London Stansted Airport will be closing all departure terminals between 12.00am and 02.00am in an attempt to prevent passengers sleeping in the airport overnight as opposed to booking nearby accommodation.
The new change came into effect on Monday 11th June 2018 and it is not yet known how long it is due to last.
Those passengers who have an early morning flight are advised not to arrive before their check-in time as they will not be able to enter the terminal. So, what does this mean for passengers heading abroad this summer?
Situated just off the M25, Stansted can be difficult to reach if there has been an accident or traffic delay -with some journeys known to remain gridlocked for several hours. With this in mind, you should always ensure you leave plenty of time to allow for delays – however, this may now mean sitting in the airport waiting for check-in to open if you do have a good run on the motorway.
If you are caught in a traffic delay and miss your flight, there are only a few travel insurance policies that will cover the cost of alternative transport for you to catch up with your itinerary – provided you left enough time to reach the airport and the traffic delay was not announced before you set off. These policies are few and far between, but most policies will offer cover if you miss your flight due to a public transport delay or the vehicle you are travelling in breaks down or is involved in an accident.
With everyone arriving at the airport in time for check-in, the queues are likely to be lengthy and it is important to note that most travel insurance and airlines will not offer compensation if you miss your flight due to delays at the check-in desk or security. However, there are a couple of travel insurance providers that do offer this cover, so if this cover is important to you, it may be something to check on your policy.