CAPE TOWN AIRPORT review : 29 April 2008 : by S Srinivasan

Customer Rating : 4/5

Despite the construction, CPT domestic terminal is a cinch to get through. There's a short walk from the plane to terminal building and vice versa. The baggage collection area is a bit drab, but our bags were out in about 10 minutes. On arrival, there's a long walk from the drop-off area to the terminal building due to the construction, but once inside, no queues at all, either in the check-in areas or in security. At 6:45 on a weekday morning, we went from drop-off to the gate in 10 minutes flat. The porters aren't nearly as imposing as at JNB, either. All common areas past security were clean and inviting, with plenty of shops, restaurants, and seating.

Cape Town Airport review by Mark Guthrie

26 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Things have taken a turn for the worse while CPT is being rebuilt. Sign posting for the entry to international car hire return location is non-existent. We drove round in circles repeatedly and never found it and had to park in the short term car park. Avis staff were less than sympathetic although acknowledging the problem. The pedestrian route from the international car rentals location to the international terminal is also poorly sign posted. The queuing system a in the international terminal at security was badly organized.

Cape Town Airport review by M Marais

12 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at Cape Town International 2 weeks ago was a pleasant experience. Helpful and friendly staff. Departing from Cape Town International to London via Amsterdam was on the other hand an unpleasant experience. Checked in online but had to get the boarding passes at the airport. Lady who checked our passports/itinerary unfriendly almost rude, lady at the baggage check-in wasn't friendly either.

Cape Town Airport review by L Irvine

29 July 2007   Customer Rating :

I and my family use Cape Town airport 6 times a year at least. Friendly, efficient and comparatively safe. Johannesburg on the other hand is fraught with sulky staff, under-trained, and very unsafe. We have been accosted in the lifts twice. And now there is the problem of people being followed from Johannesburg airport and hijacked.

Cape Town Airport review by D Hamp-Adams

3 March 2007   Customer Rating :

I've travelled through this airport over the last 26 years, and it's still a pleasure. Immigration queues struggle in the morning, but staff are friendly and polite. Baggage is fast and efficient. Check in long haul - pleasant and efficient [hooray for BA online check in!]. The line after security gets longer every time I fly. Domestic flights: Check in - reasonably short lines, but after security departures can be a bit congested, so if you're at the front, enjoy the lounges. Arrivals - what a pleasure, bags there in no time. Shopping is reasonable, but the international departures arrangement via the bus means a lot of time standing around in an otherwise empty departure area, away from the restaurants and shops. About the only thing I can think of that needs improving.

Cape Town Airport review by Anne Baynton

26 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Arrived and departed this airport with complete ease speed and helpfulness. The airport is beautifully clean and welcoming. I have used it many times on long haul from UK and it is a pleasure always.

Cape Town Airport review by Ron Kuhlmann

15 November 2006

Pleasant airport overall with nice open areas. The arrival coincided with BA but we were first and did not have any undue delays. On departure, the computers were down so much was done manually but with no significant inconvenience.

Cape Town Airport review by Els van den Berkhof

1 June 2006

After our overnight flight it was great to arrive in an airport like Cape Town. Small, clean and easy to find your way around. Because our SAA plane arrived together with a British plane there were a few hundred people to go through immigration by passing only a few manned desks. Because I had had eye-surgery just 3 weeks before I could not handle the queues and was perfectly willing to sit them out on chairs next to the bathrooms. However within 5 minutes we were picked up and escorted outside to the car rental desk. Absolutely great. In Schiphol Airport people were nowhere near as friendly , attentive and helpful. Our next trip to S.A. will absolutely start in Cape Town!

Cape Town Airport review by Paul Howgate

18 March 2006

Just returned from using this airport. Arrivals is still chaos with too few staff on and has been subject to many protests from local people. Departures was fine though, on my day, no queues and through with no delays at all. Used the Rennies lounge (also KLM & Virgin Business class lounge) this time and very good value for money. Can be purchased if travelling economy. Apart from arrivals no complaints.

Cape Town Airport review by Paul Mason

26 February 2006

Queues for International departures stretched from the ground floor through security to the Immigration departure Hall. Why? Just three of eighteen desks manned, four long haul wide bodied departures at this time of day, so maybe 1400 people departing within 20 minutes. Two flights were delayed because of this. Seems like inefficiency on Immigration's part, as one airline rep, said it happening all the time. Wake up Cape Town, the African World cup is only just round the corner!

