Travel & Tourism

Liverpool John Lennon takes a pop at Manchester Airport after picking up another travel award

'Which is better? There's only one way to find out: FIGHT!'

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 28th June 2024

Liverpool John Lennon Airport has taken a little pop at their rivals here in Manchester after picking up another big nod in the travel industry.

Although Liverpool’s airport may not be as big and busy as Manchester’s, the main Merseyside terminal was named as the best in the UK according to Which? for 2024, and it’s by no means the first time they’ve picked up the accolade.

Having picked up the same award in 2023 and being rated highly by many other bodies for many years, it’s yet another thing for Scousers to be very proud of in their city and, in fairness, Manchester Airport hasn’t had a great week. As a result, the ever-modest Liverpudlians were gracious in their victory…

Just kidding, they wasted no time in putting together a quick little celebratory poster on their socials that’s turned out to be a bit of a meme at Manchester Airport’s expense.

Touché, John Lennon – not the actual one, obviously.

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Yes, the historic rivalry between Manchester is fiercely fought as it is long-standing. As they rightly put it, they have The Beatles, we have Oasis; they have Liverpool and Everton, we have City and United, but when it comes to airport experiences, they have the clear edge.

Having become the UK’s only airport with a five-star rating from the world’s leading air travel intelligence back in 2019, Liverpool John Lennon has maintained a sterling reputation ever since and the most recent independent survey of passengers found that they top satisfaction levels across the board.

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Which? polled over 4,000 customers, with 83% of them labelling it a “first-class experience from start to finish” and also giving them the best rating for bag drop, passport control, baggage reclaim, staffing, toilets and more. The single terminal also boasts just an 11-minute waiting time to get through security.

Conversely, they named Manchester Airport the worst in the UK for 2023 and still in the top 10 UK for the longest waiting times, with the majority of Manc flyers in agreement that terminals one and three are still in need of significant updating after around £440 million was invested in T2 last year.

@the.manc Flying from terminal 3 at Manchester airport do be that way 😂 Credit: @ThatBitch #manchesterairport #terminal3 #relatable #manchesterthings #holiday ♬ original sound – The Manc

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So yeah, we can still strongly argue the case that we have the music, food, football and plenty of other things here in Manchester, but it’s fair to say that Liverpool John Lennon is currently the superior place to fly from.

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In fact, Manchester Airport had to issue a mass apology to passengers who had flights delayed or cancelled full stop following a major power cut last week.

Hey, we can’t be good at everything, but we’ll get there.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Brit in Seoul (via Wikimedia Commons)/Mike Peel

Travel & Tourism

This Manchester hotel has a Bonfire Night ‘escape’ package for pets to help keep them calm

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

One of Manchester’s most luxurious hotels is transforming into the ultimate pet refuge again over the firework season.

Bonfire Night is loved across the UK for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that go along with it, but the November annual event isn’t so fun for our four-legged friends, as fireworks can be frightening to pets due to loud bangs, flashing lights, and the unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives.

With multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays too, pets are rarely able to pinpoint where the booming explosions are coming from, only making it more terrifying for them.

This is why, after becoming a huge success following its launch last year, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in the heart of the city centre has brought back its special ‘Bonfire Night Escape’ escape package, turning the already pet-friendly hotel into a firework-free sanctuary.

The hotel‘s year-round ‘PAWfect Stay’ package includes any dog staying at no extra cost, plus a pet tuckbox, a guide to the best dog-friendly places in the city, and a toy waiting for them in the room, but this fireworks season, pet owners will also get a luxury hamper including Pet Remedy’s ‘Party Season Survival Kit’

The kit comes together with a range of fast-acting products to help immediately in stressful situations such as fireworks, and includes calming spray, a plug diffuser, and some calming wipes too.

On top of that, dog owners can also take advantage of the hotel’s Music Concierge service, which allows guests to request a record player and vinyls to be placed in the room ahead of check in – with lots of classical and relaxing music records available to distract anxious pets from the noise of Bonfire Night celebrations.

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel has a Bonfire Night ‘escape’ package to help keep pets calm / Credit: Elisha Terada (via Unsplash)

The award-winning The Refuge Bar and Restaurant inside the hotel also offers a menu of carefully-curated dog treats throughout the week, as well as doggy Sunday roasts all Sunday.

David Lockhart, who is the General Manager at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, said he likes to think of the hotel as a “home-away-from-home for our guests”.

“Our top priority is making sure everyone is feeling safe and comfortable,” he added. “We can’t wait to welcome our November guests and help them care for their four-legged family members, giving them everything they need.”

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The Bonfire Night Escape package at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is available to book from Friday 1 November, subject to availability, and you can request the package via the hotel concierge or by emailing [email protected] to book.

Find out more here.

Featured Image – Jody Hartley (via Supplied)

Travel & Tourism

You can fly straight to paradise with direct flights from Manchester to Barbados

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur

Good news sun-seekers – Aer Lingus has relaunched its direct flights between Manchester and Barbados, so you could be swapping out commute for hammock in a heartbeat. 

Aer Lingus will be jetting off straight to the tropical paradise of Barbados from Manchester between 1 November and 31 May, with three direct flights a week.

That’s along with all their routes to bucket list destinations like New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, and LA.

And the best bit is that you could take your Caribbean trip of a lifetime from just £389 return until 31 May 2025 (T&Cs apply). 

These super-affordable direct flights head straight to Bridgetown, the colourful capital of Barbados. 

From there, you have the trip of a lifetime at your fingertips – whether you want to feast on Bajan cuisine, explore the colonial towns, or just relax on white-sand, world-class beaches. 

You can explore sugarcane fields and visit wonders like Harrison’s Cave, where electric tram tours whisk passengers through an amazing natural cave with waterfalls, deep emerald pools, and thousands of stalactites and stalagmites.

There’s a 1000-year-old Baobab tree you can see, green monkeys to spot at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, and culinary tours of the island you can take.

You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur
You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur
You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur

Some of the best bits of Barbados lie just off its coast, and there are loads of boat trips you can book, where you can snorkel in the island’s beautiful waters. 

And the best time to head out to Barbados is when the weather is coldest back home – the island country is beautifully balmy and dry during the UK’s autumn, winter and spring. 

Whatever your perfect winter escape looks like, Aer Lingus can get you there – plus, with the friendliest cabin crew in the skies, there’s more than one reason to book your trip with the airline. 

Aer Lingus flights guarantee properly comfortable seats, in-flight entertainment, and meals on board, so your flight will quite literally fly by (but you might not want it to end). 

Or to start your bucket list trip off in the best way possible, there are business class flights to Barbados, with fully lie-flat seats, delicious seasonal meals, free WiFi, and so much more.

You can book your flight from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus HERE. 

Read more: The beautifully restored VW camper van you can rent from Oldham

Featured image: Unsplash, Tom Jur

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