This question comes up a lot, and if you ask the cabin crew, the answer you will get is that it is to do with the weight distribution. By forcing people to closer to the centre of the aircraft makes it less likely that there will be a massive discrepancy of weight towards the front or rear.

In theory of course, that is fine, but in practice, there is no way of viewing the weight distribution. As passengers are not weighed before boarding, the airline will assign each passenger (and bag) an average weight to get a rough estimate of the weight on board. In real terms, blocking off the front and back wouldn’t affect it too much as people would sit to the front and rear. In the very worst case scenario, let’s say a rugby team of 20 players of 100kg each (2 tons) sat at the front, perhaps this would have an effect (the 737 weighs about 60 tons).  Of course, safety is paramount and it’s far easier to close off the seats rather than asking said rugby team to move.

The seats are only closed off if there are under 132 passengers on the flight. If you take flights during the week, there is a good chance you’ll see this, and also after take-off, if you ask the cabin crew (or not), it is possible to take an entire row of seats for yourself.

Of course, there are other benefits to this for the airline. Having passengers penned in closer means less rows to count, meaning a quicker and less error-prone passenger check, and it is easier to serve refreshments.

Full Name: Cuneo Levaldigi Airport

IATA Code: CUF

Address: Strada Regionale 20 n.1 -
12038 Levaldigi

Terminal Guide: Here

Distance from City: 16km

Day Trip Possible: No

Overview: Situated close to the French and Italian borders, Cuneo enjoys a good position, sandwiched inbetween Nice, Torino, Genova and only roughly 100km from Marseille and Milan.  Perhaps this is why the airport only enjoys limited passenger numbers but it’s location close to the Alps and the Piemonte region allows for some traffic particularly in the summer, and for the ski season.

Getting there: Can offer some problems depending on your destination. There is a bus service which connects the airport but to different cities. Although the timetable is designed to connect with flights, it’s best to check it before you arrive. For a better choice there is a train station nearby connected via shuttle for your choice. Car hire and taxi are available at the airport and should be available on landing.

General Tips: The terminal has been mostly rebuilt after a fire and is modern-ish with a pleasant exterior. Inside, there is not much to do and has the potential to get busy, especially during ski season.  There are only three gates but it’s unlikely more than one will be used at one go due to the flight spacing out. There is a cafe upstairs but all in all, pretty nondescript.

Budget Travellers Guide: With no destination having any daily flights – London is only twice a week, and with a 7-10 Euro fee for onward transit, this can be quite expensive. Doesn’t really feature in the sales as there are only two destinations – Cagliari and Stansted, although there are some reasonable fares to Cagliari. Precious few other destinations available but one interesting development in WizzAir which now offers flights to Bucharest and Cluj.

Sure, you can do that – but of course, the extra seat will cost. The Easyjet rules state:

Our minimum seat dimensions are as follows:

• Pitch (distance between back of seat and back of seat in front): 29″ (approx. 72.5cm)
• Width (distance between armrests): 171/2 ” (approx. 44cm)

If you are unable to fit into a single seat with the above dimensions for any reason (such as special medical requirements e.g. a broken leg) you will be required to purchase additional seating

If you are purchasing an extra seat it may be prudent to ask if the taxes are refundable for the extra seat given that the airline pays it out on the basis per passenger and not per seat.

Full Name: Cork Airport

IATA Code: ORK

Address: Kinsale Road,
City of Cork, Republic of Ireland

Terminal Guide: Here

Distance From City: 8km

Day Trip Possible: Yes

Overview: An airport featuring the newest terminal in Ireland, and very pleasant it is too. Cork became a Ryanair base in 2005, with real frequent flights to London Stansted. The popularity of this service has led to a Gatwick service being added (one of the few destinations served from Gatwick) as well as a host of holiday destinations. A second aircraft being based here has facilitated this increase in flights as well as an increase in passenger numbers to over 3 million.

Getting there: At only 8km from the city, transport to and from the airport is not difficult, nor does it take too long, with most of the roads outside the airport being upgraded. There are a multitude of bus services all serving the central station in Cork and it should not be too difficult to get one pretty much straight after arrival. There are also the car rental and taxi ranks on your way out.

General Tips: The brand new terminal is excellent to look around. Modern design with European influences, there is a clear plan for expansion in the future should the needs be met. Split into two floors, with the upstairs for departures and the downstairs for arrivals. The planning means it doesn’t get overly crowded, with a good range (but not massive) or places to eat and drink, with Starbucks and Subway offering more normal-priced offerings.

Budget Travellers Guide: Cork is a great destination to visit. Almost always, this is a place included in the sales, and with two flights a day at decent times, is a good day-trip option. Also do check out the trips to Dublin as well, as these are always cheap (possibly to ward off the competition on this route). There are other low-cost airlines at this airport, most recently Wizz Air who features great connections to Eastern Europe, and Aer Lingus has a base here with flights to most of the main capitals in Europe.

