus" serve alcohol in charge. 迷いようのない小さな空港。 必要十分です。

I have spent many hours of my life in various airports around the world, and while it's never all that much fun, some airport layovers are much more enjoyable than others. I spent 5 hours of my life in this airport on a layover between Aeroflot flights from Dulles and to St. Petersburg, Russia. This was a few years ago, so I am not sure whether they have updated the airport since then. All in all, it wasn't such a bad place to spend a while. A nice pub in the center terminal area claimed the distinction of being the birthplace of the Irish Coffee. This may or may not be true (Wikipedia agrees, if that means anything), but to me, it left a lasting impression. I have been to the birthplace of alcoholic coffee, (two of my favorite things in life, combined), and I can now cross that one off my list. All in all, I was treated well by the locals during my stay, the facility was clean enough, and the verdant green fields outside the windows were a bright reminder that I was somewhere on the Emerald Isle. I'd be curious to see what it's like today, but based on my prior experience, I wouldn't hesitate to lay over here again.

It's five am. I'm heading home from a one year deployment. The only things open are the duty-free and the Sheridan Food Pub. There were snacks, friendly and overworked bartenders, and beer. I had my first Smithwick's since my stateside leave and it was a beautiful thing. The only way that beer tastes better, or this airport could be improved, would be a visit without the uniform. Thank you for this little taste of Ireland to look forward to coming back to...
6 months ago
Once upon a time, this Faerie Queen loves to land in Shannon. Our arrival went without a hitch. Unfortunately, the departure was not good. The Aer Lingus terminal where we had to wait for our flight was not lit and had no heat. Very uncomfortable. The end. read more
Clean, well organized airport. Flew internationally from the airport and everything went smoothly. Check in started around 9/10 am, then went quickly. Great care taken to curate the collection of airplane replicas and more. Nice cafes and a priority pass lounge. read more
11 months ago
Early 3:00 a.m. arrival and we were hustled through the airport to the lounge by some very pleasant staff. Although the rest of the airport was dead, they were lively and made us feel comfortable. They recommended the restaurant and bar to make ourselves comfortable and also helped us navigate to the restrooms and easy access to Wi-Fi to contact family back home. For a 3-hour stay. This was plenty spacious and lots of things to look at and watch the time go by. read more
Absolutely love this small Irish airport Very refreshing and we have used several time Very good alternative to Heathrow read more
1 year ago
LOVE THIS AIRPORT. Great place to fly from. Easy to get to and can get reasonable priced flights.
1 year ago
Clean airport, friendly staff with a fully stocked bar and the first ever duty free that is pretty well priced.
This airport lives up to it's slogan of 'Shannon Airport - making it easy' I was so impressed by each and every staff member I encountered. The layout of the airport is easy to navigate. Security processes are easy and clear. Even the signs to drive into the airport are clear. read more
What a treat to have a small airport that makes check in and boarding quite easy and efficient . All airline check ins are within view of each other and there are shops for Irish gifts for those of us who didn't get a chance to shop and see many sights. Long trips to the US are not generally exciting or comfortable so ease of getting settled makes for a more pleasant trip!! read more
This airport is SUPER quick and SUPER efficient! You're not going to believe this, so you'll just have to take my word for it. My international flight back home was scheduled to depart at 7:30AM. My original plans were to arrive at the airport at 5:30AM, but I didn't WAKE UP until 5:30AM (GASP)! On top of all of this, I had a rental car to return to the Enterprise airport location. So there I am, scrambling to pack all of my bags, and check out of the hotel. Anyway, I got to the rental car return at 6:25AM, and had to go through the process of returning the car. Then, I had to take a shuttle to the terminal. I arrived at the terminal at 6:35, and was able to check my bags, make it through security, AND get to my departure gate before my plane took off at 7:30AM. Crisis aborted!!! I couldn't believe it! This would never happen at an airport in the states - ESPECIALLY for an international flight. So, a mighty kudos (and a mighty five stars) goes out to beautiful Shannon town for running such an efficient and convenient airport. Seriously - look at their average review rating. How many airports have you seen with an average of four stars??? read more
