Dubai International Airport Passenger Reviews and Dubai Airport Customer opinions

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Dubai airport fills me with dread every time I book Emirates. Just a huge shopping mall where you push through the mass to find your way to your gate. On my sixth time through early in the morning, there seemed to be every passenger from every plane arrival in a huge mob, with no clear queues waiting to get through only half of the working security scanners. An international hub with thousands of passengers/customers with connecting flights can't function successfully without a business attitude towards customer service. Other aspects of transit are good, but overall it's not a pleasurable experience.

Security lines are simply too long and exhausting when you have 3 kids and bags to stand for 38 mins waiting. Security guards do not need to be friendly but simple basic courtesy is lacking. Counter staff don't go out of their way to give you the information you need. Not enough seats for passengers on transit - sitting on dirty floors with kids is just unacceptable. Whatever plus points are earned flying emirates are lost with the airport experience.

This must be one of the worst airports. I travel regularly, it is inevitable I stop at Dubai for transit - or when the wait is over 8 hours, go out to one of their hotels. You walk a lot when arriving because signs/indications are not clear, the info desk staff are useless, unfriendly, and at times plain arrogant. The space where you walk is narrow and the place simply overcrowded. Security staff are impolite and unfriendly. The queues are too long and procedures redundant.

Flight from Dublin to Jakarta, stop at Dubai. The plane taxied for ages, boarded a bus and took about 10 minutes to arrive at airport. There was long queues for security screening. If you don't allow enough time for your transfer flight, you may miss your second flight. 1.5 hours is minimum. The airport is very busy, the walk way is narrow and people bumping each other in shopping area. There are no good seating areas until your gate is ready to board.

Over crowded queuing in transit security check. On the other hand once through security - good duty free area. If you have emirates silver/gold card, it makes the stay even better with access to the business class lounge! Overall airport and toilets are pretty clean.

I like the service on Emirates flights to and from Asia to UK however every time I dread the transfer at Dubai. Sometimes the walk to the nearest transfer security check feels like a mile. Queues for security are far too long for transfer passengers, there is no fast track for first or business passengers - pay a fortune for a first class ticket, take part in a scrummage as part of the experience. The signage within the airport is not too good, and yes it is always a busy airport. First class lounge is very good though, plenty of space, free spa facilities, good food. Duty free is expensive.

When transiting at DXB, if you're unlucky enough to arrive at one of the busy times (early morning, in particular), you'll face a significant wait for security checks. This problem pales into insignificance, though, when compared with the biggest issue: the utter inadequacy of the bathrooms in the concourse area. I've seen lines of 15-20 men waiting outside the bathroom, with another 10 inside. If on a short layover at DXB, go straight to the gate, and there is likely to be a much quieter bathroom there. Of course, this is no help to people on 4hr+ layovers, who have to wait until the gate opens. Fix this one issue, and it would be a decent layover option, rather than one I dread.

Huge departure hall with bag drops crammed into corners. No one at e-check in to help. Waited ages to bag drop, one man vaguely calling the latest flight people forward - people arriving far too early for flights! Security is painfully slow, Emirates staff have no sense of urgency. Upstairs in shopping area - busy, crammed. Gates small, nothing special. Signs confusing. Really very disappointed. I would put on a level with Heathrow rather than HKG or even BKK airport.

Arrived on Emirates A380 for two hour transit in early hours of the morning. Long walk from gate to security, then a long and disorganised queue for screening. Once through security there were thousands of people milling around in the narrow, overcrowded shopping area. So many people that it was difficult to walk without stopping and starting to avoid people. Not enough seats and far, far too few restrooms. The restrooms which do exist are too small. I don't think I have ever seen a long queue to enter male restrooms at any other airport. Lack of space seems to be a recurrent feature, which is surprising given that it is very new and supposed to be the second largest building in the world.

Arrived at 00.30 by A380 and was astonished to see overcrowding at transit security, with queues backing right up against two sets of elevator doors (obviously, people arriving upstairs by lift rather than escalator could hardly get out into the security area). After about ten minutes, another security gate was opened and the previous chaos began to settle down. Then checked out prices at the duty free shop, I had UK high street prices incl. VAT with me for comparison of five different cameras (five different brands). All were cheaper at retail stores in the UK.

