Convenient times win over proximity

Much has been written about the benefits of using the airport nearest to your home. But what if the flight times are not convenient, especially when you have young children? Can a short drive to another airport actually be easier than waking your children in the depths of the night and putting them - and you - through a tortuous journey?

This was the main reason why I chose to fly from Luton (an hour’s drive down the M6 and M1) rather than Birmingham. Flight times of 8am out and arrival back at 5.30pm rather than 5pm departure and 2am arrival were much more appealing. To make our arrival at the airport (6am) even less tiring, I chose to stay overnight near the airport.

I opted for the Premier Inn at Luton Airport, primarily because I’ve always found the standard and cleanliness of the hotel rooms to be much higher than that of certain other budget hotel chains. As far as I know Premier Inn does not need to auction off rooms so there should be no compromise in high standards. And, in my opinion, there isn’t. As daft as it seems after booking a family room, the bed settee was also made up.

Trust me when I say I have booked a family room with other groups and had to go to reception and ask for bedding and then make it myself. Next to the hotel was a Beefeater restaurant which, like the hotel, provided a good service with excellent food and welcoming staff. The hotel was situated just two miles from Luton Airparks, the home for my car for the next seven (it turned out to be eight) days.

Basically you drive to this convenient location just off the M1, give them your keys and jump on a bus to the airport. It takes no more than 30 minutes to get to the airport. I decided to take up the Express service on my return, which means you are met at the airport with your car so there’s no need to return to the car park. Money very well spent and definitely recommended.

My family and I flew with Monarch. We’ve used this low-fare airline a few times and always been impressed with the service. This time we opted to spoil ourselves and pre-book extra legroom seats (£25 each one way). I’m 6ft 3ins tall and know exactly how sardines in a tin feel every time I fly so I was looking forward to stretching my legs in comfort.

Seats can also be pre-booked at £6 per on-way flight to avoid the last-minute free-for-all experienced on some other airlines. The extra six inches of legroom made a real difference and it was well worth the money. A four-hour journey can seem much longer when you have children on your lap with no room to swing a bib - thankfully our two were well-behaved.

The journey back, however, was not as smooth. Having boarded the plane on time and prepared for take-off, the pilot then discovered a fault. Despite attempts to fix the problem it was not possible and we were shepherded off the plane and back to the terminal. Four hours after our original take-off time we were informed, due to technical problems, we wouldn’t be flying until 5am the next morning.

It’s at this point we could have been told to wait at the airport overnight. I know from previous experiences with other budget airlines that’s exactly what would have happened. However, Monarch, to its credit, fixed up not just hotels but also individual rooms, dinner and drinks in nearby Los Christianos. With two children getting more agitated by the moment, all credit must go to the airline for acting so quickly and kindly. Well done.

However, may I suggest if there are problems of this kind in the future, some kind of policy be put in place to sort out families and the elderly first. In the free-for-all to get on a bus, the younger couples stormed to the front with no care for anyone but themselves. It was the same on arrival at the hotel.

Why these people were in such a rush to get a room while pensioners and families with screaming children were made to wait is beyond me. Had it been on the other foot and my wife and I were travelling alone, we’d have been in a bar and waited for those more needing to sort themselves out first. I suppose that’s just a sad reflection on our society today where the culture of me, me and me reigns.

After snatching a couple of hours’ sleep we were back at the airport and soon after on our flight home, tired but very grateful for the care Monarch had shown to its customers. The airline had really made the best of an unfortunate situation. Other airlines please take note! Would I recommend using airports other than your local one - you bet.

Factfile
Paul Blair and his family stayed at the Premier Inn, Luton Aiport, for one night. Prices start from £55 per room per night. For more information telephone 08701 977 166 or visit www.premierinn.com.

Paul Blair used Luton Airparks Express service, which offers a one way meet and greet service - you are met at the airport with your car, so there is no need to return to the car park - costs from only £49 for eight days parking. For more information or to book visit www.holidayextras.com or call 0871 360 2186.

Low fares airline Monarch offers year round flights to Tenerife from Birmingham and Luton Airports with fares, including taxes, starting from £77.50 one way. For more information or to book, visit www.monarch.co.uk

Paradise found...in Tenerife