DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  5 November 2009 by E Ferwerda   (USA)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Since my last post I've used Dublin four more times and still quite satisfied. Departing or transferring passengers should know that once you enter some concourses ("A" for sure, and possibly others), you may not be allowed back into the rest of the airport. Arriving passengers connecting to long-distance bus or rail should know that the direct buses to the downtown intercity bus terminal and Heuston rail station are the 747 and 748 respectively (Connolly passengers can take the light rail from outside Heuston). These are green double- decker buses which will be on your left exiting the terminal; they cost 6 euro each way. Having used Dublin 6 times now I find it quite satisfactory and will continue to use it in the future.

DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  29 October 2009 by Roger Lyon   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Agree with the last review. Construction site appearance but still functional. Check in good and security quite quick. A bit of a walk to get to the A gates but nothing too bad. Plenty of seats for waiting departure. Overall satisfactory. AirCoach to city is E7 which is dear but fast. Bus at E2.20 is good value but takes at least an hour.

DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  13 October 2009 by A Hijmans   (Brazil)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Massive construction underway but not (as yet) inconvenient to passengers. Flew out of DUB at peak time early Friday evening and the airport was functioning well; no queues at passport and security control. DUB's major problem - and the works currently underway won't resolve this - is the lack of a fast ground transport link to the city centre. There are state-owned and private buses running to various points in the city centre but notoriously bad traffic means it will take you close to an hour to cover the 8km distance, and at €6, the service is seriously overpriced. Best value option is Dublin Bus' 16A service which takes even longer but only costs EUR2,20.

DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  13 October 2009 by Oscar Hillgaar   (Norway)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Dublin low-price terminal (Ryanair etc.) really has improved. Still a long walk to/from customs/immigration, but - on departure - once you have got clear of the crowded shopping bazaar things really improve.

DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  18 September 2009 by E Ferwerda   (USA)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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The international arrivals area is somewhat spread out, eg. a walk down a narrow hall to passport control, than again to customs, etc. There were no lines or delays. The arrivals level of the terminal is dark, but signage is clear and my bag came reasonably quickly. There are good bus connections to and from the airport, although you want to know which one you want beforehand. All in all, clean and functional but nothing outstanding.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 2 September 2009 : by K Hamilton

Customer Rating : 4/5

I fly to/from Dublin Airport regularly and find it to be a pretty good airport, albeit one that is undergoing needed improvements. There is plenty of space and security is generally pretty fast and efficient. My main bugbear is the length of time it takes to get to pier D, especially the far reaching gates.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 31 August 2009 : by H Maenen

Customer Rating : 4/5

Dublin Airport is improving. Next year Terminal 2 will open. I left Dublin for Amsterdam and Aer Lingus still operates some flights from the future low cost pier D. That was a long walk indeed, but the area is pleasant with abundant seating and facilities. There are no airbridges there, boarding is via the tarmac. I assume that when Terminal 2 opens, pier D will be given over to Ryanair and other low cost flights entirely and the walking distances for scheduled flights will become shorter again.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 18 May 2009 : by S Martin

Customer Rating : 1/5

DUB continues to be a traveler's nightmare. Departing from D pier is a particularly horrible experience because of the very long walk. We made the mistake of eating Burger King at the new Terminal 1 Extension – it was so slow we gave up after 15 minutes although at no time were more than 3 people in front of us! The extension itself is very nice although the whole airport smells of one big toilet - I think it is the 'cleaning product' that is used/sprayed in the toilets. Please DAA, do something about this (and the other 100 or so problems with your airport).

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 15 May 2009 : by G Marshall

Customer Rating : 2/5

A nightmare checking in at peak periods, and as others have stated, an outrageous walk to pier D. Security on the way in is usually quick (as is passport control coming back). Now benefits from a new large duty free shop on the way to Piers A/D. Unfortunately you have to negotiate the "alleyway" after clearing security to get there and the price of goods is a laugh. Parking is the most expensive I've seen at any airport (and I've been to a few). All in all, main terminal is a tired old building too small for it's purpose. Pier D is acceptable (assuming your flight doesn't depart from the portacabins below it), albeit too far for young/elderly/infirm passengers to walk. The new terminal can't come soon enough.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 5 May 2009 : by Judy Paris

Customer Rating : 1/5

Terrible airport to make connections! We were herded like cattle into long, hot, hallways to go through EU customs. We watched our departure time for the connection come and go and there was no one we could talk to!! Fortunately Air Lingus held the flight for us - but we had no way to know that at the time. The airport is set up to require very long walks (or runs) to make connections with wheel chairs being the only way to get assistance. Terrible design.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 13 January 2009 : by Roger Hayes