We had to arrive three hours before our international flight so we did, however, the check-in counter didn't open up until an hour later - that was really funny. Also, there's a US Immigration counter which didn't open until 7:30 a.m. so that was another wait. These issues all became minor at Shannon - because this allowed us to fly right into domestic at O'hare. This is mind blowing to me, after all of my experiences of flying into the international terminal and then having to deal with the immigration queue (after a 13 hour flight, it's a drag). It was refreshing, getting out in terminal 1, going downstairs and waiting for your luggage and jumping into a cab. It all took about 30 minutes (that's a record for me folks)!!! So for this convenience I give Shannon 4 stars! The airport itself is clean and organized. The couch that I sat on in the gate area was comfy. read more
This is one of the two Irish airports that services people flying to and from the US. It is located in the west of Ireland near Galway and services primarily charter airlines. The largest Irish international airport is in Dublin on the eastern side of Ireland and services mainly Aer Lingus plus international airlines. We have flown in and out of each airport. If you are flying to the US, you MUST clear US Customs and Immigration at the airports in Ireland. That means you must get to the airport in time to clear the security screening and the US Customs and Immigration check. Once you clear both, you board a flight that the US Government considers to be a US domestic flight. It does not need to use the international terminals at US airports. One of the benefits of Shannon over Dublin is the small size and the small crowds. With Dublin, you will be in crowds of thousands and in Shannon it's hundreds or less. Dublin can sometimes take hours to clear US Customs. We passed through US Customs within minutes at Shannon. Both airports have extensive duty free shopping and restaurants. It only costs around $30 to rent a car at Dublin and drop it at Shannon or vice versa. Aer Lingus ticket prices are nearly the same at both airports. The only difference is Dublin appears to have more jumbo jets than Shannon. We will continue to use both but we prefer Shannon. read more
8 years ago
I loved this airport. It was completely empty and so quick to fly in and out of. They let you work your car I front for up to 15 minutes to unload all your bags. Check in staff is friendly, quick, and efficient. No lines anywhere! They even have a cute wine bar before security and several spot after security to buy sandwiches, souvenirs and drinks. Only negative was I couldn't locate a place to refill my water bottle so I had to buy water. If you are flying to sweaty airport in NY there is no customs there so you will go thru customs at Shannon Airport. Awesome experience! read more
There is only one terminal. Very small and that's why there is no room to confuse or lost. "Aer Lingus" serve alcohol in charge. 迷いようのない小さな空港。 必要十分です。 read more
Every time I come through this airport I'm amazed at how nice everyone is and how helpful they are...especially when they k ow you've been on a plane for HOURS! Clean, quiet and easy to navigate. This airport has a few nice shops to pick up whatever suits your fancy. They even have a nice bar and cafe I've had the pleasure of eating and drinking at. good service, and fun bartenders to talk with. I really don't mind the layovers here. So if you should ever find yourself in Shannon Ireland grab yourself a bar stool, a Guinness and have a nice chat with the bar keep. ;) Cheers! read more
By American Standards this airport is small but actually by Irish Standards it's quite big. Very roomy & well signposted. They have a fantastic Duty Free here which stocks all the favorites that you enjoyed in Ireland. Best place to find gifts, foods etc on your return trip to the States. They also have a Tax Free Office here. You can submit all your receipts to obtain your taxes spent before you return to the States. The best thing about this airport is that they have American Immigration before you board your flight. Something that you don't have to deal with after a long haul flight across the Atlantic. I've been using this airport for many many years, it's always a bitter sweet experience for me. Great going home to see family not so much on the return leg read more
