Tips and advice before booking at Birmingham Airport

Got a layover at Birmingham Airport? Long layovers can be boring and uncomfortable, consisting of broken sleep, sore backs, and lots of coffee. Our guide to spending a layover at Birmingham Airport will help you to spend that time wisely, whether you want to sleep or shop. Here’s the rundown of the terminals, lounges, food and drink, entertainment, and shopping.

How many terminals are at Birmingham Airport?

Birmingham Airport is one of the busiest airports in the UK, serving millions of passengers per year. It’s a major hub of international travel, flying across the globe. There are two terminals – both of them are modern and properly equipped to handle passengers’ needs. Terminal 1 mostly serves international flights with some domestic flights, while Terminal 2 mostly serves flights across the UK and Ireland, with some international flights. The two terminals are connected by a walkway.

Food and Drink

There’s a great selection of food and drink options at Birmingham Airport, from fast food to prosecco bars. Whether you want to grab a coffee and a pastry or sit down for a hearty meal, Birmingham Airport has a good range of options. Luckily for those with overnight layovers, there are two Costa Coffees and a Greggs that are all open 24/7. There’s also a Spar that’s open 24 hours a day, and it sells hot and cold sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. The M&S Simply Food is also open 24/7, but it’s in the Arrivals area. The other cafes, restaurants, and bars are generally open between 4.30am and 8pm, here’s what you’ll find:

• All Bar One
• Bottega Prosecco Bar
• Burger King
• Caffe Nero
• Costa
• Factory Bar & Kitchen
• Giraffe
• Greggs
• Pret a Manger
• SOHO Coffee
• Starbucks
• Wetherspoons

There are also two drinking water fountains to fill up your bottle. There’s one on the landside, close to the baggage claim, and the other is behind Bottega Prosecco bar in the main Departure Lounge.

Rest in an Airport Lounge

The departure lounge can get busy, loud, and chaotic – why not treat yourself to a VIP airport lounge? Long layovers can be boring, but an air-conditioned space, unlimited Wi-Fi, complimentary food, and a quiet place to relax make them considerably better. Regardless of what airline you’re flying with, anyone can book a slot at an airport lounge. Bear in mind that airport lounges typically allocate a time of maximum 3 hours to passengers and most lounges will be subject to availability – book online for the best price and to guarantee your spot.

There are 4 lounges at Birmingham Airport:

• Aspire Lounge: £36.99 per adult
• Aspire Lounge (south): £36.99 per adult
• Clubrooms Birmingham: £42 – children are not allowed
• No 1 Lounge: £40 per adult

Sleeping in Birmingham Airport

If you’re planning on sleeping during your layover, make sure you bring an eye mask and good earplugs. Birmingham Airport is busy throughout the day, and always brightly lit. Even the deepest of sleepers will find their precious shut-eye disturbed by the chatter of the departure lounge. However, sleep is important for fuelling you for your onward journey, so here are the best places to sleep at Birmingham Airport.

Sleeping in the terminals

There are no dedicated sleeping areas, and the chairs have armrests that make lying down uncomfortable, so the best option is to sleep on the sofa. The terminals are clean and secure, and there will be a corner to rest for a few hours. Passengers who are waiting at the airport overnight will be restricted to the landside area until the security checkpoint reopens, so bear in mind that you will have to go through security again.

Sleeping in airport lounges

Airport lounges are better for sleeping than the terminals, but they are only open between 4.30am and 8.30pm. Plus, passengers generally get 3 to 4 hours in an airport lounge, so it might not be the best option for a full sleep.

Sleeping in hotels

If the thought of sleeping on an airport floor sounds like hell to you, then booking a hotel might be the best option. It allows you to get a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed before embarking on your onward journey.

• The most convenient hotel is Novotel – it’s a two-minute walk from the terminals.
• Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham Airport is the most luxurious hotel option, it’s a four-minute walk to the terminals.
• The most affordable airport hotel is Ibis Budget Birmingham Airport.

Duty-Free Shopping

What better way to pass the time than with a bit of retail therapy? Make the most of tax-free savings when shopping at World Duty-Free. Save money on designer fragrances, luxury beauty products, alcohol, tobacco, and more – all for an exclusive, tax-free price. There are four Duty-Free shops at Birmingham Airport. The main shopping area is straight after security, before entering the Departure Lounge. It’s open between 4am and 10pm.

