TRIP REPORT: Doughnuts on the Mound 4 – To the Buses. Wait… Buses?

To the buses. Wait… Buses?
Doughnuts on the Mound 4

In this feeble excuse for a day out to Dublin:

• Cheap flights, Cheap flights, Could have gone by sea…
• The joy of Birmingham Airport at 6 am in the morning
• FR661 Birmingham Airport to Dublin Airport
• The Wonder of Dublin T1 Arrivals
• Doughnuts, Friends and Plane Spotting – Airplane Art Extra 
• Back to Dublin Airport Terminal 1 – Retail, Retail, Everywhere…
• FR666 Dublin Airport to Birmingham Airport
• To the buses. Wait… buses?
• It’s about friends

To the … buses?

Getting off the 737, I was greeted with a bus transfer to the terminal. Considering it’s less than 100 metres to the terminal, that raised an eyebrow.

And since this is Birmingham airport, we are playing sardines with the two buses that would take us not even 100 metres to the terminal.

I guess the airport didn’t want passengers walking in the dead of the evening to the terminal building.

Once at the terminal, we were allowed to enter using the Channel Islands and Ireland entrance.

Passengers were allowed to go through, however, there were some West Midlands Police and UK Border people stopping some people as we passed (although there was no mandatory boarding pass check or anything like that).

With that, I exited into the baggage claim area, as there was no border to clear.

With nothing to pick up, I headed to the exit.

Once in the public area, I began to backtrack to the train station. Although, I won’t lie – there was a part of me that was screaming “Get a taxi and be done with it”.

I should listen to myself sometimes.

I headed outside and back into the building yard, as Birmingham Airport continues to reinvent itself.

Intrestly, the stars were not advertised as a way of proceeding to the upper floor – only the lift was available.

Merrily, I ignored that part as I headed through the building site that is Birmingham Airport and back to the air train.

To the AirTrain 

Getting to the train station, the barriers were open. Sadly, by the time I got to the platform, a train was pulling out. The next one would be in 20 minutes, as cancellations due to short staffing were in play.

It was a good thing I had nowhere else to be, otherwise, I would have caught a cab.

A train arrived which would for a service to Rugley via Birmingham City Centre. It was good enough. Sadly, this West Midlands Trains trainset was a little less loved, with the moquette starting to suffer its age.

With it taking passengers from the NEC, the airport and local stops, the train packed out quickly, with even more passengers boarding at Central Birmingham.

I took the opportunity to exit the station and go through the barriers.

And straight outside into the rain. What a welcome back to Birmingham.

With the party crowd out, I navigated my way through the throngs of people gathered outside bars and pubs and up towards the bus stop, where there was another wait for a bus.

I swear it took me longer to exit the airport and grab a train and bus home, rather than the flight itself.

Eventually, I was at my front door, a little wetter than usual, but happier I had seen some close friends for the first time in years.

That’s me travelling light. Yes. I do… sometimes. Well. Rarely. 

Finally: It’s about friends. 

Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond. Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.

Our Social Media pool has expanded. You can find us across most networks as @economybeyond on Twitter, Mastodon,  BlueSky, Threads, as well as Instagram!

Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.