The Worlds Worst Airport
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Not the worst airport on earth but Geneva is a shocker for skiers / snowboarders on arrival.
Skis / boards are routed separately to ordinary baggage and it takes aeons - way longer than the baggage on the carousels. I've waited sixty minutes though the norm appears to be around 30 minutes.
Why?
It goes without saying there are no staff on hand who can help.
Skis / boards are routed separately to ordinary baggage and it takes aeons - way longer than the baggage on the carousels. I've waited sixty minutes though the norm appears to be around 30 minutes.
Why?
It goes without saying there are no staff on hand who can help.
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It has to be Bucharest Baneasa (BBU)!
Nothing more than a glorified bus shelter! To its credit the air side logistics seemed OK, i.e. buses to plane, steps, luggage etc.
Some people quote it as "Europe's Worst Airport".
Cluj Napoca (CLJ) isn't much better either, my boarding pass was a old one with the old flight details crossed out and written over!
However Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) whilst not perfect was acceptable, very quick on arrival. 15 minutes from plane to exit, and on departure security was very easy. The taxi touts have seem to of almost disappeared also. However it is extremely expensive, ie £2.50 for a tiny coffee! Especially when your used to paying around 60p in Bucharest!
Nothing more than a glorified bus shelter! To its credit the air side logistics seemed OK, i.e. buses to plane, steps, luggage etc.
Some people quote it as "Europe's Worst Airport".
Cluj Napoca (CLJ) isn't much better either, my boarding pass was a old one with the old flight details crossed out and written over!
However Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) whilst not perfect was acceptable, very quick on arrival. 15 minutes from plane to exit, and on departure security was very easy. The taxi touts have seem to of almost disappeared also. However it is extremely expensive, ie £2.50 for a tiny coffee! Especially when your used to paying around 60p in Bucharest!
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DUB
My vote goes to DUBLIN which displays a total lack of any foresight or planning and absolute chaos in the baggage collection hall. I read recently that there are knocking down the nicest part of the terminal to build T2.
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Wondered when Ho Chi Minh would crop up!
Awful place. I saw a woman seriously injured after she fell on an escalator. She was trapped at the bottom but the thing just kept dumping other passengers on top of her -- there were no emergency switches.
In the end there was a whole heaving mass of humanity at the bottom of it and several others, mainly elderly, were hurt as well. I managed to escape the melee by vaulting over the side and descending the last eight or nine feet down a bit more quickly than usual.
Oh, and immigration are corrupt as well. Make sure you take a load of passport size photos with you, even though you don't officially need them.
Awful place. I saw a woman seriously injured after she fell on an escalator. She was trapped at the bottom but the thing just kept dumping other passengers on top of her -- there were no emergency switches.
In the end there was a whole heaving mass of humanity at the bottom of it and several others, mainly elderly, were hurt as well. I managed to escape the melee by vaulting over the side and descending the last eight or nine feet down a bit more quickly than usual.
Oh, and immigration are corrupt as well. Make sure you take a load of passport size photos with you, even though you don't officially need them.
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My vote has to go to Paris Beauvais (BVA). A few weeks ago I arrived at 7.30am for a 9.30am flight. By the time I had checked in, queued to get past the single passport control window in operation and then waited another while to get through security, I walked straight onto the plane from security. This airport was designed for a few flights a week, not the several dozen it now caters for every day.
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I would vote for Tampere, anyone who has been through the 'Ryanair' terminal on a busy night will know what I mean, it is little more than a warehouse in a field. With about as many facilities to match.
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Worst Airport
To All those that are berating MAN - T1 will be sorted eventually - you can not improve airports without making a mess through building work. I agree that travellling through T1 isnt a great experience at the moment but that'll change when the work has finished and MAN will once again be a top airport.
Talking about worst airports, LPL isnt far from that tag-Portakabins for departure lounges, having to pay £2 if you want to avoid the disgraceful security queues that always exist early in the morning and the unorganised chaos at boarding gates. I have always supported LPL throughout its fast development over the last 7years, but it is not a nice experience as a passenger.
The worst airport I've flown from personally is brussels (or not Brussels) Charleroi - a total dump.
Buddy.
Talking about worst airports, LPL isnt far from that tag-Portakabins for departure lounges, having to pay £2 if you want to avoid the disgraceful security queues that always exist early in the morning and the unorganised chaos at boarding gates. I have always supported LPL throughout its fast development over the last 7years, but it is not a nice experience as a passenger.
The worst airport I've flown from personally is brussels (or not Brussels) Charleroi - a total dump.
Buddy.
According to AA, Heathrow is 'a bit of a dump' ...
... so says Don Langford, head of customer services Europe for American.
http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/0429/heathrow.html
But I'd have to agree with EI-AAA's nomination for Dublin, it is by far the worst shopping centre around the city. If it weren't for the coincidential air links I'd never go near the place. (What do you mean the air links are the whole purpose ... has anyone told that to the DAA?!)
