Our Review of Birmingham Airport (BHX)

Our Review of Birmingham Airport (BHX)

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of Birmingham Airport (BHX)

PROS

Location: Birmingham Airport is conveniently located around 8 miles (13 kilometers) southeast of Birmingham city center. Its closeness makes it accessible to both locals and regional visitors. The airport is well connected by major roads and public transportation, including a direct train link.

Modern Facilities: The airport has modern facilities such as shops, restaurants, and lounges. It meets a variety of passenger demands with amenities such as business lounges, VIP services, and extensive lounging places.

Airline Focus City: BHX Airport is a focus city for Jet2.com, EasyJet, Ryanair and TUI Airways.

Efficiency: The airport is well-known for its fast check-in and security procedures. Baggage handling is typically dependable, and the airport frequently manages to keep wait times minimal, particularly during off-peak hours.

Accessibility: By bus, train, and car, the airport is conveniently located to Birmingham’s city center. There’s even a direct train connection to Birmingham International Railway Station. There are plenty of parking spaces for different purposes.

CONS

Capacity Constraints: The airport may get very busy during periods of high travel demand. Congestion can result in longer lines and an unpleasant experience, particularly at security and check-in areas.

Potential for Delays: Despite its overall efficiency, the airport may experience delays during peak hours that impact many aspects such as immigration and security inspections. Large passenger numbers may make these delays worse.

Limited Seating Areas: There might not be enough seats in some parts of the terminal, especially the ones close to the boarding gates. Passengers may become uncomfortable while waiting for flights at crowded times.

Few Late-Night Transport Options: Although there are bus and train connections to the airport, there are fewer alternatives for public transportation after midnight, which may cause inconvenience for those arriving on late flights.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Single Terminal: Birmingham Airport has a single terminal that has two floors, making it easier to navigate. Transferring between terminals is not necessary because all departures and arrivals are managed inside this one terminal. Walking distances can still be rather long, so make sure to verify your gate before departure.

Transport to and from Birmingham: The city center and the neighboring cities are easily accessible from the airport through a variety of transportation choices.  Buses, trains, taxis, and rental cars are also available.

Check-in Area: The check-in area is located on the ground floor or arrival floor of the terminal building. In this floor passengers will find the toilets, car rental desks, ATMs and shops, and others.

Shopping and Dining: BHX airport has a wide range of duty-free stores, eateries, and cafés. There are many of alternatives, whether you’re seeking to get some food or finish some last-minute shopping.

Family-Friendly Amenities: Birmingham Airport welcomes families with child-friendly play spaces, baby changing rooms, and family-friendly restaurants.

Lounge Options: There are several airport lounges in BHX airport. These lounges provide food, refreshments, and comfortable seating if you’re looking for a more relaxed waiting area.

Accessibility: The airport is accessible for passengers with reduced mobility, offering special assistance services and step-free access throughout the terminal.

Additional Tips:

• Arrive early during peak hours to avoid delays, especially during holidays.
• Pre-book parking to save money and ensure a spot.
• Download the Birmingham Airport app for flight updates and maps.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

• On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
• Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
• Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
• Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
• Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation

Some Stats

Airlines with more flight operations (last 3 months)

Airlines with best on-time performance at Birmingham Airport (last 3 months)

Routes with more flights from Birmingham Airport (last month)