I have spent many hours of my life in various airports around the world, and while it's never all that much fun, some airport layovers are much more enjoyable than others. I spent 5 hours of my life in this airport on a layover between Aeroflot flights from Dulles and to St. Petersburg, Russia. This was a few years ago, so I am not sure whether they have updated the airport since then. All in all, it wasn't such a bad place to spend a while. A nice pub in the center terminal area claimed the distinction of being the birthplace of the Irish Coffee. This may or may not be true (Wikipedia agrees, if that means anything), but to me, it left a lasting impression. I have been to the birthplace of alcoholic coffee, (two of my favorite things in life, combined), and I can now cross that one off my list. All in all, I was treated well by the locals during my stay, the facility was clean enough, and the verdant green fields outside the windows were a bright reminder that I was somewhere on the Emerald Isle. I'd be curious to see what it's like today, but based on my prior experience, I wouldn't hesitate to lay over here again. read more
12 years ago
I don't think I have ever complimented an airport for being tiny, but there is always a first! We flew home through the Shannon Airport on September 20th 2014. We arrived at the airport about two hours early because we had to return our rental car. As we were taking the shuttle from Avis rental car to the airport I suddenly realized: I left our passports and cash in the hotel safe!!!!!!!!!!! My husband grabbed a taxi as soon as we reached the airport to retrieve our passports. I explained our situation to the front counter and they told me as long as my husband arrived an hour prior to our flight we should be ok. I knew we would be cutting it close, but somehow I managed to not have a panic attack. Thank goodness I had free WIFI in the airport to distract me! I kept reminding myself it would not be the end of the world to spend another night in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. My husband arrived moments before our deadline and Aer Lingus was kind enough to allow us to use the priority line to check in our bags. We rushed through security and Global Entry line and arrived to the gate moments before they started loading our plane. Needless to say I will be double and triple checking my belongings next time I fly, but I was so grateful that Shannon Airport is an easy airport to maneuver through when you are strapped for time! read more
14 years ago
It's five am. I'm heading home from a one year deployment. The only things open are the duty-free and the Sheridan Food Pub. There were snacks, friendly and overworked bartenders, and beer. I had my first Smithwick's since my stateside leave and it was a beautiful thing. The only way that beer tastes better, or this airport could be improved, would be a visit without the uniform. Thank you for this little taste of Ireland to look forward to coming back to... read more
Cute little airport. Very efficient personal when it comes to security, wheelchair assistance, information. It is a small place so if you have a long wait between your transfer, you might get bored, of you can always enjoy some Guinness for a few hours. The restaurants actually have some descent food and the employees are lovely. Enjoy your trip. read more
10 years ago
This airport is...weird? I was really confused upon landing. Granted, I was also still hazy from the Dramamine, but still. It was just a bunch of endless random hallways and odd signs. Eventually we popped out, went through customs, and grabbed our bags. I imagine it's a rough place to be if your flight is delayed though. It was such a tiny airport overall. Once we got to the main part, it was clear that it was a very basic place. It is, however, your best bet if you want to drive through Western Ireland. read more
5 years ago
I can't really rate this airport because I came thru the flight line. Let's just stay this is a change stop for the military. I did stay at the hotel on grounds and the room and food was good. The gift shop was good. read more
This airport is pretty small and quiet. (Dan Dooley Rent-a-Car) We had an issue with the car rental reservation and needed to print out the hardcopy of the reservation. Even though we had the PDF file of our reservation on our mobile phones, they said it was not good enough and needed the actual paper hardcopy. We were directed to the computers on the side which had a pay per minute usage fee for the internet. We paid to use the computers and when we tried to print, it said there was no paper in the printer. We asked the information desk and they didn't know what to do. The printer was locked in a clear case with a key and could not be opened to refill the paper and no one knew how to access it. Then they directed us to walk to a hotel nearby to print there. You would think an airport would be more updated, but I guess they don't expect people to use the computers or print there. And for the car rental, I didn't think they would be so outdated and need hard copies. It's like booking a hotel online and then requiring us to print out the papers when our name and credit card is already on file. Everyone uses the internet nowadays. How can they not have our car rental reservation on file. Well, at least they have wi-fi. read more
