Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Simon Albury
30 November 2005

I agree with the last report. Can anyone explain how to get a legit taxi or Sandton Shuttle? At the domestic terminal I went with an unofficial looking driver at an official looking desk who claimed to be Sandton Shuttle. Can't now remember what I paid. I could see no signs to guide me to legit taxis. Arriving at the Int'l terminal for the first time and transferring to a domestic flight swent very smoothly. Quite reasonable restaurant and shops in domestic terminal to ease the wait.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Michael R Preston
9 October 2005

An excellent airport in all respects despite, as others have pointed out, the long walk between the international and the domestic areas. However the baggage trolleys are easy to push on the well designed walkways and porters are available. I do however have a concern about the large numbers of con men and criminals posing as taxi drivers in the arrival areas, both domestic and international. Not only are they irritating but to those who are foolish enough to use their services, they are a menace. Two weeks ago I made a formal complaint to the airport police after friends of mine were charged R1000 (4 times the correct fare) for a journey to Sandton. In fact they were lucky as other people have suffered worse. The response from the police was that it is a known problem and one they are powerless to control. They said that they sometimes send uniformed police officers to watch, and they see no evidence of the problem. Surprise! I was told that the JIATA (Johannesburg International Airport Taxi Association), to whom most of the official taxi drivers belong, are afraid to confront the problem for fear that their members will suffer retribution. I intend to write to ACSA (the airport authority) suggesting that they make announcements and put up posters telling people to only use the official taxis, but I am not holding my breath. There is in fact an official taxi counter but it is often unmanned.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Casper van der Walt
29 August 2005

I am a South African living abroad for nearly 10 years now and I must say JNB has changed a lot during this time! I really like the new domestic terminal a lot and the duty-free mall inside the international departure terminal is great! The only thing missing was an Internet cafe in the waiting area. I had to pay R130 to enter a business class lounce to get Internet. But the R130 was worth it. You can eat and drink as much as you want and relax on the comfortable chairs, taking a shower etc. The security officers were very friendly and made jokes with us, very relaxing. When I landed from Hong Kong, I waited nearly an hour for my luggage to come, I really think they can speed it up a bit. Well, all in all, it is a good airport.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Carol Innes
15 August 2005

Having recently returned from a short trip and experienced the 'new' South Africa's customer service - I couldn't wait to return to the UK. There seems to be a person checking your every step. I showed my passport to so many people - I lost count. Surely if there was some irregularity, it would have been spotted at the beginning. Going through luggage was a nightmare. There are four people assessing your luggage and discuss whether you will be allowed to take it on board or not. They discuss your luggage in their own language and you have no idea what is being said. My luggage was a bit overweight, but you'd think I had committed a crime. I was shoved to the side and told to make it lighter. I managed to make it with one kg overweight and this was still unacceptable. Overcoming this stressful situation, I then tried to find a 'gate' for departures. Thank goodness I had family with me as they directed me to the 'departure walkway'. For a country that speaks English, there are not many signs to enlighten the weary traveller. This led to another rather long queue and passport check. To 'make my day', I found that the aeroplane was not completely full. There were a few empty seats. This is one airport I will gladly miss especially as you have to hand out R2 to R5 for any help you ask for. However, the Departure Lounge was great! Obviously it depended on the exchange rate, and it was in my favour. The service was excellent and the products were of good quality. A super place to wander about in.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Sahardid Hussein
22 July 2005

Arriving at JNB, early in the morning, from Doha, the immigration counter were well staffed, with South African passport holders quickly seen, but soon enough the queue ended. The wait for baggage was rather long. From appearance, the arrival terminal could certainly be refurbished, as it is looking it's age. Departure on Emirates. The queue's at JNB can be very long, so allow yourself plenty of time for departure. Immigration was certainly a dissapointment. There was a flood of people passing through it but their were only 2 officials staffing it. So the wait was long. Surely, the people in charge can look into this problem. The duty free selection at JNB is nothing to write home about. My Emirates flight was delayed by 90 minutes, and the terminal was a chaotic mess of people as BA and AF counters were side by side. Passengers were given a voucher for a sandwich and drinks by Emirates, and the quality in the upstairs bars and cafes were good.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Brian McLaughlin
21 July 2005

