I use London City Airport a good deal. Its not the kind of airport you go to for the shopping, it has always been pretty functional but it works and it is efficient, so in my book it wins.
But there is nothing so good that a marketing twat cannot mess it up.
I have recently been spending more of my time in a wheelchair. It comes as a shock to people when i get out and walk around but actually mkst people in a wheelchair can probably walk a bit. With me my condition means i cant walk for long and standing still hurts like crazy. So i have given up on walking in airports. This weekend I am using city in a chair for the first time.
City has just had an internal refit sponsored by Bloomberg. There are lots of plug sockets, audio links, usb charger sockets etc. Of course there are none of those for people in wheelchairs but everyone knows cripples cant think or use computers so thats alright.
There are pleasant sitting areas, with low tables to gather round and chat. All of these are walled off with a string of bar tables and bar stools set just far enough apart to exclude a wheelchair. So if you want to rest your drink ln something it has to be at head height. But at least it stops the deformed wheely mutants from bothering the normal folk when they are trying to relax.
One of the really good things about city airports lounge was the view over the runway. You could sit and sip coffee and watch the planes. Now you have a massive wall of bloomberg info blocking the view from half of the room, and the other half is accessed by passageways so tight that you fear to go down them with a wheelchair because you will not be able to turn and come back, and if anyone has left a bag there you are stuffed.
City are trying to maximise the customer experience, and lets be clear there is nothing wrong with anything they have done in principle. But it is very clear that the designer gave no thought at all to anyone with mobility problems. And in fact they are trying to make sure they do not clutter up the place by coming back.
It has to be said the security staff and check in folk were very well trained, professional and lovely. But it comes to something when the highpoint of an airport trip is the body search.
I hope someone from city or bloomberg reads this. They need to.
