Dubai International Airport Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT customer review :  9 September 2009 by Kostas Sapountzis   (Greece)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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I am also dissatisfied with the new T3 terminal. My main problem was the low temperatures of air-conditioning. It was in August and you had to wear a lot of clothes to hold it. I noticed that most passengers had the same problem and specially if you are on a transit flight and you are unprepared this can be a nightmare. Restaurant services in the airport are minimum and the toilets limited.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT customer review :  8 September 2009 by F Dellera   (Italy)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Terminal 3, too many gates and shops in the same place, while other areas are so empty that seem completely devoid of life. I had a 14 hour transit and be sure that I spent almost all of them at the old Terminal 1.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  31 August 2009 by D Caudwell   (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Just like the rest of Dubai, the new airport seems to be all smoke and mirrors. Having to be bussed to a brand new terminal, one of the biggest in the world, seems unacceptable. Once you're there, the designers of the airport seemed to have forgotten just how much of the traffic comes through the terminal is in transit. With multiple flights arriving at once, the lines having to go through security again were too long at 5am and the security area too crowded with passengers. The area devoted to this is far too small and the problem seems to have persisted from the old terminal. Shame. Once that ordeal is over you're left to navigate through a glorified shopping mall. There isn't a huge amount of choice when it comes to places to eat, even the men have long lines to get into the cramped toilets and there aren't a huge amount of places to find flight information. Overall, a disappointing experience and an opportunity missed on the part of the designers who built an airport that fails to address many of the issues that the old terminal had.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  15 August 2009 by Helmut Nadlinger   (Austria)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Though a seasoned traveller Dubai Airport managed to fool me for more than one hour before I finally found my gate and transfer counter. After 20 minutes of bus transfer from the plane with many stops and waiting in between I saw the first Transfer sign at the security check - and that was it. Only signs To Gates - but just arrived and without any monitor to learn which gate I had to go to I finally inquired from an information desk - and was promptly sent again to security check downstairs and from another official back upstairs again. To shorten the whole mess: an impressive building yet poorly installed and missing information signs, too few transfer counters for that huge area, staff that seem to know nothing, travellers sleeping on the floor at terminal 1 - to me Dubai airport is a shallow, sparkling shopping mall of third class.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  27 July 2009 by A Walker   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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I wasn't that impressed with the wonderful new Terminal 3. They really do appear to have given more space to shops (which were a bit rubbish) than to basic facilities (seats and toilets!). I must admit I have never seen such long queues for men's toilets, I dread to think what the ladies were like!! Another gripe was the fact they put flights on remote stands. Now although irritating it's usually ok what is not ok is the fact that it had been sitting there in the baking heat of the Dubai sun and there was no way of cooling it down as it was that remote. The engines couldn't be started as they were still getting people on board via buses and it must have been over 40 degrees in the cabin. A very disappointing experience

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  20 July 2009 by N Sutherland   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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I've transited through DXB every month for a little over a year. T3 has dramatically reduced the crowding in T1. There is plenty seating in T3 but you have to look for it. Security is neither efficient nor competent, but neither is it too time consuming. Rude, churlish staff - sure. I've never used the restaurants and Duty Free is not especially good value. Still a worrying amount of lengthy bussing to remote stands (15-20 minutes) going on - no idea why since there seem to be plenty empty stands. Don't plan to make a connection of less than 2 hours - you'll struggle. Info Screens, Signage, Acoustics, Air Conditioning, Design, Layout and General Ambience -l I think they just put it all into a blender and saw what popped out and it's not great - but it just about works.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  20 July 2009 by K Kruger   (South Africa)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Went through Dubai terminal 3 a few times since the new year. Found the new Terminal quieter and more spacious than terminal 1. Shopping at the airport is about the same prices as in Dubai itself. One complaint, on my last trip in June there wasn't one store that sold the less expensive bottled water, you had to pay extra for the Evian water or something similar, a bit of a rip off.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  19 July 2009 by A Noujaim   (France)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Dubai's new terminal is very unsuccessful. The experience I have had lately only discouraged me to travel Emirates or even visit Dubai. When I landed from Kuala Lumpur (at 4am) to proceed to Paris, I was tired and couldn't even find one seat to rest before by connecting flight. As I sat in a cafe, the unprofessional waiters said to order something or leave. The airport is like a Sunday Market with very unfriendly, unprofessional and impolite staff. The terminal is so huge that it took me a very long time to walk to my gate just to find that the gate number had been changed. The lady by the Info desk didn't have a clue and the screen failed to upload the new gate number.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  16 July 2009 by D McConville   (UK)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Hellish from the second we landed. I was flying Emirates and they keep boasting about the new hub from Terminal 3. Plane landed in Terminal 1, despite saying all flights operate out of terminal 3, had to hike to Terminal 3. It's easily a good 20 minutes worth of walking, trust me - a lot further than you might expect. Security rubbish, no one knew what they were doing. It was a mess, no one knew if they had to take off their jackets and stuff. The escalators up, you are risen into shopping mall hell. First time, especially after a long flight, you will be disorientated and shell shocked. Confused that you are no longer in an airport but the world's biggest shopping mall. They have a screen that shows you all the flights but when it's two 100 in screen LCDs and you're right in front of it, it makes no difference. If you need the bathroom you should walk back to Terminal 1, where it's cleaner, nicer, less crowded and generally a better airport.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  2 July 2009 by D Walker   (UAE)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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I have been through Dubai Airport on many occasions in the last few months, each time on Emirates in Premium . Check in is effortless, shortish queues for immigration and security. Very short journey now to the main shopping areas and lounges, although you would have throuht that they would have out the lounge closer to the premium check in. Lounge both F & J are noisy due to the lack of roof. Boarding, for the A380 is fantastic as you do not have to go back into the main terminal and can board direct from the lounges. Duty free a large choice, staff are not that friendly I admit.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  27 June 2009 by Stephen Hogan   (Belgium)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Incompetent, poorly trained staff. Unprofessional security screening process. Badly designed building (noise, lack of space).

