Located in Stasted Mountfitchet, and about 48km from Central London is the Stansted International Airport. The Stansted International Airport is owned and run by the Manchester Airport groups, serving up to 170 destinations all over the world. On top of catering to international flights, the airport’s runway is also used by a number of private companies that provide private and chartered flights.
Due to its massive operations, the airport earned the prestige of being named the fourth busiest airport in United Kingdom, coming in line after The Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports.
The London Stansted airport comprises of one main passenger terminal with three passenger satellites which comprises of boarding gates to domestic and international flights. The main terminal of the airport is constructed in a unique way which features a “floating roof” with the support of a space frame that gives the appearance of a stylish swan in flight.
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Although the Stansted International Airport lacks of a Muslim-only prayer facility, you will still be able to offer your prayers at a common prayer room which is open throughout the clock. There are two prayer rooms, one is located opposite Check-in Zone A and the other is located near the Escape lounge in the Departure area after you had gone through the security.
The prayer area also includes a washing facility for you to perform ablution before your prayer. Since it is a common prayer place, make sure to carry along a praying mat and a copy of the Al-Quran if required for your worshipping necessities.
When dining in the restaurants at the London Stansted Airport, I would recommend opting for vegetarian options rather than meat since most restaurants do not bear a halal certificate. I would recommend purchasing meals from internationally renowned brands at the airport such as Burger King, Starbucks, Costa and Itsu.
Itsu does offer a range of low calorie, low carb, seafood and salad based dishes. However, feel free to consult the staff before ordering your meal to verify if animal fats or such are comprised in your dish.
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The London Stansted Airport will surely give you an amazing shopping experience. Whether it's your last minute shopping, or a calm shopping spree, you will be amazed by the deals that can only be found at the London Stansted Airport. You'll find products such as the latest gadgets, mobile accessories, cosmetics, toiletries and even gifts before you leave for your next destination! Be sure to spare some money for brands like Armani, Estee Lauder and even Apple.
Take a break and keep yourself occupied before your next flight at the Stansted Airport’s Escape lounge located in the main departure lounge. You can either pre-book and guarantee your entrance to the lounge online at the airport website or simply pay and enter upon arrival. The opening hours of the lounge are from 4AM to 8.30PM, effective till the 31st of December 2018.
At the lounge, you'll find an array of meals. I recommend that you go full vegan at the Escape lounge since there are no sources found confirming if the food served is Halal-certified. When ordering your vegan-only meals, feel free to consult with the workers at the Escape lounge regarding the ingredients used in your vegan-only meals to confirm that it is purely vegetarian.
Apart from the food, the Escape lounge is also equipped with Wifi and television viewing facilities to keep you occupied. The lounge is equipped with printing and scanning facilities for your admin matters. Or you might just want to take a power nap and unwind comfortably at the Escape lounge before your flight.
The pre-book price to use the facility per person is £25. If you are travelling with an infant below two years of age, note that entrance is free for your infant, however please make sure to dial 0808 1697 031 to inform the personnel that you are bringing an infant.
If you are planning to travel in groups of over 6 people, you will need to obtain prior authorization before booking admittance to the Escape lounge. Simply call 0808 1697 031 between 9AM and 6PM daily to confirm your booking.
The Escape lounge welcomes passengers from any aircraft or airline.
In order to facilitate your transactions in and out of London, Moneycorp is conveniently located at the Stansted airport to help you. Moneycorp operates six body offices at the Stansted airport for your convenience. You will be able to perform a variety of banking transactions including currency exchanges while obtaining competitive currency exchange rates of over 60 different currencies worldwide.
To make your travel experience even more convenient, you can order your travel money online prior to travelling, or you can also apply for the explorer multi-currency MasterCard to make travelling around the globe a much simpler task.
Furthermore, there are a number of ATMs located throughout the airport. Simply refer to the airport map or stop by the Information Desk to locate the nearest ATM. The ATMs also dispense cash in a number of different currencies including the Great Britain pound, the Euro, the US dollar, Czech Koruna and Polish Zloty.
You can book your coach from Looking4Transfers, taking you from the airport to a number of destinations all over the UK. The coaches provide a comfortable journey of maximum standards at very affordable prices.
Alternatively, you can also take the coach provided by the London National Express which offers transport between the airport to London, stopping at the city’s prominent locations such as the London Paddington, London Victoria and London Liverpool Street.
If you prefer to take the train to get your way in and out of the London Stansted Airport, it can be done with ease.
The Stansted Express offers the speediest transport to get you to and from the London Stansted Airport. Note that the train departs every 15 minutes and it takes just 47 minutes to get you from the airport to London Liverpool Street.
Alternatively, you can opt to take the direct train to the Stansted airport as well. Since the station is located directly underneath the airport you will have no issue. You can either purchase the tickets upon arrival or pre-book your tickets online, saving you a few dollars. The airport is well-equipped with ramps and elevators for visitors that have bulky luggages. The station is simply a 2 minutes walk from the airport terminal.
If you prefer to book a taxi rather than using the public coach or train, you can do so at the airport reservation desk located in the international arrival concourse.
The recommended transport provider by the airport, 24x7, provides a very good service for its passengers 24 hours a day. For all the passengers who need special requirements such as wheel chair access or baggage accommodation please note that certain vehicles of the service provider are well equipped to cater to those needs. Simply make your booking as per your requirement at the reservation desk. The fare of the journey will be informed prior and you can make the payment at the counter using your debit or credit card or alternatively, you can also pay directly to the driver when you have reached your destination.