Other Shopping

As well as World Duty Free, you’ll find excellent retail outlets where you can pick up anything from designer sunglasses to a new jacket. Across the two terminals, there’s a Boots, JD Sports, Accessorize, Kurt Geiger, InMotion, Luggage Point Retail, Sunglass Hut, Superdry, and WHS Smiths Books.

Entertainment

While there isn’t much in the way of entertainment at Birmingham Airport, there are a few ways you can kill time. One of those is enjoying high-quality beauty treatments at the AeroSpa. The spa is open from 5am to 8pm daily and offers a variety of services to help you relax and indulge before your flight. The treatments include manicures, pedicures, massages, brows, and lashes.

The best way to while away the hours of a layover is by watching a movie or TV show. There is free Wi-Fi at Birmingham Airport, but it can be slow during busy periods. If you want faster Wi-Fi or have some emails to catch up on, the airport lounges have faster, secure Wi-Fi.

Family Services

Travelling with children can be stressful enough, let alone during a layover. Keep them entertained in the Sky Zone. It’s a fun, interactive, and most importantly, free games area. The Sky Zone is suitable for kids 13 and under, and all children must be supervised by an adult.

For families with babies, there are baby change stations landside and airside. There are also coin-operated pushchairs – they’re £1, but you get the £1 back when you return it.

Got Extra Time?

If you’ve got a particularly long layover, the thought of sticking around the airport might not be appealing to you. In this case, we recommend getting the train to Birmingham New Street. The airport train station is Birmingham International, and there are around 10 trains to New Street per hour. The journey takes no more than 10 minutes, after which you can be strolling around the Jewellery Quarter, looking around Bullring Shopping Centre, or soaking up some culture in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

In most cases, you can leave the airport during a layover – some nationalities will need a transit visa, so be sure to check. Bear in mind that you will need to go through immigration, customs, and security when you return, so we encourage you to take timings into account and weigh up if a trip to Birmingham is worth it during your layover.

General Information

• There are two multi-faith prayer rooms. One is on the ground floor, behind desk 28, and the other is in the International Pier by the Departure Lounge.
• There are no designated smoking areas in the terminals. The only place to smoke is outside the front of the terminal.
• There is a range of assistance services for those who require wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and more.

FAQs

• What airport lounges exist and are they worth it?
  If you’re planning on eating and drinking at the airport, then booking an airport lounge is worth it. Airports tend to have higher prices for food and drink, particularly alcohol, so make the most of the complimentary food and drink at an airport lounge.
• What fast-track products exist and are they worth it?
  There are two common fast-track products – security fast-track and passport control fast-track. The security fast track lets you skip the queue and head straight to the security checkpoint. Passport control fast track allows you to get home faster after getting off a flight – while everyone else is in the busy and congested passport control lane, you can use a dedicated lane smoothly and quickly. If your flight is arriving at a particularly busy time, you’ve just come off a long flight, or you’ve got young children with you, we think booking the passport control fast track is worth it.
• How many terminals are at Birmingham Airport?
  There are two terminals at Birmingham Airport.
• Does Birmingham Airport have smoking areas?
  Birmingham Airport does not have designated smoking areas inside the terminals. There is a smoking area outside the front of the terminals.
• When should I book for the best prices at Birmingham Airport?
  Book at least one month in advance to get the best prices at Birmingham Airport. Prices increase the closer you get to your departure date, so it’s best to book as soon as possible.
• How early should I arrive to park my car at Birmingham Airport?
  If you’re parking your car at Birmingham Airport, be sure to arrive at least 3 hours before an international flight and 2 hours before a domestic flight.
• What happens if my flight is cancelled at Birmingham Airport?
  Flight cancellations are stressful and frustrating. Here’s what to do if your flight is cancelled at Birmingham Airport:
  • Make sure you have proof of your cancelled flight – whether that’s an email or text from the airline.
  • Ask the airline what they plan to do about the cancelled flight – are they booking you a new flight or refunding you?
  • Keep receipts of meals, hotels, and transport costs that incur as a result of the cancelled flight to reimburse them to the airline.
  • Do not agree to a partial refund if you’re not happy with the amount – you could waive your right to compensation if you agree to a sum.

How to deal with other airports