Cape Town Airport review by Michael R Preston

9 October 2005

An excellent airport in all respects apart from limited catering facilities, and one which has greatly improved over the thirty or so years I've been using it regularly. However, I had an 'interesting' experience on Saturday night (24 SEP). Whilst waiting at the check- in to sort out a minor problem with my ticket, I asked the lady if I could weigh myself on the baggage scale, as I was curious to see how much weight I'd picked up on the last trip. My normal weight is between 64-66 kgs. You may imagine my surprise when it registered me as 47 kgs. I got on and off again, with the same result! I told her jokingly that I would be happy to use that same scales with my wine laden overweight suitcase on my next trip. I then went to the next counter which showed my weight as 78 kgs (also twice.) A third and fourth one were correct. I do wonder if there is some sort of scam going on here, as I find it hard to imagine that such a huge error could not have been picked up and addressed.

Cape Town Airport review by M Fink

8 June 2005

Like most of the things in South Africa, CPT Airport has developed very well, especially if one compares it with the airport 10 years ago. Very friendly staff, especially with children. Little bit few shops at international departures. VAT reclaim works without problems. All in all a good airport.

Cape Town Airport review by Nigel Bragg

4 June 2005

Domestic departures lounge is way too thin (seating is hard to find), spoiling what I think is a nice airport.

Cape Town Airport review by Ian Norris

6 May 2005

Cape town arrival queues are a bit long and slow to sort out but baggage and leaving the airport is quick. Departing there are a number of shops (with the usual overpriced "African gifts") and the duty free seems reasonable. Lt time I went through we sat at the gate (A3) and then were ordered out by the security guy who made everyone form a line to go through to the plan as this was now a "secure area". This meant that even the elderly had to stand up for up to 30 mins to go through which was poor.

Cape Town Airport review by Owen Dawson

6 April 2005

A great airport, clean, spacious and easy to navigate. The immigration queues can get tedious, but the terminal is airy and well laid out, there are plenty of places to have a cool drink and chill out, and the exterior is well kept and busy. The staff, from those in the shops to the security are very polite and good natured - it is a lovely place to land after a stressful flight because it is so relaxed!

Cape Town Airport review by Andrew Talley

15 February 2005

I fly into CPT about 2-3 times year and I find the international departure terminal very clean and open with nice shops and plenty of seats. Getting thru customs is quick and easy. I love the SAA Business lounge which is complete with very nice shower rooms. I just wish they would allow you to board your aircraft via the walk way ramp and not have to take the bus. Overall a great airport to fly out of.

Cape Town Airport review by Vince Danz

14 February 2005

I just returned from Cape Town and travelled via CPT for the first time. It's not hard to find one's way around! My flight left near midnight and to say the place was quiet would be an understatement, very boring! Some positive notes: quick and friendly check-in, passport control went quickly, boarding was not a chaotic as I feared it would be. All in all not a bad airport.

Cape Town Airport review by Sue Pritt

29 December 2004

As someone with a holiday home here, I fly regularly into CT airport. I have nothing but praise for the facilities - I normally wait about 5 minutes to get through immigration (I'm British) and the last 3 times have been in my house, 20 minutes from airport within 35-40 minutes of landing!

Cape Town Airport review by Michael Smith

28 September 2004

Recently flew from Cape Town to London with BA. The airport is very nice. From check in to the lounge and the terminal it is great. However, it seems very, very bizarre to have to go from the BA lounge at one end of the terminal to the other to get on a bus. Then you are brought back to the plane which was sat outside the lounge where you started! There were gates available and only one other (SAA) flight departing at that time. They were also busing to that flight, meaning the two departure gates (next to one another) were crowded. Also had the bus experience on arrival, despite there being (apparently) gates available to park at. Immigration was quick and pleasant. However, it looked like the BA flight was the only one there at the time, so perhaps that was why given all the other comments here about queues. In summary, nice, smart airport let down by busing to the plane on both arrival and departure.