Full Name: Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport

IATA Code: CND

Address: 4. T Vladimirescu Street
Mihail Kogalniceanu 907195
Constanta

Terminal Plan: Here

Distance From City: 25km

Day Trip Possible: No

Overview: There are probably several airports in Europe that are former military airfields, but Constanta is a current one; the US is investing big money here as a permanent base. Whether any of this money is used to improve facilities for passengers is doubtful;  as there probably is no great demand for it. Projected growth is only to 1.5m passengers by the year 2015, and this looks a reasonable target if there is an upsurge in tourism in Romania.

Getting there: The airport lies around 25km outside of the town and the best bet is the airport shuttle bus which takes around half an hour. This is specifically tailored around the flights. If there is only one flight per day, there will only be one bus so it’s imperative not to miss it if you do not have any other transport. There are also car hire and taxi services at the airport.

General Tips: Constanta has an extremely impressive location on the east coast of the country, and lies close to the Bulgarian border. There is certainly a lot of sightseeing to do in this area although the logistics do need some attention. Regarding the airport itself, it has all modern convieniences although it’s probably wiser to enjoy a greater choice in the city.

Budget Travellers Guide: With Ryanair operating to only two destinations from here, both in Italy: Bologna and Pisa, it’s essential that no mistakes are made as they could be costly. With flight frequencies of only once or twice a week, you will have big problems should you miss one. Potential for other connections from here are also pretty poor; there are a handful of Eastern European low-costs but a poor choice of alternative destinations, Paris from Blue Line being the highlight. For a large range of destinations, the nearby Bucharest has them.

Full Name: Carcassonne Salvaza Airport

IATA Code: CCF

Address: Aéroport de Carcassonne en Pays Cathare
11000 CARCASSONNE

Terminal Guide: Here

Distance From City: 3km

Day Trip Possible: No

Overview: An airport which Ryanair enjoys 100% of the scheduled traffic at, enjoying a good position although barely 50km from both Beziers and Tolouse, 100km from Montpellier and under 200km from Barcelona. That said, despite the fierce competition, Ryanair have chosen to increase flights further here, probably as a result of gaining monopoly status. In recent times the routes have grown here from just Stansted to mainly British and Irish airports, possibly reflecting the clientele.

Getting there: Carcassonne is really close to the town centre at only a few kilometres away. There is a shuttle bus which makes several stops on the way, terminating at the SNCF station. The bus only runs in accordance to the flights, so be sure not to miss it. Car hire and taxi services are also available at the airport.

General Tips: Thankfully, the increase in the range of destinations has seen an expansion in the airport terminal and things are much newer. That said, it would be better not to spend too much time at the airport as there are very few in the way of shops; after security there is nothing apart from a potentially uncomfortable wait (if you have a crowded flight). Queues should not be an issue as the schedules are such that only one flight is dealt with at one time. That said, there is a pleasant restaurant on the upper floors with views of the runway although perhaps not the best place if are into viewing jets, with only light aircraft doing the rounds.

Budget Travellers Guide: A good selection because of the cheap onward travel, although it should be noted that London services are less than once daily and for other destinations, may only be once or twice  a week. If you are after something quicker, you might want to try the nearby Montpellier airport which has a far bigger range of destinations and airlines. Carcassonne is generally not in the sales that I have seen but has a really good range of UK connections, flying to Cork, Dublin, East Midlands, Prestwick, Liverpool, Leeds-Bradford and Stansted. Brussels’ Charleroi airport is the only European destination available from here.

Full Name: Cagliari-Elmas Airport

IATA Code: CAG

Address: Loc. Aeroporto 09030
Cagliari (CA), Italy
Italy

Terminal Plan: Here

Distance from City: 6km

Day Trip Possible: Yes

Overview: Completely redone in 2005, the new Cagliari airport is the main airport for the Sardinia region. More southern than you would think, being just over the water from Tunisia – the climate here makes it a very popular tourist destination. This is reflected in the amount of airlines using the airport; British Airways also fly from here. Being an island, there are several connections to the Italian mainland.

Getting there: There is no more London service from Ryanair, with the mantle being taken over by Easyjet. Having said that, there is a wide range of flights from most of Ryanair’s main bases. Milan Bergamo or Pisa probably being the cheapest ones to get another flight here. The airport lies less than 5 miles away from the city, which leaves every half an hour. A huge range of taxi and car hire services are available.

General Tips: Well designed new terminal with a multi-level design – departures are on the top floor, and arrivals on the bottom floor. The public transport is well timed, with the first bus allowing connection for even the first flights, and last bus for the last flights. If you are looking for shops, the second (departure) floor is where it’s at: several shops, bars restaurants and ice-creams await; probably a greater selection than beyond security. The very top floor has a restaurant with terrace, which is particularly nice if the weather is good.