ACSA need to complete the enclosed secure walkway from domestic to international terminals straight away! Hopefully they will include a moving sidewalk. I dreaded using this airport when SAA did away with direct flights to CPT from the USA, and my fears were well founded. My asthmatic wife was cursing the kilometre long march (over 2000 metres above sea level) between the terminals coming into and out of the country! Inbound immigration queues long but acceptable. Outbound passport queues unacceptably long, though. Had no time to "enjoy" the shopping. I recommend 3-4 hours minimum to make international/domestic connexion. International check in is a mess for passengers connecting from other domestic destinations. No one is in charge but the hucksters: one dressed in a SAA sweater got us for some rand just to show us through a hole in the wall to the gates. Two consolations: showers at SAA international departures lounge are nice. And Thandikwe at Baobab Lounge in domestic departures makes one lekker latte, bru!

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Stefan Paetow
12 July 2005

Airport could be nice, airport approach is still too confusing even for the locals (even after airport reconstruction). Trek from International to Domestic Terminal can be a long one, especially when a lot of intl flights have landed and some people take their time to get from one place to another. Duty-free is, as previously indicated, a rip-off even by international standards (LHR is harsh already on fashionable items). International Checkin is long but narrow, making moving from one side to the other with baggage trolleys (or even just a carry bag) a nightmare. The three 'piers' on the International Departure lounge are nice, allow you to look out onto the apron with good space. Emigration control is slow, so is Immigration control. Airport could use a lot of improvement, but you can't do much when you are one of the busiest airports in sub-Saharan Africa and still have to keep things rolling without too much interference or inconvenience of the tourist and business travellers moving through the airport.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by  Ian Loftus
1 July 2005

I passed through JNB several times recently and found it mostly OK, but with several notable exceptions: (1) incoming immigration and customs can be awful with too few immigration officers on duty to process the incoming traffic. Long quese in customs, as well, even though the customs paperwork isn't even looked at by staff. (2) outbound international check-in is bad. South African has a very long queue for all flights with preliminary baggage weighing half way along the queue - passengers with excess baggage must exit the queue and backtrack to a separate counter to pay excess baggage fews. Singapore Airlines doesn't open up for check in until about 3 hours prior to departure. As you can imagine, many passengers arrive early and there's a long queue (with frayed tempers) when check-in officially opens. There doesn't seem to be any valid reason for this as the airline's ground handling staff simply sit around chatting amongst themselves until the magical 3 hours arrives.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by  Nigel Bragg

4 June 2005

Its the best airport in South Africa, though passport control is slow even for SA passport holders. The time for the luggage to arrive is not the quickest, even Don Muang beat it hands down.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by  Brian Botha

26 April 2005

The walk from domestic to the international terminal is too far. A porter wanted 50 rands to show me the way. Once I got there I had to carry my bags up a non working escalator to the international check in desks. On arriving back in the country 3 weeks later, there were only 2 immigration officers on duty to clear three 747 loads of passengers. Took more than an hour and I missed my connection back to Durban.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by  H J Albertse

3 March 2005

Although Johannesburg International has it's irks; like the long hike from the International Concourse to the Domestic Concourse and no adequate seating at boarding gates in International, I have to say the following in their defence. To Mr Roger van Greune - how can you blame Jo'burg Airport when Qatar Airways enforce strict baggage weight limitations and request double checking of baggage weight? Check-in is handled by airline staff and/or handling agents on behalf of the airline, not by airport staff as such. To Mr Alan Midwood - I can vividly recall TV monitors, mounted on the ceilings of the hallways and arrival areas, where it is indicated in which terminal (either 1 or 2) you have to pass immigration and pick up your luggage. And yes, I have boarded and deplaned via jetways and buses at Jo'burg International many times in the past, without loosing my way. Just watch out for the monitors or if all else fails, follow the people you just deplaned with.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Roger van Greune

28 February 2005

Our last experience at Johannesburg International has left us deciding not to route via South Africa ever again in the future. The place seems preoccupied with getting your last cent off of you before you leave the country. Check in for a Qatar flight took over an hour due to a double weighing system. We were 2,8kgs over and had to redistribute and throw away luggage. Finally we were left haggling over an additional 800grams in our hand luggage. We had toted the same baggage for a month prior to boarding at Johannesburg. The prices in "duty free" confirm that this airport is all about taking your money away from you.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Paul Lyons

