Stansted Airport Transit System

[Bald Rick]

I think Heathrow T5 is the only other UK location with an airside "transit". I haven't done that one, but I did to at least part of the Stansted one in 2010.

Thankfully, the transits at Gatwick, Birmingham, and the new Luton DART are "groundside", and you don't need to book a flight to use them!

Gatwick used to have an airside transit, of course.

 

[zero]

To ride the entire system legitimately without having to seek assistance from staff, it looks like one would have to depart and arrive at Satellite B internationally.

Is it possible to guarantee that a flight will use B?

 

[Cloud Strife]

Is it possible to guarantee that a flight will use B?

No, the satellite allocation is not very predictable. Ryanair sometimes use Sat 2, but they've even been found in Sat 1 on occasion.

The best bet is just to turn up early, as Stansted will let you enter at any time during the day before a flight.

 

[Cloud Strife]

I've used the transit system today in Stansted, and I spoke to the staff about the operation of the system.

Essentially, what @Bletchleyite says used to be the case. For a period of time, passengers who accidentally ended up at Sat 1 or 2 were required to go through international arrivals and through security, as large signs were placed warning people not to take the transit system unless they were going to those gates. Then the system was changed, as it was causing a lot of unnecessary trouble for passengers. Now anyone who ends up at Sat 1 are told to go to Sat 2, where a member of staff will let them into the domestic part of Sat 2. From there, in the terminal, passengers with a boarding pass that is already 'airside' are allowed to simply walk back into the airside part of the terminal after being checked.

It apparently happens quite a lot, and the staff are used to it. There is nothing preventing/warning people not to use the system, so as long as you have time, I'd recommend taking a ride on it before it closes.

I also took a walk to the APV (90-93) gates, as I found some signs directing people in case the transit system is closed. If the transit system is closed, passengers to Sat 1 are directed towards the APV gates, where they board buses that take them to Sat 1. Those heading to Sat 2 are directed towards the walkway to Sat 2, where they can access the international gates which are normally only accessible via the transit train.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I managed to do this entire system as it stands quite some years ago so no need to bash it now but I have to say that plans for further terminal expansion that Stansted will be treated with interest, if they're able to make it a bit better than it currently is than fine, at the moment even some domestic arrivals require an exceptionally long walk and lesser airports have been known to mitigate against this with travelators

 

[Rick1984]

It's an odd setup with a long loop under the cargo centre. I guess this was incase it was changed to a passenger satellite.
I have arrived at an international gate and had to be bused to domestic arrivals, as the transit only goes to international

How does it turn around at Terminal B I'm guessing just shunts across a point?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've used the transit system today in Stansted, and I spoke to the staff about the operation of the system.

Essentially, what @Bletchleyite says used to be the case. For a period of time, passengers who accidentally ended up at Sat 1 or 2 were required to go through international arrivals and through security, as large signs were placed warning people not to take the transit system unless they were going to those gates. Then the system was changed, as it was causing a lot of unnecessary trouble for passengers. Now anyone who ends up at Sat 1 are told to go to Sat 2, where a member of staff will let them into the domestic part of Sat 2. From there, in the terminal, passengers with a boarding pass that is already 'airside' are allowed to simply walk back into the airside part of the terminal after being checked.

That's certainly an improvement - my friends (yes, really, not me!) wouldn't have missed their flight with that.

I've *nearly* been caught out by it, though. If I arrive at an airport early, my usual practice is to go to the gate to see where it is, then go and wander round - can't do that at Stansted!

 

[rcsn319]

Are the piers at Stansted segregated by airline then?

Sort of.

Sat 1 has Emirates, Jet2 and some others

Sat2 has Ryanair, easyJet and Play.

Sat3 seems to be exclusively Ryanair.