Cape Town Airport review by Robert Nel

16 July 2004

Cape Town Airport is clean and efficient. No negative comments. Was just disappointed recently with the customs control on the departures end, that was situated on first floor. Queues went all the way down the escalators as the front queuing area was very small, especially when 2 x BA flights were departing. Also unfavourable in winter when rain persists, to have to walk from International to domestic halls on the exterior of the terminal. Must be enclosed/covered up in the future.

Cape Town Airport review by Paul Howgate

15 June 2004

I agree with the comments of Alex Callaghan.I arrived at CPT airport on the 9th March. A full 747 and a half full 777 had arrived at the same time and it was chaos. Took ages to clear immigration. Officials worked at a snails pace and were surly and unhelpful. Avoid this place like the plague. The airport itself is clean and modern and departures worked fine - very efficient. I agree with the comments about the smokers lounge. One of the best you will find. In short a place to leave from but find somewhere else to arrive unless you like queues and have a lot of patience

Cape Town Airport review by Kairas Mistry

31 May 2004

Arrived early on a Sunday morning. Going through immigration and customs was a breeze. I was out of the airport in 40 minutes, and that's counting the time at Currency Exchange (which was a bit slow, I thought). Nice modern airport and small in size, which makes navigation easy and pleasant. Domestic terminal is also great.

Cape Town Airport review by Alex Callahan

23 March 2004

Arrived into Cape Town on the 7th March and experienced the most frustratingly long queue at immigration. In total it took two hours to get through - several flights had landed at the same time, but surely this must be a regular occurrence - do they not think to have extra immigration staff at those times? There must have been around 300 people waiting in the foreign passport-holders line for what seemed like an eternity - what a welcome to South Africa! On a more positive note the airport itself is very modern and pleasant - the smokers lounge in international departures is one of the nicest I have used - usually there is a small cramped room full of people puffing away! There is not much choice of dining options but the duty free and other retail outlets are fine.

Cape Town Airport review by Terry Fung

20 February 2004

I was pleasantly sueprised by CPT, which I found to be a very modern, clean airport. Check-In, immigration, and passport control were all very quick with little queues. One grumble would be the lack of facilities/restaurants airside.

Cape Town Airport review by Peter Garner

16 December 2003

This was my first time in RSA, and Cape Town was a good choice of entry. The building is spacious, modern and light, and I was through the busy and commendably thorough immigration section within 20 minutes which was impressive given the size of the queues. The only difficulty encountered was with the car park payment machines, many of which seemed to be breaking down, and which also accepted only a few values of notes, resulting in long queues.

Cape Town Airport review by Michael Gage

11 September 2003

I think the best part of arriving at CPT from abroad is that they have a currency exchange booth right by the luggage carousels. What I appreciated most was that they did not charge a fee for those exchanging travelers checks. The reception area is quite spacious which allowed my friends (who came to pick me up) to spot me the moment I entered the hall.

Cape Town Airport review by Norman Clark

28 July 2003

After a 15-hour overnight flight in coach, what a joy to arrive at a clean, efficient, friendly airport like Cape Town. It is such a contrast to the grumpy chaos of JNB. The airport experience at CPT, by itself, makes one want to return to Cape Town.

Cape Town Airport review by Stephen D'Arcy

28 February 2003

Totally agree with that last comment. Visited in May 2002. Clean, spacious, airy - good bars/restaurants, shopping, bars (with TV). Signage anddirections very clear. I needed to reclaim VAT on shopping - this was done quickly and politely and I was given a cheque to cash airside. Excellent tax-free shopping! Allow more time here than you might at other airports, it's a real pleasure, not a chore.

Cape Town Airport review by Gary Anders

01 October 2002

If you're flying to South Africa and don't need to go to Johannesburg, I highly recommend Cape Town (CPT) as a far better airport to enter the country by than the hassle and chaos of Johannesburg International (JNB) where immigration and customs can be a non-sensical test of ones patience and what appears to be a large surplus of ill-trained, invariably sulky airport staff have nothing better to do than chat to one another at full volume and get in the travellers way. Cape Town's terminals are new, clean, not so overcrowded and easy to get around. Immigration used to be a bit slow but this seems to have been greatly improved. Airport staff are far friendlier and more helpful than JNB. There are good connections from CPT to all major South African cities although not as good as from JNB to the rest of Southern Africa.

IMPORTANT NOTE