Budget Travellers Guide: A decent destination to visit which is located close to local attractions. Ryanair are pushing the Italian domestic market quite hard and as such it’s possible to get very good domestic fares, for example, 15 Euros all in to other cities, which make this a good choice as a stop off.  Easyjet don’t offer the same connectivity here (the only domestic being to Milan-Malpensa), but with a choice of 10 Italian cities on Ryanair, you could easily do a nice tour at little expense.

Full Name: Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport

IATA Code: BZG

Address: Al. Jana Pawła II 158
85-151 Bydgoszcz, Poland

Terminal Guide: Here

Distance from City: 3km

Day Trip Possible: No

Overview: The tenth largest airport in Poland, nevertheless a useful location. From the beginnings from a Stansted service, this has been extended to other UK destinations; but not others at present. At just 180,000 passengers a year, there is certainly room for expansion here, with the airport lying in a good catchment area between Gdansk and Warsaw.

Getting there: Very close to the city, and is served by bus line 80, and takes about 10-15 mins. Do be sure to check the timetables as this is not scheduled to automatically meet the flights. Particularly if you’re flying midweek, this will be quiet.  If you’re coming from somewhere else, rail connections to the main station in Bydgoszcz are good, if a bit lengthy. Car hire is also available but the office may be closed if you are on a late flight.

General tips: At around 500 passengers a day, and well spread out, it is unlikely that there will be any problems as regarding queues. The terminal is small but also new. It features just a few shops but the timing of opening hours is co-incided with the flights (most people do not purchase anything). If you get here too early, you may find nothing open at all.

Budget Travellers Guide: This is a good destination; because flights are usually cheap when they are on sale, and it’s cheap to travel to the city compared to other airports. An added bonus is other flights to UK cities, but European connections have died out somewhat, with Katowice and Vienna routes being pulled in the last year. However, it is still possible to make an onward connection to Weeze in Germany. Domestically, the only scheduled flight is on Jet Air to Warsaw.

Full Name: Budapest (Ferihegy) International Airport

IATA Code: BUD

Address: Budapest Airport Zrt.
1185 Budapest
Budapest-Ferihegy
1675 P.O.Box. 53.

Terminal Guide: Here

Distance from City: 16km

Day Trip Possible: Yes

Overview: At over 8 million passengers and growing, this can be classed as a premium destination; and most things are set up correctly; with good transport links to the city. Big money renovations have taken place already and are still on-going, however the low-cost passengers are unlikely to see much of it. Budapest follows the tried and tested formula of shunting off low-cost traffic into a seperate terminal, but unlike other airports there is a fair amount of space between them and not possible on foot.

Getting there: Terminal 1 has it’s own station (Ferihegy) which you’ll need to purchase a ticket in advance (320 HUF).
This is probably the best way of doing it and will take you around 25 mins. For those at Terminal 2A/2B, the bus is probably a slightly cheaper and quicker option. A taxi may cost around 10 times the bus, but is easy enough to get from the airport. Car hire is also available.

General Tips: The relative large increase in low-cost traffic has led to some crowding – only 10 gates available in Terminal 1, and Budapest is a real popular destination. However, access to the airport is decent at all times, including early mornings as the metro starts early enough to compensate for this. Although the terminal is designated for low-costs, perhaps being conceived in a more affluent era – the facilities are slightly better than it’s other peers with a good range of shops, seating and cleanliness. Terminal 2 houses the better shops and is better but at a 10 minute drive away, best only if you have a lot of time to kill. For this reason, it’s best to consider terminals if you are booking onward journeys with close times.  Most flights on Malev, Air France, BA, Lufthansa will leave from T2.

Budget Travellers Guide: Decent enough, owing to the cheap connections to the city. Has some potential as a European hub in the future if the capacity can be extended; Ryanair fly here from Stansted, Bristol, East Midlands and Prestwick, with EasyJet adding Berlin, Dortmund, Geneva, Gatwick, Luton and Paris. As you might guess, Wizz are the real players here with flights going to Barcelona, Brussels-Charleroi, Eindhoven, Forlì [begins 30 March], Gothenburg-City, London-Luton, Madrid, Malmö-Sturup, Milan-Orio al Serio, Naples, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa [begins 1 July], Rome-Fiumicino, Stockholm-Skavsta, Târgu Mures, Turku, Venice-Treviso, and Weeze.

The most closest and most convienient airport for Brighton is London Gatwick. A 30 min ride down the mainline to London is all it takes, meaning that rather pervesely it’s often quicker from Brighton to Gatwick than from central London to Heathrow.

Easyjet dominate the proceedings at Gatwick, with Ryanair having only a few destinations, outside Ireland, only Madrid and Stockholm Skavsta, Girona, Kaunas and Alicante.