London Stansted Airport - Terminal - Lounges

"Uses e-gates for many nationalities. Fairly quick. "

"Temperamental, but it's free for a set period of time and gets the job done if you need to connect a phone or laptop."

"Chaotic but it somehow works. Be prepared and you'll be fine - this means taking off scarves/chunky shoes/coats etc. If you use the new scanners and prepare, you should be through fairly quickly."

"You will find your typical souvenir shops, and a couple of clothing shops, duty free etc. Not much else apart from bars, pubs and restaurants."

"In line with UK regulation, there is no smoking in public places which includes airports."

"Plenty of options available but take note of surge pricing after 5/6pm. Tip: save yourself £6 - £8 per ride by walking towards one of the airport hotels close by and calling an Uber from there."

"Not many workspaces unless you pay to enter a lounge, or set up your workspace in one of the pubs/restaurants."

"Most gates are very far away and require lots of steps and/or escalators. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the gate."

"I've only seen one water refill point in this airport. They're not clearly signposted at all."

"Lots of parking options at and around Stansted. Official parking is plenty, and ranges from 1min walk to terminal (red, orange and yellow car parks) to a 5min walk (green), 8mins (blue) and then a mid stay and long stay which you need to catch a shuttle for. Recommend that you book a closeby car park if you're returning to London in the night, as the shuttle often has a huge queue."

"There is only one lounge at stansted (Escape Lounge). This is often very packed but there are a lot of seats/sofas.
Food and drink are good, but you must pre book this lounge (or be prepared to wait a while) as it does get full."

"Lots of toilets throughout your airport experience, however cleanliness is debatable."

"Checking in online is your best bet. If you cant, arrive early as the queues are normally quite long."

"Decent accessibility through the airport- however when heading to the actual plane you will need to board using the steps. Because of this, if you need help, be sure to book special assistance 48 hours before your flight."

"Cafe Nero has a quiet area in the back. "

"Use the far left lanes, they have the new scanners and you don't have to take the liquids out. "

"There is no smoking area within London Stansted Airport as it is a smoke-free airport. This is because of British laws on smoking in enclosed public spaces.

Smoking is only allowed in designated areas that area outside the terminal building before security. Vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes are also not allow in the terminal.

Smoking areas are provided outside the terminal building landside with bins for cigarette butts next to the bus stop.

Connecting flights passengers must enter the United Kingdom in order to smoke outside the terminal before passing through security and passport control for your flight. Make sure you have plenty of time if you are thinking of entering the UK to smoke.

More information: https://www.stanstedairport.com/help/frequently-asked-questions/"

"Navigation at Stansted is pretty easy and straightforward. After security, you go through duty-free and shop to the large seating area. There you will find shops, restaurants and a lounge. To the right is where you will find all the gates."

"There is only one terminal at Stansted."

"There is a shuttle to take you to further gates however there have been times when it has not been working. I would recommend giving plenty of time to walk to the terminal. They have estimated walk times on a sign above where you can get the shuttle to give you a rough area."