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!

Dublin Airport by A Eames

5 February 2008   Customer Rating :

I pass through Dublin Airport every other week on business trips. Have found the best way to get there and avoid the nightmare traffic chaos on the M50 is to catch the early flights around 07.00 a.m. But even if this helps avoid traffic chaos, the airport inside is bedlum - long queues. With Aer Lingus even if you check in online and print out your boarding pass, you can still sometimes queue for another hour just to drop off your baggage at the "Tag and Drop" counter - crazy! I've found it is worth it to pay more to travel SAS or Lufthansa or one of the other international airlines as the check-in queues are generally less chaotic. If just with hand luggage, Ryanair online check in is excellent, you don't need to go anywhere near the check-in counters. Security queues are a nightmare and I really feel sorry for old, disabled, ill or pregnant passengers - as a young, fit and healthy person, I find the airport extremely stressful but how must it be for a 70-year old having to walk for 20 minutes to the gates (they don't seem to have these shuttle carts to transport people or walking conveyor belts that you find in other airports), carry heavy hand luggage (as there are no small hand baggage carts once you go past security) and then have to stand in the rain for 15 minutes as many of the airlines (e.g. Aer Lingus and Ryanair) do not pay to use boarding walkways? It must be a living nightmare for people like this. A few simple things would help to improve it: (some of these things are of course, up to the airlines, but I think would help travelers to have a more favorable impression of Dublin airport: 1. Hand baggage carts after the security checks. 2. Organize the check-in queues properly - at the moment there is no concept of a queue, people are pushing and skipping the queues like crazy. Most the time you can't even figure out where the queue for your destination starts or ends. 3. Service the ATM machines and ensure that they are not constantly "out of service!". 4. At the conveyor belt, have a "do not step past this line" zone so that people who see their luggage passing by can actually get to it. At the moment, it is a battle against hundreds of others to try and grab your luggage from the belt. In Scandinavia, there is a "buffer zone" and this means people can step into it when they spot their luggage. Very simple and civilized, but would it work in Dublin? 5. Toilets - the toilets by the conveyor belts are a nightmare. Always dirty and always a long queue - there should be more toilets. 6. Walking conveyor belts - to the A gates ... sometimes it is a 20 minute walk to this area. Too far for ill, elderly, disabled or young families. 7. Car rental carpark: very badly lit up so when you arrive at night you cannot see the numbers on the ground marking your car spot and you cannot see if the car has any damage. Frequently, there are no baggage carts here which means a walk to the airport to pick up one before you can unload your car. 8. More bus links to the suburbs. At the moment the Aircoach goes to Sandyford in the south of the city and to the city center. Fine if you live along this route but the only alternative to go to other parts of the city is to take a cab. Why are there no more Aircoach routes. A train connection to the airport would be a major bonus. In most European airports you can hop on a train/metro in the terminal building and even if it is rush-hour you know you will get to your meeting or destination in XX number of minutes. In Dublin, where the traffic is hell, a train connection would be very welcome as another alternative to travelers. 9. Wireless internet - only works in certain marked areas. And two out of five times I use it, it doesn't work at all. More electricity sockets so you can charge your laptop would also be great.

Dublin Airport by Paul Tyrrell

12 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Dublin airport has still a long way to go but is getting there. The departure area provides decent facilities and in comparison to many other european airports it is becoming more user friendly. Where Dublin falls down badly is its arrivals area which is shambolic, and is an atrocious chaotic mess which would leave a very bad impression on first time visitors to Ireland. The lack of proper and enough toilet facilities in this area, together with the long delays in baggage arriving on totally inadequate carousels, needs to be addressed. Terminal 2 cannot come quickly enough but in the meantime the DAA needs to address the arrivals area in the same manner they tackled the inadequate departures area giving at least some level of comfort to its customers

Dublin Airport by S Blackburn

27 September 2007   Customer Rating :

I struggle to find a good thing to say about the airport, although it's clear a lot of building work is going on, and it's really needed. Arrival hall is dark and low ceilinged - not a great first impression. Departures is just a mass of people, mostly in queues. There simply is not enough space to circulate and the only time I've seen LHR that bad is Terminal 1 on Christmas Eve... Travellers not used to the airport should check the giant boards in the middle of the hall to find their desk. There is some space to sit and relax upstairs in the food hall (which extends a long way, so there are more seats at the end away from McD's) but most food seemed pricey (even more so than London). Beware the "all you can eat" carvery - the promise only extends to the vegetables! Queues for security seemed to vary; luckily I chose a time when it was short and things moved quickly. Gates A60 and above are literally in portakabins about 10 mins walk from the main departure lounge - even a moving walkway would have been a good touch here, but I suppose most airports would have remote gates and busses instead of this so it could be worse. But it does give the feeling of a bus garage. Also odd, for a European airport, to mix arriving and departing passengers, even for a short while.

