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Guatemala Airport Passenger Reviews and Guatemala Airport Traveller Reports
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GUATEMALA AIRPORT customer review : 19 November 2012 by E Fischer (USA) |
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Rating : 3/10 |  |
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Recommended |  |
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The airport itself is nice, as others have commented. I travel through here about once a month, and the new
terminal is very comfortable and pleasant. However, the local security is capricious at best. They seem to
give security agents very little guidance but a huge amount of leeway. I have had toothpaste confiscated (no
pastes, they said), a bar of soap (no soaps, they said) and the list goes on and on. I am all for reasonable
and tight security, but it seems like every trip I have a random item confiscated. And it is not just me, I see
it happen to others all the time too.
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GUATEMALA AIRPORT customer review : 4 May 2012 by Johann Schwank (Guatemala) |
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Rating : 10/10 |  |
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Recommended |  |
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Very nice modern airport since it has been recently renovated. The terminal is huge. Good duty free shops
and good air-conditioning. Nice staff, everything is very clean. Fast and easy security screening.
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GUATEMALA AIRPORT customer review : 6 April 2011 by David Stein (USA)
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |
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Guatemala Airport is a clean well maintained airport. Decent choice of food vendors, easy
check. At the time I was departing, the departure and arrivals board was malfunctioning.
Guatemala Airport customer review : 19 June 2010 by M Graham
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
Guatemala's new airport is now a very pleasant experience, especially when I consider how it
was twenty years ago. Agents, security, and all support staff are friendly and helpful. Clean.
Simple but adequate eating options. Spacious and comfortable. Still short-handed on personnel
in most every area which makes for long waits if several flights arrive at the same time.
Customs recently has gone into overdrive searching for anything they can tax.
Guatemala Airport by B Scott
28 March 2010 Customer Rating : 
Changed planes at GUA enroute from ORD to SJO and return in March 2010, so cannot address
check-in, customs or security, but it was an easy place to change planes. The airport was
spacious with plenty of seating and shopping. Duty free was reasonable ($9 for liter of
Stoli) and staff friendly. There were a few places to eat and prices were reasonable by
airport standards ($1 for water, as opposed to $3 in SJO). The bathrooms were clean, although
the toilets in the men's room didn't seem to have seats. Otherwise, a very pleasant place to
spend 90 minutes.
Guatemala Airport by V Morgan
18 February 2009 Customer Rating :
Guatemala City's airport has improved greatly from when I was younger. There are more check-in
counters and more gates available. Everything clean and well-maintained. Bathrooms, which
used to be a gamble, are now clean. The airport is small, so everything is close together and
easy to navigate. The new duty free and other boutiques are a welcome change from the
"mercado central" feel the shopping area used to have. Customs and migration are simple and
the staff are easy to deal with. The only issue I have with this airport is the security
personnel. While I understand that all airports have slightly different security measures
(Buenos Aires airport doesn't let you take water on the plane even if you bought it after the
security checkpoint - ridiculous!), Guatemala's seem particularly arbitrary and not enforced
in an even-handed manner. For example, the rule is liquids must be in containers holding less
than three ounces, and in a plastic bag. I forgot the plastic bag detail this time around.
After opening the bag and seeing its contents, they insisted on the plastic bag. I didn't
have one, and unlike other airports, they didn't offer one and couldn't tell me where to find
one. Plus, I was running to catch an AA flight (the time had been changed without informing
passengers), so I couldn't conduct a search. I resigned myself to having to leave the two
oils and cream behind. The security guy took the cream, but not the oils, as well as a
deodorant, which of course is technically a solid and should have been left with me. My
lesson is learned: pack toiletries in their plastic bags, and carry extras in case security is
not placated. But I will never know exactly what version of TSA rules Guatemala uses.
personnel could stand to be nicer as well. Even the security staff in Miami are nicer.
Guatemala Airport by Michael Haugh
9 February 2009 Customer Rating :
Just back from Guatemala I was very impressed with the airport. It was spacious, clean, and
well organised. It has a small volume of passengers but is perfectly adequate with friendly
helpful staff. A very positive experience!
Guatemala Airport by A Argueta
30 August 2007 Customer Rating : 
The newly built North Finger has 14 new gates, great shopping/eating and a very modern atmosphere. The
original terminal building has been upgraded and expanded, restoring much of the appeal it had lost
since its construction in the 1960s. It is a beautiful piece of architecture. Overcrowding has been
eliminated at check-in thanks to 100 new check-in counters. The remodeling is ongoing and will be
complete in November 2007. A new Central Finger (under construction) will add 6 more gates for medium-
sized jets or 4 gates for 747s and Airbus A340s.