Customer Rating : 3/5

I fly from Dublin about twice a year and find it so annoying, Its not so bad during winter and off peak seasons but during the summer its terrible. You walk in the main entrance and it is packed. Security is quick and no hassle to get through. Duty free isn't really duty free considering that its dearer than shop outside the airport. It depends on what pier you go to. different piers have better quality, I remember walking for about 15 mins down a huge never ending corridor of prefabs to get to my Ryanair flight and when I got there it only had 1 shop which sold over priced beverages. On the positive side of Dublin Airport its easy to find where you are going and staff are friendly.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 19 December 2008 : by L Addis

Customer Rating : 3/5

Recently had a pleasant transfer on the way from Aberdeen to Bournemouth with Ryanair. The airport was quite efficient, with reasonably friendly staff. All quite busy. On previous visits the bus transfer was edging on pricey ( for what it is - a cold steamed up double decker) and subject to alot of traffic delays. Although Ryanair flights mainly pass through Area's A and D, these areas are not as nice as where BA and other airliners depart. Gate B I think has a drinking fountain, OK seating and excellent views of the taxiways and runway if staring out the window is what floats your boat. The airport seems to lack much in occasion, I would certainly rather fly from LHR to further away destinations. On a well commented side-note, do not leave a tight connection in DUB. I got my aging parents to connect on way to Glasgow from Palma and they had to run the marathon from Gate D, back out of the airport, and back to check-in which was shocking and they missed their flight by 1 minute. It is common for connecting passengers, and my parents recieved no help, had to run with no shoes and then stay in an awful hotel outside the airport. They will never use it again, so if connecting beware, but generally a fine airport.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 6 November 2008 : by J Bailey

Customer Rating : 2/5

It all depends on where you are going, but it does not really matter because it is all bad. The airport is very badly connected which is a huge failing and is totally unacceptable. No direct metro or train and so is very inconvenient. Reasonable sort of distance from the city so that is ok. Parking is hideously expensive and so are taxis so that is not good. As you have no other choice of airport you screwed so buckle up and get on with it.. The place is a building site at the moment with new terminals springing up on top of old ones. Check in Hall is old and tired but works except at peak times when it is bedlam. Security is actually good, pleasant and efficient - so top marks on that score. The airside is chaos - the "mall" just inside security is diminutive, narrow and very lacklustre, frankly bad. there are too many useless over priced retail outlets and not enough food options. If you travel from pier B it is close, but the arrangements they have for US flights are cattle like. Do not go down until you absolutely have to. Pier C is fine though with insufficient seating. Pier A is quite distant and really dreadful in terms of facilities of any sort. Pier D is somewhere in France, and is disappointing when you get there after such a long walk. Arrivals off the plane. Bad at the outset because except from Pier B you have miles to walk and in Pier D's case a couple of counties. Customs are efficient, and the baggage hall is shocking in the extreme, and the best part is that you can stroll out quickly, but then you no way of getting into Dublin.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 31 October 2008 : by Kevin McDougald

Customer Rating : 3/5

At first I felt like I had stepped back into the '50s upon entering the Customs and Immigration area at Dublin Airport. However, any negative first impressions were erased by the speed with which I was able to get from the aircraft to the arrival area, just in time to catch an Airlink bus into central Dublin. Boarding and disembarking from flights required walking across the tarmac, so be prepared for this if it's raining in Dublin - a common occurence.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 30 October 2008 : by Roger Lyon

Customer Rating : 3/5

Checked in online so no problems there. Lots of building work being done, but security process was reasonably swift and painless. Plenty of retail outlets flightside but no sign of a newsagent. Very long walk to departure gates but overall, not a bad experience.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 13 October 2008 : by J Fox

Customer Rating : 3/5

Dublin has come on in the last number of years with infrastructure changes (construction of T2), security improvements and the choice of bars and shops. However, many number of things are still lacking. The main check-in area is an absolute mess with people trying to navigate from one side to the other. Quality of foods in some of the 'restaurants' and ridiculous pricing of same are a disgrace. I think the DAA officials should take a trip to airports like Singapore-Changi to see for themselves the range of passenger comforts and most especially, space. Space is what is needed.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 25 September 2008 : by A Manderlan