10 years ago
IT'S quiet in this airport. Small too but with a nice charm. Not many food courts although I saw ONE. Trying to find a power outlet is like trying to find Waldo. The outlets are at the end by the United Airlines waiting area. You better have your adapter if you're from the US... The electric prongs are different here (if you didn't know that you better buy one) Customer service and information center is helpful! They went above and beyond every time I asked for help. The best. The rental car agents will try to rape your wallet. Pay attention to what you're renting and the additional fees/charges. They will try to automatically add services which you may not need without asking or telling you. Just keep your eyes open. Rent a smaller vehicle. The roads here are narrow! Otherwise its a great airport. Small but cool. Very helpful, very family friendly. read more
11 years ago
Flying into Shannon is easy, customs is friendlier than any other place I've been to. Nice they have free WiFi inside. The small airport wasn't busy either time we were passing through and seemed pretty efficient. Flying out of Shannon, there are a few shops and the rental car companies before security. After security, you walk thru one more before entering the only significant seating area I saw, a restaurant, and a coffee cart (Don't expect many options for your coffee or espresso fix!), or off to your gate. Ryanair is around the right side and downstairs, little seating, mostly just long queues... I'd hate to have to stand out in the rain for a half hour. Car rental off site, almost a 10 minute walk, but you have to wait for the mini bus which supposedly comes around every few minutes for the different rental companies. read more
9 years ago
If there's such a thing as a cute airport, Shannon Airport fits the bill. Small, quick to navigate, easy to pick up rental car from. Customs and passport check were a breeze. Quick pick up for luggage. I wish all airports were as peachy as this place! read more
10 years ago
No traffic and great signage to get to the airport for our return from Ireland to NYC. Small airport with 11 gates. This was the first airport to have a Duty- free shop. It is now the first airport to have anyone going to the US go through customs before boarding making arrival much easier. Short shuttle ride from car rental to terminal. Great help from Trudy from Delta with getting checked in. It was an easy trip home thanks to Shannon Airport. read more
3 years ago
i was schocked out of my socks when i was charged €25 for parking under one hour!!!! how dammed ridiculous!!!!! €25!!!! for less than an hour!!!!!! read more
While this isn't the biggest airport you'll ever visit, it is one of the nicest. Having gotten accustomed to the useless and arrogant treatment at Dulles, this place was a breath of fresh air as far as airports go. Being small, there isn't any high tech accommodations or fancy architecture to look at. What is nice here is the comfort of the place as well as the friendly people here. Overall, can't say enough about the friendly people in Galway overall and you notice that first at Shannon Airport. It's your typical airport so nothing too fancy here. The gift shop is quite nice as is the restaurant in there. Being small, everything is close by so no going to different wings or taking the railway to get where you're going. Customs here is pretty quick and hassle free as well. Although Dublin airport might have all the fancy looks and appeal, I still appreciate this little airport for its tranquility (if there is such thing at an airport) read more
16 years ago
Great little airport . Off the plane and out the door in less than 10 mins. Restaurant upstairs closes kinda early though . read more
10 years ago
Plugs Plugs and more Plugs. I stopped here for a layover and I hope I have to stop here again. I was able to have a table and charge my electronics and the WiFi was fast. Rarely do we get that in our travels, we always have to share or be cramped or even go without(Gasp). I was watching/streaming a movie on my phone enjoying My wifi speed until my buddies sat at my table to talk, they ruined my solitude. The positive to being interrupted by the buddies is that I was able to see the speed of service for them to get their food and a variety of entrees. The breakfast menu is stacked, the portions are hearty and the taste was magnificent. My fave was the pancakes, these were not cardboard flapjacks,these were tasty. I didn't to stay as long as I would have liked because I wanted to charge up longer but my final destination called and I had to answer. Thanks Shannon, we should do this again. read more