Guatemala Airport by Eric Schuchardt
7 February 2006 Customer Rating : n/a
Overall, it is a nice airport with some things to offer. Upon arrival,
we normally are to our ground transportation within an hour of landing.
Immigration takes less than 20 minutes and our luggage has always
arrived quickly thereafter. Departing, there are some very nice and
inexpensive little shops just below the main terminal. My wife and I
always save a few quatzales to spend here because we tend to find some
unique items. The food is limited, but there are some good pastries and
excellent coffee for that early morning flight. Yes, some updating and
general housekeeping may be needed, but a good experience overall.
Guatemala Airport by Daniel Cohanim
6 January 2006
This is a really nice airport. It is not the cleanest in the world but
it has things that you will not find in other airports and is in the
process of a major overhaul. Instead of being filled with trendy fast
food restaurants it has some very nice shops from duty free to typical
arts and crafts. Great for the last minute item you did not have time
to shop before hand. The customs lines are fast moving and operated by
very friendly agents. The biggest problem is trying to leave the
airport on a departing flight. There is a trick though. You can
actually check in to your flight the day before at a customer service
center run by each airline. For specifics call your airline for the
closest location. When you get to the airport there is a special line
for pre-checked passengers and it can cut your time in line by half. Of
course this gives you more to shop at the great 'tiendas'.
Guatemala Airport by Sergio Bucovich
1
September 2005
I flew to Guatemala city three times this year and I found the airport to be quite
adequate. Although it definitely needs some renovations, as you can see the wear and tear, the
airport makes up for it's run down appearance thanks to the people. I found the various staff to
be very helpful and courteous. The facility is kept very clean. The shops and food are quite good
for a small airport (especially the crepes). My only complaint is that the check in hall becomes
very crowded for early morning flights and the lines from each airline start to blend into each
other. It becomes a bit chaotic despite the airline staff's attempt to keep people in the right
line up. Overall, no complaints.
Guatemala Airport by Ian Ford
25
August 2005
I was in Guatemala Airport at the beginning of 08/05. The airport from the outside
is certainly an interesting '60s building if not well maintained. Arrivals is good,
the lines are quick, but the taxi/bus/hire car/hotel desks are before you leave the
building, and you have to beg and plead to be allowed back in again (without taking
luggage)! Departures are good, the lines quick, people friendly, lots of shops to buy
last minute tourist tat, duty free and Guatemalan fast food (well worth it when you
are flying AA to BOS via MIA without even a chance of buying food!). Overall a
reasonable experience for a poor country! I especially liked the No dogs and No guns
notices on the entrance doors!
Guatemala Airport by A Argueta
29
December 2004
A new international airport has become a necessity. Built in 1968, La Aurora is simply obsolete and
overcrowded. It has not been remodeled since it opened. The local press has recently highlighted a
long list of deficiencies, ranging from the shortness of its runway, flanked on one side with
buildings and a ravine on the other, to filthy and oftentimes inoperable restroom facilities. La
Aurora is rated as a category 2 airport under international civil aviation safety classifications.
The new airport is not expected to be completed until 2010, at the earliest, if opposition from
groups wanting to keep the airport in Guatemala City doesn't sabotage the government's plans. In the
meantime, management of La Aurora has been handed over to a joint public/private sector group in the
hopes of completing extensive renovations and expansion in the near future.
Guatemala Airport by Norman Clark
31
May 2004
I go through Guatemala City's La Aurora airport several times each year, and am always discovering
shops, services, and other pleasant surprises tucked throughout the terminal, which I had
overlooked on my previous visits.
The only major drawback to La Aurora is that passenger traffic has outgrown available space.
During the peak hours -- especially in the early morning -- there is simply nowhere to put the
additional staff that could handle the passengers. This can produce a badly overcrowded and
somewhat confusing check in area and long lines. Having to go to a separate (and somewhat obscurely
located) line to pay a $3 airport security tax produces yet another line, but it moves very quickly.
These problems can usually be avoided by avoiding an early morning departure and taking a late
morning or early afternoon flight.
Once you get checked in and have found where to pay your security tax, you will be in for a most
welcome surprise.
The terminal has some of the best shopping in Latin America, ranging from tiny shops packed with
local crafts at very low prices to the more typical upscale duty free merchandise. There are
coffee bars and snack bars throughout -- both before and after passport control.
Guatemala Airport by Jose Passarelli
25
May 2004
Relatively small but efficient and clean. General facilities are good, good duty free shopping.
Some gates are much nicer that others, especially toilets. Can be crowded at peak hours, but not
really a problem to move around or get in or out of it. The government has announced a new, larger
international airport will be built 60 km. South, leaving La Aurora only for local flights and non
commercial civil aviation. Eventually, both airports are to be connected by a fast rail service.
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