JAS
http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/0429/heathrow.html
But I'd have to agree with EI-AAA's nomination for Dublin, it is by far the worst shopping centre around the city. If it weren't for the coincidential air links I'd never go near the place. (What do you mean the air links are the whole purpose ... has anyone told that to the DAA?!)
JAS
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I find the comments from AA a bit hard to stomach. They who have just transferred more services from Lgw, a half-decent airport to Lhr. If Lhr is so bad, why did they do that? Or is it just the same for AA as Baa, profit is king and forget about the poor pax?
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CEEFAX has a piece by that Don Langford of American Airlines that LHR is worst of all European airports. "A mess" - "long delays" - "baggage is terrible" and it goes on. Who can argue?
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Worst airport in the world has got to be Washington, those pathetic people mover things must do wonders for the airports carbon footprint.
Second has got to be Manchester airport, total dump, leaking roofs, broken walkways, filthy terminals and power outages!
Second has got to be Manchester airport, total dump, leaking roofs, broken walkways, filthy terminals and power outages!
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Coming into Tampere when i flew in with Ryanair, the terminal ryanair use is awfull
, it's a small shed and a tip, and as i came in the summer, late in the evening it was so hot in there and you had to wait to get your baggage for about 50 mins
.
and you could see the brand new Terminal Finnair use at Tampere which made it even worse
, it's a small shed and a tip, and as i came in the summer, late in the evening it was so hot in there and you had to wait to get your baggage for about 50 mins.and you could see the brand new Terminal Finnair use at Tampere which made it even worse
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Dub (since the C gates all all but closed.) Lhr (no explanation required!) and Cwl are the worst for me. CWL security are the snottiest I've come across....worse even than those in LAX, which takes some doing.
Their route development is appalling also. Sitting waiting for the 'late departure' to DUB is depressing...nothing is open. Reminds me of DUB in the 80's!!
Their route development is appalling also. Sitting waiting for the 'late departure' to DUB is depressing...nothing is open. Reminds me of DUB in the 80's!!
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oneworld1
If you think the security staff in CWL are bad, you obviously havent flown out of LPL - the vast majority of security staff are so rude and bad tempered-they're always effing and blinding in front of pax and moaning about pay and conditions. Its a complete embarrasment to the airport. The last thing pax want when they've had to pay the disgusting £2 charge to go through security is to be spoken too in a rude manner by staff.
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Railgun,
I read your post with glee and wonder if your only form of transport is british rail.
I have been to 63 countries on my travels (including Nigeria,Ivoiry Coast,Ghana,India,Kenya)and believe me Washinton and Manchester comes out pretty well. You have obviously not flown through LHR recently. I fly through MAN quite frequently and must admit its not the best airport in the world but at least i find my baggage on carolsel nbr 5 10 minutes after ive got to baggage reclaim and not 3 days or weeks after unlike LHR. I can put up with leaking roofs and inoperative escalators but get really pissed off with the lack of luggage at the end of my journey which is normally the case at LHR.
Where does LHR come into your worst airports in the world table.
I read your post with glee and wonder if your only form of transport is british rail.
I have been to 63 countries on my travels (including Nigeria,Ivoiry Coast,Ghana,India,Kenya)and believe me Washinton and Manchester comes out pretty well. You have obviously not flown through LHR recently. I fly through MAN quite frequently and must admit its not the best airport in the world but at least i find my baggage on carolsel nbr 5 10 minutes after ive got to baggage reclaim and not 3 days or weeks after unlike LHR. I can put up with leaking roofs and inoperative escalators but get really pissed off with the lack of luggage at the end of my journey which is normally the case at LHR.
Where does LHR come into your worst airports in the world table.
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What Tent??
LTNman.
Ok you can call Blackpool Airports limited facilities all you want, but try and be a little more accurate
.
Be that as it may, while you walk miles in the large airports like Manchester, and the London airports.
I will park my car, and walk a few yards to the terminal, check in then walk a few yards to security and departures. So easy.
And on returning - won't be a long walk to the carousel, and it works.
Anyway you are entitled to your opinion.
My vote goes to Palma, we spent ages waiting for our luggage while it was on another carousel, while the Leeds luggage was on ours.
Getting though security is a nightmare, even with a fast on line check in - give me Blackpool anytime over monstrosities like Palma.
Ok you can call Blackpool Airports limited facilities all you want, but try and be a little more accurate
.Be that as it may, while you walk miles in the large airports like Manchester, and the London airports.
I will park my car, and walk a few yards to the terminal, check in then walk a few yards to security and departures. So easy.
And on returning - won't be a long walk to the carousel, and it works.
Anyway you are entitled to your opinion.
My vote goes to Palma, we spent ages waiting for our luggage while it was on another carousel, while the Leeds luggage was on ours.
Getting though security is a nightmare, even with a fast on line check in - give me Blackpool anytime over monstrosities like Palma.