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  15 June 2009 : by Paul Turner  (New Zealand)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Very disappointed with Dubai T3. All my arrivals and departures to the plane were on buses. Very long queues going through security for transit. Queues for toilets were very long. Not enough seating.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  10 June 2009 : by J Taylor  (Australia)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Hugely overpriced duty free shopping with the wrong choice of products. Staff in the shops were not friendly and more interested in other things than serving customers. Transited 3 times in the last 2 months - each time even though an Emirates flight there was a lengthy bus ride to the terminal with the driver going so fast through the s bends that passengers were hurled around the standing room only bus (just what you want after a cramped 14hr flight) The showers were atrocious in the 1st class lounge with no toilet in the extremely small cubical (toilets were located elsewhere a 1 minute walk away) and the drains could not cope with the water flow from the expensive shower heads and flooded the floor, you had to leave the cubical to dry your feet. (The attendant warned that this would happen and to place clothes and all articles on a stand). The experience was repeated when using the showers in the spa (flooded, no toilet or vanity) which were extremely difficult to locate in the airport. Definitely a second rate airport experience for all the money spent on it.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  18 May 2009 : by Giorgio Cappucci  (Switzerland)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Dubai International Airport Terminal 1 only allow checking in 3 hours before the scheduled flight. For me it was not understandable, because I wanted to register my luggage and go to the airport hotel which is located inside the duty free area, thus not allowed to passengers with big luggage.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  18 May 2009 : by P Kotecha  (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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The attitude of the staff let it down. At passport control on the way out they were rude and behaved as though they were being forced to work there. On the way back, check in was badly organised. I waited at 3 different counters only to be told by each that the counter is closing. In the end, I had to demand that she took my baggage (as I had already checked in online) and it was only after I raised my voice and expressed my anger that she took my baggage. Even then more people were queuing up behind me but she failed to communicate with them. Also, don't bother using the so called Emirates concierge service. They offer to cart your baggage from the taxi to check in. That's all they do. There is no other priority or advantage and they charge 20 Dirhams (quite an expensive porter). Also, when taking a taxi, don't bother to wait in the Family queue - it means you get a female driver, who doesn't help with a single piece of luggage and still expect a tip.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  15 May 2009 : by T Joo  (UK)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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DXB is not as impressive as they have been advertising. I had to face absolute chaos when I reached the security screening line which made me to join the queue for at least 20 minutes both outbound and inbound trip. I did not have any problems communicating with the staff at Security Checkpoint but they were not friendly or efficient compared to other major Airports that I have been to. When I finally made it through the departure area, I realised the place was so crowded with transit passengers despite the opening of new terminal. General level of cleanliness of the place was acceptable. However, I did not understand the design of the new terminal since they divided the walkways into three and many people did not realise that they can actually able to use the other side of the path, so they ended up being crowded at the passage in the middle. Number of the toilets seemed it was failing to meet the demand, as well as smoking rooms. People who work for DXB should know that they will not be able to make DXB a regional and international hub airport as they claim by covering the airport with flashy and expensive looking materials - but not taking care of every details of the services that they provide to all individuals who are using DXB.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 14 May 2009 : by J Taylor (UAE)

Customer Rating :  2/5

I live in Dubai so I was disappointed with T3. Arriving to check in by taxi, if you are not First or Business Class you are directed to the rank furthest away from the entrance where there is no provision for trolleys. So you have to cross 3 or 4 lanes of traffic to get a trolley. Along the whole length of the drop-off lanes only one lateral place for access with a trolley, otherwise you have to negotiate 5 sets of kerbs. Ever tried that with a fully loaded trolley. Once inside this huge hangar of a building if you are travelling economy there are three check in areas none of which are signposted for individual or groups of flights. Having booked in on-line I looked for the counter just to drop off my bags. Despite asking several uniformed customer service people, got no answer as they didn't appear to know what you were talking about. Having an e-ticket which theoretically allows Dubai residents to by-pass immigration control we were redirected to go back through the crowded security after immigration control despite the fact that there was a dedicated x-ray machine immediately after the e-gate. What is the point of paying extra for the privilege of avoiding queues at immigration only to get sucked back into the security queues. Once in the departure lounge just the usual crowded expensive duty free areas. Toilets at this level are far and few between. In some respects this is a relief as the one we found was badly maintained and smelled of urine. Better to use the toilets off the individual flight departure lounge, usually one floor down and accessed by escalator or stairs. Flight was accessed directly by bridge into the aircraft but have done the 30 minute drive around the perimeter road. Upon returning, apart from the huge walking distances to arrive at the taxi rank, no problem. That is except that the parking rank is situated in such a position that there is an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing with a permanent stream of pedestrians that doesn't allow the multiple rank of freshly occupied taxis to exit the building so the next batch of taxis can fill up with passengers. Bad planning if you ask me.