Birmingham Airport (BHX) Flights & Flight Status

England has several major airports, but Birmingham (BHX) is one of the biggest and best for the West Midlands region of the country. It is easy to navigate with all departures under one roof, well-connected with non-stop flights across the European continent and is boosting its long-haul network slowly but surely. Rather than taking a train to airports farther away, Birmingham has done an excellent job in explaining why flying from BHX can save time, money and stress. This information and these helpful tips can help you make the most of your next flight to, from or through Birmingham, England.

One terminal with numerous departure zones

BHX has one main terminal, which is divided into zones that allocate check-in counters for domestic flights to one area, international departures to another and low-cost carriers in their own section. This helps people to find the ticket counters more easily as well as facilitate connections between flights.

The airport joined the two original terminals into one via the Millennium Link, which has many of the airport’s offices and some consumer amenities. While other airports in the region may require taking a bus to change between terminals, Birmingham keeps everything together.

While there is no hub carrier here (following the demise of regional carrier Flybe), there are several full-service and low-fare airlines that operate to a lot of cities here. This means it is possible to make a connection at BHX, but most travellers are either starting or ending their journey here.

A centralised security point leads guests from landside to the airside area where they can go to their gates. Everyone is first funnelled through the duty-free shopping area, where there are also several restaurants. This type of setup is especially common in the United Kingdom where airlines do not announce the departure gate until close to departure time. By doing this, it boosts sales in airport shops and restaurants.

If you plan to buy snacks or other items before boarding your flight, be sure to do that in the central shopping area. Once you begin the walk to your gates, which in many cases can be quite far, there are few shops and mostly vending machines from which to choose last-minute items. And if you are tight on time, you can reserve duty-free items online in advance, and pay for them once at the airport.

Lounges

It can be hard to find a seat in the central shopping area sometimes as it gets really crowded with most passengers waiting there. But, thankfully, there are several lounges in the terminal including a pair of Aspire lounges and a Number One lounge. These offer access via premium airline tickets, Priority Pass membership or by purchasing a pass online.

For those that do not already have access, I recommend buying a pass online in advance. They sometimes come with a discount, and this also secures guaranteed access to the lounge. Many times, I have been turned away when trying to use my Priority Pass card because the lounge was full.

If you pre-purchase a pass, you will not be turned away. Just keep in mind that you are often not permitted to access the lounge until three hours before your departure time.

The Emirates Lounge is the nicest facility here, but it is only open to eligible passengers on its own flights. Birmingham is one of the many UK airports that welcomes the double-decker Airbus A380 so the lounge can fill up around Emirates’ departure times. It is possible, however, for Emirates passengers to pay for access if they are in economy.

Where you can fly from Birmingham

Flights across the United Kingdom and around Europe are the most common options on the departure boards here. The airport offers flights to almost every major European hub, which gives passengers one-stop access to almost all points across the globe (important since there is no official hub here).

Airport management has also been working to grow the long-distance network from BHX, which can be difficult given space constraints for an airport with only one terminal and one runway as well as proximity to other more-connected airports that compete for traffic (namely London Heathrow and Manchester).

Some of the high-profile flights from BHX include Air India services to Amritstar and Delhi; Emirates to Dubai; Qatar Airways to Doha; Saudia to Jeddah; and charter flights to long-haul vacation destinations in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico.

The most common flights from the airport are via low-cost airlines like easyJet, Jet2.com and Ryanair. They offer flights across Europe, most commonly to vacation destinations in Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and other warm-weather spots.

Top destinations from BHX are Dublin, followed by Dubai, Amsterdam and Palma de Mallorca. Unfortunately, there are no non-stop, year-round flights to the United States on major network airlines any longer. For those, Manchester and London Heathrow are better options although it requires a longer drive.

How to get to and from the airport

Aside from rideshare services, taxis and shuttle vans, the fastest way to get into town is by taking the Air-Rail Link (more like an above-ground tram). This takes travellers to the airport’s train station, where they can ride into the city or to various other destinations around the region.

Bus links are also available with the X1 and X12 lines to go into the centre of town. Other buses also operate to various regional cities including Coventry and Leicester among others.

Family features at the airport

Two play areas for families are available at the airport. Known as Sky Zone, you can find them near gate 55 or the entrance to gates 1-20 near the Costa Coffee and WHSmith shop. They have everything from augmented reality activities to games like mazes and puzzles to work through, which means that even the parents can have some fun.

These spaces are open 24 hours a day and have activities for different ages of kids. Teenagers have their own fun activities via a digital platform with games via video and audio. There is also a virtual reality adventure that begins at the check-in area and goes all the way through to boarding.

I wish more airports would develop such entertainment options, and given the number of holiday makers that pass through BHX, they deserve kudos for this effort.

While the airport’s original observation deck has closed, there is a new aircraft viewing area that is part of Car Park 5. This is only accessible on the landside area, but has become a popular option for local families looking for free entertainment for all ages.

Helpful hints about BHX

I really appreciate when airports have a grocery store in the arrivals area of the airport. This means you can pick up a healthier snack than what a lot of the restaurants offer at a fraction of the price. You can also stock up on munchies for your hotel room (or if you’re returning home, even pick up some fresh necessities you need). Marks & Spencer Simply Food and Spar both have locations on the arrivals floor.

If you are on a low-cost airline or travelling economy on other carriers, there are still options to have a more comfortable airport experience. This includes paying extra for the express lane, which can get you through security queues much faster. By buying this online before arriving at the airport, you can receive a discount.

There are also options to pay for lounge access in advance, but be sure that you select the lounge that is in the part of the airport where your flight is departing.

When arriving from outside the United Kingdom to Birmingham, there is a premium fast track lane, too. This is usually offered to passengers in business or first class from several airlines, but you can also buy your own pass in advance. Be sure to print out your voucher so you can access this special line to save time after landing.

For the most bougie experience, the VIP Fly package includes all of the above (fast-track security, lounge access and premium immigration lanes) plus the option to tack on a chauffeur service anywhere within an 80-mile radius of the airport.

Remember that security screening here is very strict, and the staff pulls aside more bags here than other major European hubs to sort through. Liquids must be in a small plastic bag and only 100ml each.

I find this airport to be just as obsessed with going through as many bags as possible as London Heathrow, even when not looking for liquids. It is wise to allow enough time as the staff does not try to expedite the process so you can make your flight.

When checking a bag to BHX, keep in mind that there is another Birmingham (in the U.S. state of Alabama) with the airport code BHM. These can commonly be confused, and there are many stories of peoples’ bags ending up in the wrong city.