Customer Rating : 3/5

The good points about Dublin are that security is generally pretty speedy, though with surges that can make it a bit clogged up, and the seating areas are mostly set apart from the shopping areas, and planned gates are revealed in good time. Landside Check in area 14 (Aer Lingus UK and Germany) is clean and runs well, but passengers moving on to security from it will often find themselves facing a barrier and a free-for-all in order to join the main queue from a right angle! The main upstairs check-in area, on the other hand, is a hellish, overcrowded zoo (Aer Lingus, Ryanair and other budget carriers being the primary culprits). If you have hold bags, you'll be treated to the experience twice over: the reclaim hall is a similar dark, filthy crush, and the wait for the main transfer buses to the city (aircoach and Dublin bus) is yet another crush, only with natural light for a change. The landside eateries on the third floor are almost universally vile (O'Briens, and Zumo downstairs at arrivals are ok, though). Avoid them at all costs. Airside: Pier D is a LONG way away, and was depressingly reminiscent of the 'tube' leading to the Ireland gates in T1 at Heathrow: long and grey. It may have improved since I was there, though, and I have only arrived into it so can't really say much about the departure experience there. Elsewhere, seating is woefully inadequate most of the time; it's not at all unusual to see people sitting on the window sills (assuming they're not occupied already by discarded beer and the like) or the floor because there's simply nowhere to go. So: get to the gate early (or a nearby one, if it's still full of people waiting for an earlier flight). Another tip: Wright's of Howth sell decent food much above standard airport quality if you want a snack. Admittedly, many of the negatives aren't strictly the DAA's fault. The airlines save money by opening a minimum of bag drop desks. The bus companies can't put people in a queue or say which stop is used for which destination, leading to the scrums outside. The bank's cash machines repeatedly break down and send you on a wild goose chase to get money to pay for the buses in the first place. And so it goes on... Late in the evening, when it's quiet, it is actually quite ok; the rest of the time, there are simple things that ARE in the DAA's control and would make a real improvement - put some more seats in (the space is there) and get rid of the litter. How difficult is that?

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 2 September 2008 : by E Bowman

Customer Rating : 3/5

I fly through Dublin airport a lot; for the most part, it's pretty efficient. Filthy, unpleasant, but efficient. Finally got to see Pier D in all its glory - standards are low. First, the sky bridge is hardly impressive - made from obviously prefab parts and is /already/ starting to look a bit shabby. Because its curved, its moving sidewalk coverage is limited. It's a long walk out to Pier D, and moving sidewalks would be kind of appreciated. I personally found it annoying that they built this thing so that I have to walk further than a straight line because of the curve. What is up with no air bridges? It rains a lot in Dublin, and it's 2008. You want me to walk across the tarmac to get on the plane? Whenever I see a "D" gate on the big screen for my flight, my heart sinks.

DUBLIN AIRPORT review : 22 July 2008 : by Emma Fitzgibbon

Customer Rating : 2/5

Came through Dublin airport departures on a Sunday evening and found it to be an absolute nightmare. We'd checked in online so no delays there however the queue for security was badly managed - staff seemed unable to arrange the queue properly so passengers were sorting themselves out. Staff around the scanners were doing nothing apart from making sure that passengers put the trays back in a rack on the belt (in order that they wouldn't have to do it) - passengers were trying to reach up the belt to get their stuck luggage while staff did nothing. Queuing for drinks and food was a nightmare with people jumping ahead of each other and staff who had no idea what they were doing (although this may just have been one outlet). Walk to the gate (D) was long and there was hardly any space to move through the halls, no one was around to help elderly passengers caught in the chaos. The only good thing I can say about this airport is that the staff at the gate were very friendly and efficient - much appreciated after the nightmare we had getting through the airport!

Dublin Airport by Gary Farrelly

13 May 2008   Customer Rating :

Pier D is currently being used as a departure point for many airlines. When the airport renovation is complete the pier (which has no air bridges) will become a dedicated low cost facility. Yesterday I boarded a flight via Pier D. The area is well equipped and clean with high ceilings and good ventilation. The walk from the main terminal is far but in my opinion this is not a problem due to the moving walkways. The designers of the pier and it's link to the terminal have taken great care to make the long walk as interesting as possible and great views of the original 1939 terminal are impressive. The Dublin Airport Authority are playing catch up to dramatically expand the capacity of the airport. When all projects - pier D and E and the renovations of A and B and the inauguration of T2 are completed I have complete faith all will be better.

Dublin Airport by Oscar Hillgaar

12 April 2008   Customer Rating :

Dublin pier D is fine, but there seem to be problems with people ending up here when they were intending to go to a different pier/gate. When you build a terminal full of shopping like a Middle East souq, things are bound to go wrong with people ending up at wrong gates. No matter the amount of signposts. Dublin airport should have some real, live "minders" available to escort passengers or to help them on their way without having to go through the whole rigmarole of security etc. again.

