Airport taxi / private hire · ~15–25 min to central Bournemouth in light traffic
Where they are
One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
SOU8.6+0.4
BOH8.2
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
SOU7.2+0.4
BOH6.8
Food & retail
Best for
SOU
Travellers who want a true plane-to-train walk instead of a coach transferChannel Islands / Scotland / Amsterdam itineraries on Aurigny, Loganair, or KLMPriority Pass holders who need a real lounge (when Spitfire is staffed)
Watch out for
SOU
Long Stay car park is closed — no free remote drop-off; Short Stay drop-off is £7 / 20 minutesSpitfire Lounge shut mid-day Wed/Sat/Sun on the airport roster (morning + afternoon blocks only)Ticketed to “Southampton” but flying from BOH Bournemouth is a common Solent mix-up
SOU · AGS regional airport at Eastleigh with a covered footbridge to Southampton Airport Parkway (~99 steps), CT security that still caps liquids at 100 ml (no clear bag; electronics stay packed), Unilink U1 at £2.60, and a Spitfire Lounge that Priority Pass can enter — except through Wed/Sat/Sun midday closures. Do not confuse with Bournemouth BOH.
BOH · Dorset leisure airport at Hurn with genuine CT screening (liquids ≤2 L stay packed), Fast Track from £7, Bourne & Acre dining instead of a Priority Pass lounge, £8/30-minute Express drop-off, and a thin morebus 737 instead of rail — do not confuse with Southampton SOU.
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
SOU6.4
BOH6.6+0.2
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
SOU9.0+3.2
BOH5.8
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
SOU6.5
BOH6.5
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
SOU6.8+0.1
BOH6.7
BOH
Jet2 / Ryanair / TUI leisure trips from Dorset, south Wiltshire and western HampshireTravellers who want CT leave-in-bag liquids up to 2 L without a London hubDrivers who can pre-book CP2 and treat the airport as a car-first regional
BOH
No Priority Pass / LoungeKey lounge — Bourne & Acre is pay-as-you-go dining onlymorebus 737 is sparse weekdays, not a turn-up-and-go city metroTicketed to “Bournemouth” but flying from SOU Southampton is a common Solent mix-up
Free airside water fountain
Short Stay / Priority Parking
Parkway station is ~99 steps — Unilink is the city door-to-door bus
Rail at Parkway is the standout SOU advantage; Unilink U1 is the cheap terminal-kerb city bus at £2.60.
100 ml still applies — but leave liquids and laptops in the bag
Classic 100 ml limit with CT leave-in-bag convenience; Priority Security is bookable, not a walk-up mystery lane.
Only full lounge at SOU; Priority Pass works, but Wednesday/weekend midday closures strand long connections.
BOH
CT security — liquids ≤2 L stay packedBourne & Acre Bar and KitchenExpress drop-off / pick-upmorebus 737Free BOH Passenger WifiJet2.com / Jet2holidays base
Bring up to 2 L of liquids — leave bottles and laptops in the bag
CT is the real BOH win — pack ≤2 L liquids and keep the laptop in the bag; Fast Track only buys queue time.
morebus 737 exists — but it is not a frequent city shuttle
Treat 737 as a limited weekday option, not a metro link — budget a taxi or car unless the PDF timetable matches your flight.
Bourne & Acre is the airside hangout — there is no PP lounge
Pay-as-you-go dining airside, not a Priority Pass lounge — plan food spend or eat before you fly.