Dublin Airport by J White

30 August 2007   Customer Rating :

I arrived from Heathrow, which is a total mess and arrived into another mess. Absolutely crowded check in facilities and the baggage hall was packed full of people. We waited 30 mins for our luggage and arrived into a arrivals hall that was packed with people, no money in the ATM. Departure gates are a shopping centre but no thought on passenger comfort. Overall would never recommend flying from Dublin until they sort it out. Only good thing is the US Immigration Clearance, so you avoid the home grown American immigration officers in the US. They seem to be a lot nicer in Dublin than US - overall airport 2 star

Dublin Airport by D McDonald

13 August 2007   Customer Rating :

I use the airport several times a year visiting relatives and have found it to be ok. A bit grubby and rough around the edges but generally not bad. However, since the birth of my son, my wife has discovered that the baby-changing facilities are non-existant and she has had to change nappies in the seating area. The airport is stuck in the 1970s and needs a major injection of cash to bring it into line with the rest of the development in the city.

Dublin Airport by T Smith

23 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Departed from Dublin, and I was shocked by the chaos. At 6am the terminal was a solid mass of queued people from the back wall to the entrance doors. It seemed impossible to find informative signs. After several attempts we found the Continental counter. Once the proper queue was found the lines moved quickly, aided by staff who were competent, and friendly in spite of being obviously shell-shocked by the booming confusion around them. Many airports handle more passengers than does Dublin, without the crowding, confusion, and noise that I witnessed. Additional space might be enough to solve the problem, since the staff is already as patient and helpful as humanly possible. I can only conclude that favorable reviewers travel from there frequently, and have forgotten the experience of the first-time passenger.

Dublin Airport by Gavin Stewart

13 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Latest estimates still say Pier D will be ready September 2007. Let's hope they put a spurt on, it can't come a moment too soon. What a shame Dublin couldn't invest a bit more into the temp structure which has covered all Ryanair flights for almost a year now. The unpleasantness of this Ryanair-only pier is a factor in choosing your carrier to Dublin. Passengers seem obsessed by queuing early, well before plane arrives, to be the first to nab their seats onboard. Time after time, despite signage, non-priority pax go in the priority lane. As these lanes are very tight, you may have to push and shove to get past them. Last week, a last-minute switch from gate A64 to A65 (all of ten yards away from each other - what was the point?) produced a total stampede; lucky no- one got injured. Treating pax like animals is now making them behave as such. My advice is, chill out, head out to pier C or B where (especially in the evenings) it can be deserted, put your feet up, watch the view; head to Pier D at the last second if you can. Pier B often has no evening flights at all, while the Ryanair portakabin heaves with people. Odd!

Dublin Airport by Martine Brangan

3 July 2007   Customer Rating :

Information board re check-in desks good. Aer Lingus self-service check- in terrific. Otherwise check-in areas are often chaotic. Pier C is lovely and airy, Pier B a bit aged and tight, Pier D is a portakabin which will be replaced, Pier A can be horrendously crowded and chaotic as it mixes both arriving and departing passengers. Arriving into Dublin can be very unpleasant, especially travelling with/as a disabled person. I have encountered up to five elevators/stairs before arrival into crowded baggage hall. Queue for taxi the other night was unbelievable. There were easily over 100 people snaking towards the taxis, the queue extending into the terminal building. There is, at times, not enough transport for the number of people arriving. It should be great when the new terminal is eventually built, providing there is transport to match.

Dublin Airport by Glenn Sleator

20 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Dublin airport is an interesting airport in terms of layout.Modern combined with dated buildings making it not very uniform and straight forward. It can be extremely busy any times.The airport copes with alot of air-traffic in the summer. Especially when the holiday makers are checking in. However the ground staff are pleasant and helpful and try to keep the flow of passengers moving. The eating and shopping areas in Dublin airport are actually good although expensive. The members lounge is worth while joining up to if you are a regular user. Parking at the airport is very far out from the terminal and expensive but good fast and efficient bus service is in operation. Overall the airport is ok and acceptable and gets the job done, the new terminal (peir D) is on the way and will make life alot easier in the future.