8 years ago
One of the easiest airports to land at, with easy customs and car rental booths right as you exit. There are ATM's available (better for currency exchange) and wonderful places to eat and buy souvenirs. I did use their cab service, in which, I got blessed and had a tour guide as well. read more
16 years ago
After my first semester in graduate school, my Marine unit was activated to go to the Persian Gulf. I lived in Saudi Arabia for six months, where alcohol in nearly any quantity will get your head lopped off with a scimitar. On the flight home to the U.S., we laid over at this charming little airport for six hours or so. Scores of jarheads still in desert fatigues exited the plane and proceeded to get abolished in a place where, lucky for them, the locals were inured to the spectacle. I got very functionally drunk that day. I mean that getting drunk wasn't adjunct to any social interaction, since I seldom liked drinking with Marines. I drank to get drunk, got drunk, then found a place to lie down on a bench and lowered my desert cap over my face and went to sleep. Snapped awake. Shielded my eyes against the light as I realized the cap had been removed from my face. By a little boy. Standing about three feet away from me. About two or three years old with hay-colored hair and a rooster-tail cowlick at the crown of his head. Holding the ruin of a cone in one hand, his mouth a clown's mouth of smeared ice cream, mint green and bubble gum pink. In the other hand, my hat. Off behind him, seated, his grandmother, I'm guessing, a solid whale of a woman in a plain billowing dress, sixty or so, with florid cheeks and smiling eyes and ham-shank forearms folded over her tummy. The little boy smiles at me and in a perfect, musical little Irish voice says: "Amerrrican G.I. Son of bitch!" Startled and amused to hear this from a toddler, I sat up. Thinking I was about to give chase, the little boy took off at a trot with my hat in one hand and his ruined cone in another, and his titanic grandmother threw back her head and literally rocked with laughter. At a short distance, he looked back to see if he was being pursued, and I feinted in his direction, and he squealed with laughter and bolted again. I figured I pretty much had to let him keep the cap that was making his day, if only to demonstrate that what his grandmother had taught him about American G.I.'s was, in some instances, not entirely true. I went into the bar to put the shine back on my drunk, then came out again and went to sleep. When I awoke, my hat had been returned to my face, and the boy and his grandmother were gone. read more
7 years ago
Great airport! Quick and convenient to get in and out. There is no way I would fly into Dublin knowing how easy it is flying into Shannon.
Notwithstanding first impressions, this is a fairly good small airport with a few impressive perks. Namely: US Customs is on this side of the pond. Small in terms of flights, certainly--only 15 flights a day in peak tourist season. 6 of those are to the US, however, which is pretty impressive if you want to visit the Irish countryside. Even more impressive is the (aforementioned) US Customs outpost, which lets you skip that major hassle in the USA itself (much like if flying Canada to the US). We landed in Irish weather conditions (cloudy, light rain), and exited via the stairway driven up to the side of the plane. After a bit of a hike through construction (all outdoors), we made our way through passport control. Not good so far. Baggage claim was routine, customs quick. The concessions are decent, 2 large restaurants, a bar, 2 convenience stores, and a respectably duty-free shop--split between inside and outside security. The gate areas themselves are fairly pitiful. Perhaps the construction is addressing that. There were rumors of free WiFi, but there was no evidence of that at the gate, free or paid. Overall, I'd recommend flying in here if you're coming from overseas. read more
4 years ago
Easirent Van Rental Shannon Airport Booking Number: 2518616 JUNE 2nd 2022 I really should have paid attention to the reviews of this firm .... Our delayed Ryanair flight resulted in us arriving at Shannon late afternoon , an hour and a half late. There should have been no worries as Easirent terms state they hold bookings for 4 hours and their office is open until 12.30am. WRONG !!! On arrival I found no one was at Easirent Shannon and discovered everyone had GONE HOME FOR WEEKEND! After contacting their Dublin Office I was informed that our booking had been treated as "no show"and staff would only collect us if we paid an additional 120 Euros. Faced with this virtual blackmail and the prospect of being stranded, I very reluctantly agreed to pay this extortionate fee. BTW forget about complaining to their Customer Services whop totally dismissed this complaint....I suggest you definitely dismiss the idea of d booking with these guys. read more
