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When I traveled to London a few weeks ago, Two new low-cost airlines to Europe survey – Play and Norse Atlantic – We didn’t just compare how planes and in-flight services stack up.This he said the two airlines use different airports in both New York and London so I also Make a note of your experience on the ground.

For European travelers who need to connect through a hub in Iceland, Play serves Stewart Airport near Newburgh, New York, and Stansted Airport outside London. Both airports are over an hour’s drive from their respective city centres. (Stansted is about 1 hour. )

Norse, on the other hand, serves Gatwick Airport near London and JFK Airport in New York, both of which are major hubs.

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Over the summer, a large amount of ink was spilled (including me) Regarding the long queues at the big European airports, and while I haven’t spent hours hopping between terminals in any part of my recent trip, the second airport Play served is definitely It provided a more seamless transition.

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Ebony Majid, owner of Global Journeys LLC in Hampton, Virginia, who has contracted with Travel Planners International, said: “For example, the experience of bottlenecks in getting through airport security was a lot understaffed.”

Majeed said many locations have improved the passenger experience, but she still advises her customers to consider smaller airports with extra time and less congestion.

At Stewart Airport on the outskirts of New York City, I foolishly lost my phone while emptying my pockets, so all I had to do was wait at security.play does not participate TSA pre-checkI focused too much on having to take off my shoes.

It’s no one’s fault, it’s my own. I wasn’t crazy about my phone.

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On the other hand, at Stansted, again there were practically no lines.All free floor space in the photo below A good representation of what the terminal looked like on Tuesday 10 am

All I had to do was go from one end of the arrivals hall to the electronic gates for passport control. This was purely a structural issue. The airport was clearly prepared for a large crowd and it took me some time to navigate the empty rope lines that were still in place. We also had to transfer to the airport people mover and had a short wait to get out of the terminal. Waiting for a train is an unavoidable fact of city life.

Majeed said he tells customers that tickets are a little more expensive and that smaller airports are often easier to get through, although flight options may be limited. “They’re a little easier. Volume is a little more acceptable… Would you mind paying maybe 5% or 10% more to get it?” she said.

When I got home, the crowd was much more pronounced.

All Norwegian passengers at Gatwick Airport are required to obtain printed boarding passes, leading to long lines at check-in on the morning of departure on Monday. Security checkpoints were also crowded with travelers removing liquids from their bags.

At least I didn’t lose my phone this time, but there was a queue of security guards at almost every restaurant and lounge.

Even in New York, the passport control lines at Terminal 1 at JFK seemed endless. However, Global Entry travelers didn’t have to wait.

According to Valentin Borriello, owner of New York’s Horizonways Travel, an affiliate of Nexion Travel Group, many European cities have only one major airport to which all international flights arrive, giving them a choice. High-end travelers tend to prefer even the most sophisticated travelers. Bigger hub with more amenities.

“Convenience is the main thing,” he said. “People now have spend more money, they prefer better service and, as a result, better airports. ”

Even traveling in a traditionally less busy month, queues at major airports during travel were frustrating. And this could be a sign of something to come for winter.

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Heathrow Airport in London recently announced The company said it was considering hiring as many as 25,000 new workers to support operations and keep passengers on schedule.

For vacations, it might be worth considering flying through a smaller airport to avoid the worst of the crowds.

“The main complaint is that the airport is really crowded,” Borriello said. “A medium-sized airport would be ideal.