Dublin Airport by R Hopkins

9 April 2008   Customer Rating :

Saturday evening, 6th April. The airport was remarkably quiet and, having arrived unexpectedly early by Aircoach transfer, we went straight to a short queue at the Ryanair check-in which was already open. Apart from Americans with vastly overweight baggage, check-in was rapid, followed by quick security. There is a good range of duty free shops and a large café and bar area upstairs, which we nearly missed owing to poor signage. The café was virtually empty, perhaps as a result of a failure in their credit/debit card machinery requiring all payments in cash, not necessarily convenient at the end of a visit! This is the only reason for losing a star. Access to the apparently dreaded D area was no problem, the distance similar to that in many other airports, but with plenty of walkways. Signs clearly advised of allowing 10 minutes to the gate, which was ample. Once in the gate area, there was another shop and bar, together with plenty of seating. The two clearly-marked and calm queues for the flight were well-managed with quick boarding. Overall, Dublin airport is the most efficient and clean airport of the many from which I have travelled.

Dublin Airport by Gavin Stewart

8 April 2008   Customer Rating :

Credit where it's due to DAA, Pier D (Ryanair) is finished and extremely pleasant. There are no airbridges, although the design implies these might be added later. Distances are long but ample travelators. Certainly an improvement on the dangerously congested walk snaking the old terminal. Arrivals processed well, and new passport area is very rapid. Departures, long trek again but at least now arriving and departing pax are separated in the structure. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall sense of spaciousness (and this was the evening rush), and the generous provision of seating, most of which enjoys excellent views of the airport. No doubt in time all this empty space will fill up with retail etc. but for now, enjoy it. I must be lucky, in 150+ visits through Dublin outward security has always been a breeze, 5 minutes at most, and the security personnel are very friendly. Last week, all available scanners were manned and open, even though it wasn't all that busy. Can't remember the last time I saw that at an airport.

Dublin Airport by C McCafferty

6 April 2008   Customer Rating :

I used Pier D in late January over a weekend trip to Dublin, and was generally impressed. The distances involved to get to and from the main terminal are certainly long, but there are plenty of travelators and passengers are well informed that they should leave plenty of time to get to the gates (for once not an overestimate of how long it takes to get somewhere in an airport!). My experience was helped by the fact that it was a sunny evening and the airport was relatively quiet, but I was almost amazed at how bright, airy and spacious Pier D is. I secluded myself in the Thomas Read bar for 20 minutes or so and loved the effort they have made to make an interesting ‘gentlemen’s club’ type space, so much better than the countless nondescript bars which populate airports the world over. Even though I was ‘lucky’ enough to have one of the few remaining flights departing from the portacabins (quietly retained down a flight of stairs, but presumably on a temporary basis), I was pleased with Pier D overall. Clearly an effort is being made by the DAA to improve the experience.

Dublin Airport by D Moulton

25 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Pier D is great if you are a fit and healthy individual, it is a disgrace if otherwise, with young children, elderly etc. Do the DAA just not care about this 25 minute walk? What about their parents and when they travel. Why do they just not think about the length of journey involved and offer some kind of caddy service.

Dublin Airport by Jason Brown

25 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Used Dublin over Easter Weekend via the new Pier D. I've found Dublin in the past to be quite an old fashioned airport however the new Pier D is very bright and airy. One word of caution - take your walking shoes with you as to the very far gates it is a hell of a walk! From duty free it would be approx. 15-20 mins. It'll be a nice airport once everything is finished!

Dublin Airport by P Casey

17 February 2008   Customer Rating :

Is D for disaster? Whoever thought that Pier D would bring with it an improvement over it's predecessor - pier portakabin - was surely misguided. Whilst it has the look of a modern airport terminal, drill a little deeper and note the wholly avoidable defects. The overhead signage is tiny and poorly illuminated. The localised PA system (at each gate) is tinny and inaudible. If there is a pier-wide PA system I have yet to hear it. The toilets are too small for the volume of people the pier can accommodate. This results in passenger build up even when the terminal is half empty. Even when quiet, the new pier looks unkempt and unloved. DAA's incapability to keep anything clean and tidy has reached Pier D. Empty glasses here, old newspapers there, spilt crisp packets on the seats. Catering appears to be monopolised by the inept and overpriced Cafe SOHO. It is fair to say that with a bit of work, this place could be reasonably user-friendly and comfortable. I really hope they do a better job with Terminal 2!