The most irritating airport?
Thread Starter
The most irritating airport?
It receives so many awards yet fails to impress me, Amsterdam Schiphol!
What really irritates me are the loud, boring and CONTINUOUS tri-lingual terminal flight announcements. Most other major airports have, with the exception of the gate area itself, suppressed the need for these. It really gets on my t..ts after a while!
What really irritates me are the loud, boring and CONTINUOUS tri-lingual terminal flight announcements. Most other major airports have, with the exception of the gate area itself, suppressed the need for these. It really gets on my t..ts after a while!
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JFK
04SEP 2h! delay before take-off (DL to BRU)
07SEP 30' between landing and gate (LH from FRA)
EWR
09SEP 45' delay before take-off (LH to FRA)
New-york is really to avoid.
04SEP 2h! delay before take-off (DL to BRU)
07SEP 30' between landing and gate (LH from FRA)
EWR
09SEP 45' delay before take-off (LH to FRA)
New-york is really to avoid.
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Must be FRA, especially early in the morning.
If you're in transit, you'll find nothing's open for business.
If it's your final destination, immigration is a joke. You find yourself among all the great unwashed coming off flights from countries where they'd sh!t in your airing cupboards if you weren't watching - and the immigration booths seem to be deliberately undermanned to make the whole experience one you'd want to forget.
Hard to believe this is supposed to a major trade fair city!
If you're in transit, you'll find nothing's open for business.
If it's your final destination, immigration is a joke. You find yourself among all the great unwashed coming off flights from countries where they'd sh!t in your airing cupboards if you weren't watching - and the immigration booths seem to be deliberately undermanned to make the whole experience one you'd want to forget.
Hard to believe this is supposed to a major trade fair city!
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Anyone been to Venice Marco Polo (Italy)?
Arrived there at about 7pm on a Britannia 757 from MAN, along with 235 other pax off on their jollys. A Lufthansa 737 which landed just after us was also disembarking, and was pretty much full. There are 3 luggage reclaim belts. The Lufthansa bags come out on Belt 1. The Britannia bags come out on Belt 1 about 5 minutes after the Lufthansa bags. The result is about 350 people all crowding round 1 baggage belt in a ridiculously cramped arrivals hall when 2 belts are sitting there completely empty but still turning- ie.they are working, but the baggage handlers were probably to bloody lazy to carry the bags the extra 100m to belt 2.
Wouldn't mind if this was a one off, but it happens every time I go to VCE, whichever airline I fly with. Can't wait till the new terminal opens!
Anyone else been here?
G-BPEC
Arrived there at about 7pm on a Britannia 757 from MAN, along with 235 other pax off on their jollys. A Lufthansa 737 which landed just after us was also disembarking, and was pretty much full. There are 3 luggage reclaim belts. The Lufthansa bags come out on Belt 1. The Britannia bags come out on Belt 1 about 5 minutes after the Lufthansa bags. The result is about 350 people all crowding round 1 baggage belt in a ridiculously cramped arrivals hall when 2 belts are sitting there completely empty but still turning- ie.they are working, but the baggage handlers were probably to bloody lazy to carry the bags the extra 100m to belt 2.
Wouldn't mind if this was a one off, but it happens every time I go to VCE, whichever airline I fly with. Can't wait till the new terminal opens!
Anyone else been here?
G-BPEC
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You haven't lived until you have tried Dublin. I have waited 45 minutes for a gate after arriving from an overnight LA flight. At busy times you can queue on the ramp to get to immigration. Then there is the baggage hall..............
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Back to AMS (start of thread) ... totally agree with BRUpax; but I find their most frustrating feature to be the frequent gate changes (also announced tri-lingual) - I've even seen aircrew turning up to the wrong gate, following one of these "at a whim" changes.
Their "single terminal" idea is admirable, but you need to walk miles to change planes, with little assistance from moving walkways - the walking distance being increased by the gate changes mentioned above. At least multi-terminal airports (generally) provide a bus, so you get a short rest between the walks.
Ah - the words "attentie alstublieft" (sp?) ring round your head in AMS for hours! Bliss (NOT).
[ 12 October 2001: Message edited by: sanjosebaz ]
Their "single terminal" idea is admirable, but you need to walk miles to change planes, with little assistance from moving walkways - the walking distance being increased by the gate changes mentioned above. At least multi-terminal airports (generally) provide a bus, so you get a short rest between the walks.
Ah - the words "attentie alstublieft" (sp?) ring round your head in AMS for hours! Bliss (NOT).
[ 12 October 2001: Message edited by: sanjosebaz ]
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Dublin Airport does have to be among the worst there is all right, Crusy Ol' Capn. At best it is a shabby building site and at worst it is a vulgar shanty-town and for those radio ads about the place they turn my stomach. Aer Rianta are a shameful lot.
Coppula eam se non posit acceptera jocularum
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Story of my life. Wanted to avoid fighting my way through LHR (going via LHR is habit more than anything) so decided to try going through AMS. All booked up, only to find that I am making a tight connection at an "irritating airport". Oh well, forewarned is forearmed.....
