Having praised Newcastle Airport over the years, it was disappointing to see that the balance between customer service and profit has moved firmly to the position of profit at all cost. Jet2 staff at check-in were fantastic as usual. The airport itself looked clean, but there is definately a need for more toilet provision air-side and a chronic lack of seating for passengers. Calling it a Departure Lounge is totally inaccurate, its a retail mall and, unless you are paying to drink alcohol or coffee, you`ll be hard-pressed to find a seat before you hit your gate. Take a look at Las Palmas or Alicante for two examples of how to get the balance right. Long-stay parking was convenient, although the attitude of one courtesy coach driver, when asked to wait a moment, wasnt impressive. "They`ll have to be quick, I dont wait." Passport control was a total nightmare, at 0200 on a Sunday morning, same number of Border Control staff as in January, but now sorting out e-kiosks which werent recognising passports. So three times as long to clear immigration! Security on departure was very busy, but still conducted in a fast, effective and polite manner. So, whilst there are good examples of customer service, there are also opportunities for improvement.