Dublin Airport by Gavin Stewart

19 January 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Your Dublin airport experience is a bit of a lucky dip depending on when you go through. Chatting with an employee last week confirmed that Mondays and Fridays are very unpleasant for delays and queues, but the rest of the week it's mostly fine. I have been through on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I walked straight up to check-in and waltzed through security. Outside, Pier D appears to be rising at a rather gentle pace; expected late 2007 now. One thing to commend is the simply amazing number of automatic check-in kiosks Aer Lingus have installed. Check in for EI now works extremely well. Courtesy bus pick-up is very badly signed. Be ready to wander around for a while confused. Airside food hall upstairs is much better than it looks. Don't be put off, you can get excellent deli style cold-cuts, even a fresh stir fry knocked up to order. The whole thing is going in the right direction.

Dublin Airport by Kevin Armstrong

17 December 2006

Used Dublin many times since my first post last year. Can't say I enjoy it, but it does the job. Check-in with Aer Lingus is excellent, especially with the self-service machines. Security usually has long queues but they get everybody through pretty quickly. The shopping isn't great focussing mainly on leprachaun and Guinness tat, and the bookstore is particularly disappointing. Food hall is ok though. The new temporary wing is depressing. A very long walk into a huge cattleshed. Arriving is very strange, walking through the departure lounge and baggage collection is horrific. I try to fit everything in my carry-on bag. Transport into Dublin is very good, other destinations so-so.

Dublin Airport by Paul Mathison

11 December 2006

I have used Dublin airport about a dozen times over an 18 month period. To generalise, whilst certainly not the prettiest airport, it is functional and gets the job done. Even my most recent flight a couple of weeks ago with the new EU laws in place was well organised. There was a massive queue for security, but it took a little less than 20 mins to get through - acceptable. Some good places to eat, but I agree with Gavin Stewart: Ryanair's portakabin setup certainly makes you feel like human cattle. The worst part about Dublin Airport in my opinion is getting there - no major rail link and traffic congestion that can cause significant delays to buses makes it the most stressful part. I always allow more time than the alleged '30 mins' from city centre, particularly on a Friday.

Dublin Airport by Simon Albury

27 November 2006

The previous comment says it all. On 24 November, also, the wait for security was the worst I have encountered at any airport. This is an airport to avoid.

Dublin Airport by L Grounds

27 October 2006

Dublin airport needs to look very seriously at its security procedures. We checked in as the check-in desk opened, so two hours before our flight was due to depart and thank goodness we did as we spent the next 90 minutes queuing to get through security. The problem was that there were only three desks in operation and with each passenger being subjected to a thorough search there were considerable hold-ups. Lots of people around us were actually going to miss their flights! All complaints were met with the usual shrug and "sorry it's nothing to do with me" don't get me wrong everyone was very polite but it isn't very helpful when having allowed lots of time to get to your flight, you then get held up through inadequate security procedures.Yes everyone expects some delays as proper security procedures are followed but come on 90 minutes of standing in a long queue is a little excessive don't you think?

Dublin Airport by Gavin Stewart

7 October 2006

Bit ramshackle here and there but Dublin is OK. It always seems smaller than you might think. A word of caution for first-time Ryanair travellers - the new temporary (?) portakabin mega-gate is just horrendous. It is a seriously long walk down a bouncy pre-fab corridor and when you finally get there, boy, a vision of Hades. Thankfully Ryanair are the best around at getting planes boarded super-quick and off on time (this sentence only sounds ironic, it is actually meant sincerely) these guys don't muck about. Many travellers will feel it worth a few extra pennies to avoid this experience and go with another carrier, even Aer Lingus that use proper gates. Coupled to the notorious "special" gate Leeds Bradford has laid on for Ryanair, LBA-DUB on Ryanair must be a new low-point in air travel! Other than that, the airport is OK. That bistro upstairs has been converted to air-side only but it stops serving food at 9pm, or in other words, no new customers after about 8.30 - what's that all about? Service quick though and food edible, nice atmos. Shopping : looks showbiz but strangely unsatisfying, unless you get very aroused by cuddly leprechauns, endless racks of "Irish Cream" chocolates and exorbitantly priced smoked salmon. I always enjoy arriving here because it's Dublin, it's friendly, and you generally walk straight up to a Taxi, not something that can be said for all airports.

Dublin Airport by Steve Ward

16 September 2006

Airport is suffering from increase in passenger traffic. At peak times queues through security are very long; this all started last year after they failed a security test. The new RyanAir departure gates are horrible, avoid if possible. On the plus side, the food outlets have been incorporated into the airside with plenty of choice. Baggage hall is a bit dismal, I aim to travel light and walk straight past this.

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