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Well Mr Star, here's an interesting diversion for you - just count the number of times you hear "attentie alstublieft" and post the answer here. It is Dutch for "attention, please", but that doesn't make it any less annoying, unfortunately. Divide this number by the number of gate changes, then add the number of miles you walk, and you'll have one of next week's lottery numbers 
Hopefully (given your tight connection), you may be lucky and your connecting flight is parked close to the arrival gate - but that's a lottery in itself
How's the weather in good old NCL? It rained here for a few minutes a couple of weeks back
[ 12 October 2001: Message edited by: sanjosebaz ]
Hopefully (given your tight connection), you may be lucky and your connecting flight is parked close to the arrival gate - but that's a lottery in itself
How's the weather in good old NCL? It rained here for a few minutes a couple of weeks back
[ 12 October 2001: Message edited by: sanjosebaz ]
Coppula eam se non posit acceptera jocularum
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sanjosebaz
Will listen out and report back
.
Mind, with my tight connection on the outward journey not sure how much effort I will be able to devote to listening out
.
Today is clear blue sky and glorious sunshine in NCL
, and I am stuck in the office. No justice .
ES
Will listen out and report back
.Mind, with my tight connection on the outward journey not sure how much effort I will be able to devote to listening out
.Today is clear blue sky and glorious sunshine in NCL
, and I am stuck in the office. No justice .ES
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Yeah
Definitely DUB
It's survival of the fittest to get a trolley there at times, ya have to nearly hit your 'competitors' over the head for one.
"Hey shove over there mate, it's MINE. I got here FIRST" (Kinda thing)
Let's send this page to Mary O'Rourke. O'Leary might even give us a few free flights in return but don't bet on it. At his AGM's your lucky if you get free mineral water (champagne will come at £5 a pop he has been known to sprout). Ever the businessman, but why oh why can't O'Rourke let him build that terminal of his. Just about every businessman in Ireland has his backing (barr Aer Rianta of course) & Gawd knows it's sorely needed to relieve the cattlemarket congestion that passes as Dublin Airport
Emerald
Definitely DUB
It's survival of the fittest to get a trolley there at times, ya have to nearly hit your 'competitors' over the head for one.
"Hey shove over there mate, it's MINE. I got here FIRST" (Kinda thing)
Let's send this page to Mary O'Rourke. O'Leary might even give us a few free flights in return but don't bet on it. At his AGM's your lucky if you get free mineral water (champagne will come at £5 a pop he has been known to sprout). Ever the businessman, but why oh why can't O'Rourke let him build that terminal of his. Just about every businessman in Ireland has his backing (barr Aer Rianta of course) & Gawd knows it's sorely needed to relieve the cattlemarket congestion that passes as Dublin Airport
Emerald
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Brussels - making a transfer, arrive on remote stand, bus takes 15 mins. to arrive, always being taken to a completely different entrance by the bus every time with no staff to advise you where to go to start seeing arrivals/transfer signs again, miles to walk, rude security, rude police, rude shop and bar staff and of course rude Sabena staff...
I pass through BRU twice a month and it is by far the worst airport all round!
I pass through BRU twice a month and it is by far the worst airport all round!
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Just FYI, it's attentie alstublieft....
I've learned about half the Dutch I know just listening to the multilingual announcements at AMS, so you can use it to your advantage.
I've learned about half the Dutch I know just listening to the multilingual announcements at AMS, so you can use it to your advantage.
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OK, I'm struggling a bit here.
You're in a bar in Amsterdam and suddenly require to attract the attention of some gorgeous creature that has just walked in.... or perhaps the barman....
No you're right it is of very limited use unless you want to work an the tannoyt at Schiphol.
You're in a bar in Amsterdam and suddenly require to attract the attention of some gorgeous creature that has just walked in.... or perhaps the barman....
No you're right it is of very limited use unless you want to work an the tannoyt at Schiphol.
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Geeezzz guys... at least you can get ON an aircraft in the above airports.
You want to try Delhi or Kathmandu for real cultural experiences
Kathmandu doesn't do announcements, regardless of how many pax are waiting for the never to arrive aircraft (a friend recently spent 28 hours waiting!!) Made my 10 hours seem just a doddle.
BTW that was ten hours after checking in at the correct time.
You want to try Delhi or Kathmandu for real cultural experiences
Kathmandu doesn't do announcements, regardless of how many pax are waiting for the never to arrive aircraft (a friend recently spent 28 hours waiting!!) Made my 10 hours seem just a doddle.
BTW that was ten hours after checking in at the correct time.
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Damascus is also a bloody irritating airport. They won't let you through to the checkin area until the staff actually arrive (about 1 hr before the flight goes out) so if it is delayed you can't even wait in the international lounge. The pre-check in area has no facilities whatever - not even seats and no toilet facilities that I saw so you are stuck with that bloody luggage if you are travelling solo. Also there is only a very narrow gate to the checkin area so there is a dirty dive when your flight shows up on the indicator and ten people with trolleys all trying to get through at once. You can arrive in the pre-ckeck area first but find yourself at the back of the checkin queue because other people managed to get through the door first. Last time this happened to me I went to the front of the line and explained to the checkin staff that I had been the second person in line for that flight but that others had pushed in front and the attendant checked me in without waiting. You should have seen the glares of the people who pushed me aside - in the end it did them no good to have been so rude and selfish.
Have to say though that DAM has a very good duty free shop and the cheapest I have ever come across - 8$ for a bottle of scotch or 200 cigs. And duty free on landing as well!
Have to say though that DAM has a very good duty free shop and the cheapest I have ever come across - 8$ for a bottle of scotch or 200 cigs. And duty free on landing as well!