12 years ago
In A Nutshell: *I've flown in/out of this airport 6 times. *Everytime, I've been here it's usually between 3am to 6am due to the refueling of our plane. *Was fortunate to have a Guiness on my way home from Kosovo in 2001. Overall, I've only been here b/c of my deployments (Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq) in the U.S. Army. read more
Great location on the west side of Ireland and far less people than you'd encounter in Dublin. Shannon, like Dublin, offers a U.S. immigration and customs office for those traveling back to the United States. That means travelers get their suitcases checked and passports stamped before leaving Ireland. As a result, planes returning to the US go to domestic terminals, bypassing the crowded customs lines at the international terminals. read more
Shannon might not be the best airport or the nicest or the biggest, but it's down to earth and easy to deal with - something, that at least in my mind is very important when travelling. Although we landed fairly early in the morning (more like still night) it was pretty smooth sailing to get past visa control and get our luggage. If only more airports were like this... read more
15 years ago
The only airport where I've been yelled at for taking off my shoes before going through security. Such an odd place. We had to travel through Limerick to get to the airport because of a car accident shut down the only highway there. Got there wicked late, dropped off the car, got onto the shuttle to the terminal and got yelled at because we waited in line and our flight was only 20 minutes away. The guys at the entrance to the plane were nice, though. read more
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More info about Shannon Airport
Airport Road
Shannon, V14 EE06
Republic of Ireland
Directions
(061) 712000
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.shannonairport.ie
Hours
What time does Shannon Airport open?
Shannon Airport is open 24 hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
What time does Shannon Airport close?
Shannon Airport is open 24 hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Mon-Sun Open 24 hours
Other Amenities
Does Shannon Airport have free WiFi?
Yes, Shannon Airport has free WiFi.
From the Business
Specialties
Welcome to the Shannon Airport, Gateway to the West of Ireland and the Wild Atlantic Way. You'll find flight information, routes, airlines, destination guides, duty free inspiration and more on our website shannonairport.ie. Did you know? -Open 365 days a year, Shannon is the most westerly airport in Europe -Shannon Airport has the longest runway in Ireland at 3,200 metres and is the only Irish airport that can accommodate the world's largest jet the Antonov AN 225. -Every U.S. President since John F Kennedy's visit in 1963 has been welcomed at Shannon Airport. -The world's first Duty Free shop was established at Shannon Airport in 1947. -Shannon is home to the world-famous Irish coffee, invented by Chef Joe Sheridan in 1942 at the original airport location in Foynes. -Shannon Airport was the first airport in the world, outside of the Americas, to provide full U.S. Preclearance facilities. -The world's largest private collection of diecast model aircraft is on permanent display at Shannon Airport. -Shannon Airport was the first airport in Europe to open an airport sensory room. -In 2019, Shannon Airport celebrates the 80th anniversary of the first passenger aircraft landing.
History
Established in 1939.
The history of Europe's most westerly airport spans 80 years and is a major part of daily life in the west of Ireland. From humble beginnings, Shannon Airport has grown from three simple grass runways in 1930's Ireland to become one of Europe's most unique transatlantic airports, a leader in airline innovation, and a key driver of business in Ireland's mid-west, servicing routes into North America, U.K. and Europe.
Shannon Airport Reviews in Other Languages
Review Highlights - Shannon Airport
“It is now the first airport to have anyone going to the US go through customs before boarding making arrival much easier.”
Mentioned in 12 reviews
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
1 review that is not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
7 years ago
If you're a POC traveling through this airport, count your money before and after you leave it. Be aware starting from TSA, especially when they have to make their quota of running your bag through again. read more

























