Airport is very confusing and staff not helpful or friendly. Was stuck at the airport for a good 9 hours due to a transfer from Dubai to Munich. Experience was not good at all. Was not very impressed. Certainly will not stay longer than I have to again.

At a busy time of year, it is surprising that they are doing lots of upgrading work. The showers are now closed. Large areas of seating and restaurants are boarded up. It is also a shame there are no areas to sit and relax. I was lucky that my stopover was only 2.5 hours - it would be awful if it was any longer.

Istanbul to Dubai. Took me around 2-3 hours to check out to spend a few hours in the hotel before my flight to Durban. I found the staff extremely rude and arrogant. Had to queue in long lines for hours - eye scan/bank/customs. The staff on the ground had no idea where I should go. I spent around 30 mins in a line and when I got to the end of the line the lady behind the counter shouted "go there" i.e. next line and she closed her counter. Had to join the next line at the back. Would avoid this airport even if it cost me more to fly with another airline.

DXB terminal 3 is very busy around the standard transfer times (midnight-3am eastwards, 5-8am westwards). Facilities are good, but not enough. Shops very busy. Hard to find a free seat in the business class lounge. And amazingly, although the toilets and showers look very luxurious at first sight, they are not properly cleaned and very busy at peak times. (Never saw a waiting line at the men's before). Suggestion: Terminal 1, is more quiet and relaxed.

Beware: if you are in transit, you will in all probability encounter long queues for security check. As of now more than 400 people waiting in 6 lines even at 7 am. The central lobby has just too many transit passengers. Consider your self lucky if you didn't bump into a fellow passenger from the opposite direction. Well a surprise for Business Class passengers - you will need to hunt to find a seat. All goods are more expensive in duty free shop. Care must be exercised.

I pass through DXB about a dozen times a year on Emirates. I would love to know the percentage of flights where passengers are bussed to and from the terminal, because in my experience it's around 30% and it's getting boring. 10 minutes to fill up the busses, and a 20 minute ride in a freezing cold box before being dumped into the Arrivals Zoo. Meanwhile back at the gates there are dozens of foreign airlines neatly parked at one of the 200+ gates. So why are Emirates bussing so many passengers at DXB? Well the airport have sold all of these Landing Slots into an airport which is simply not big enough to park all the aircraft at gates so in order to squeeze them all in the national flag carrier is bussing passengers to and from parking areas - at their home airport. Total disgrace.

Arrival is awful. Eye scan and border control took me 1 hr 40 min! Departure from terminal 3, good self check-in, waiting areas. Lots of shops with good prices, cafes/restaurants very good too.

Terminal 3 easy transfer through security, good signage. Pleasant waiting areas. Terminal 3 has a vast array of shops. Used the terminal hotel which while rather expensive but easy to find and is a pleasant haven if you have a long layover.

I have used this airport twice and will never use or recommend it again. Security staff are rude and not friendly and courtesy staff do not understand English. Three times I asked for baby change rooms and was pointed to the baby strollers, information desk and the lifts. Had to transit in Dubai so had to leave the airport. That in itself was a nightmare as it wasn't clear where to go. The actually airport is satisfactory but airport staff need to improve dramatically to meet the image Dubai portrays.

Flew to and from Terminal One, on arrival had a long walk from the gate to immigration which took the best part of an hour and once through you can use the Duty Free shop prior to collecting your baggage. On return at 3am in the morning had to pass through security prior to entering the check in area and then before entering the departure area - once through, the terminal is disappointing and looks more like a low cost terminal compared to Terminal 2 and 3 ,and is reminiscent to something from the 1980's.

We had to transit in Terminal 3 two times. We faced the nightmare, overcrowded, noisy and dark. Just a modern souk, with not enough toilets or areas for rest. Rude security staff yelling like soldiers. Decorated with an awful taste. This airport does not live up to Emirates concept of excellence.

Customer Rating :  5/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

Customer Rating :  1/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

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