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Daily Mirror

Travel

Milo Boyd

Heathrow named one of Europe’s best airports for things to do before a flight

EAT Heathrow Europe Istanbul Airport Heathrow Airport Entertainment

Heathrow is the UK's best airport if you're in need of entertainment before boarding a flight, according to a new study.

In news which will hearten all the passengers who found themselves stuck in the North West London travel hub because of the snow yesterday, there is no better airport to be in pre-flight in the country.

The Bounce study looked at the top 50 busiest airports in Europe and judged them on service quality, parking costs, shopping, and more, to reveal the airports with the best pre-flight experience for families, solo flyers, and business travellers.

At the top of the pile is Istanbul Airport, which is the busiest in Europe and welcomes more than 37 million passengers annually.

The Middle Eastern travel hub scores highly in large part due to its very cheap parking, with four days costing just 234 lira or £11.

Istanbul Airport topped the list (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Shopping at Istanbul Airport can be as luxurious or affordable as you like, with 94 outlets on offer, including Dior, Nike, and Oh My Gift souvenir store.

The airport also has 41 restaurant choices, whether you fancy Italian cuisine at Carluccio’s, sandwiches at Eat and Joy, or authentic Turkish food at Turcuisine.

In second place on the global rankings is Athens International Airport, where there are 99 shops, 26 bars and restaurants for families to choose from.

The Greek airport was ranked very highly for the quality of its service, with its score of 9/10 the highest of all the airports that were analysed.

The third spot was taken by Copenhagen Airport, which is one of the biggest Nordic airports, serving over nine million passengers each year, and it also ranks as the third best for the pre-flight experience.

The airport boasts 74 shops, as well as 43 bars and restaurants, while parking at the airport totals £61 on average.

Brits looking for a luxurious UK airport experience are best heading through Heathrow, according to the survey.

The London travel hub sees 19.4 million passengers a year and is home to 66 shops and 32 bars and restaurants to choose from.

Many people who got stuck waiting for flights at Heathrow this spring and summer will be well acquainted with everything that its multiple terminals have to offer, which includes everything from Cartier and Chanel, to Boots and JD Sports.

Heathrow Airport is the place to be pre-flight, according to Bounce (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

It also has a reputation as a good place to get a good pre-flight meal, with a 2019 study finding it to be the best airport in the UK for a high-end meal hosting eight of the highest-rated restaurants in the highest price bracket in the country.

Arguably Heathrow is a complex beast in airport terms, splitting opinion as it does and offering different standards of service in its different terminals.

In a Which? study earlier this year T4 came in for heavy criticism by passengers who had been stuck in lengthy arrival and departure queues, awarding it two stars.

The enormous T5 was ranked much higher, attracting praise for its ‘modern and airy’ feel and four stars for queues.

The best European airports for pre-flight experience