1 January 2005

When transferring from an internal flight to take an international flight, finding your way to the international departure hall is an absolute joke, follow the signs to the international hall pushing heavy luggage and you get to a lift which tells you that luggage is not permitted, you then retrace your steps and push your luggage onto a moving stairway, this directs you outside of the building where you are at the mercy of the weather, a good 10 minute walk brings you into the main terminal. If I was an elderly or infirmed person this journey would be almost impossible. The airport authority need to look very seriously at improving the their transfer facilities.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Alan Midwood

23 November 2004

Arriving on a SAA flight from Heathrow it took 45 minutes to reach the passport control desk for foreign visitors. There we were told that SAA passengers are dealt with in another terminal where the queue took a further 30 minutes. There were no signs anywhere along the walk from the 747 parked out on the tarmac. When we finally reached the carousel our bags were circulating and could have been removed by anyone as nobody was checking luggage receipts. First impressions of a new country are very important and this experience left a very bad taste.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Julia Kneale

22 November 2004

They really need to do something about the transit desk area. Unless you are flying SAA, desk numbers are woefully inadequate, you end up queuing across entry and exit points, there are no designated desks for First and Business. If you have to wait for a desk to be manned the space is tiny and seating limited. Otherwise it is a pleasant airport but with rip-off duty free shops.

Editor: Have to agree about prices in duty free Julia - through there 2 weeks ago, and it is very poor value when contrasted to airports elsewhere in the world. Used to be good value.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Diane Morrison

23 October 2004

I read with interest about the Frenchman who was embarrassed about the lack of cleanliness of de Gaulle Airport. As a South African I was disgusted at the state of the ablutions at Johannesburg International Airport and on arrival at Milan's Malpensa Airport to my dismay I found their ablutions to be equally disgusting with clogged toilets, bad odours and general filth. It seems to me that airports need to get in touch with the standards expected from their patrons.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by I Graham

4 October 2004

We recently returned from a months trip to the UK [Sept 2004] and found the Jo'burg airport to be very clean and modern compared to Gatwick Airport, London. The toilets at Jo'burg airport are also hygenically clean and well kept with consistent cleaning staff - wonderful!! I hope Jo'burg airport keeps up with this and even improves this service wherever it can. But beware of the so-called duty free items on sale, as they are very expensive and can be purchased outside the airport for a whole lot less in the markets and ordinary shops - these are certainly not duty-free, but a rip-off!! We checked out quite a few prices of various items and we were shocked to see so many things over- priced!!! One of them [a popular brand of perfume - one of my favourites] was R70 more expensive than the same one I had purchased a week before at Foschini.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Gary Strydom

3 September 2004

I fly between LHR and JHB every six weeks. I agree that the 'new' JHB Int puts the 'grand dame' Heathrow to shame. I have never waited in a check in que for more than 20 minutes at JHB - even in peak hours. Check in at Heathrow is disastrous at the best of times even when nobody is on strike. Service in SAA's Boabab lounge is excellent. JHB Int makes 'coming home' every six weeks just so much more enjoyable. A friendly greeting and a smile from an official, often means more than clinical efficiency. South Africa seems to be getting both right these days.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Ryan North

27 August 2004

I agree with J Petersen. Johannesburg international makes Heathrow look third world. My wife and I travelled to SA from Dallas via London. JNB was by far the best airport we used. Good to see such progress in South Africa.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by J Petersen

18 August 2004

I went through Johannesburg Airport for the first time in July 2004. I was not expecting it to be so modern and clean. It made Heathrow look third world. 

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Peter Wilmot

1 June 2004

As an expat South African, I can only say that the airport has improved by leap and bounds over the years and both the domestic and international areas are top-class. However, why o why did the airport planners not design the new international departure terminal with distinct gate areas and seating like any other modern large airport. Having to stand in the corridors waiting for a flight is truly primitive and not in keeping with all the other amenities!!! And of course there is the problem with the 'trek' from the parking garage and rental car areas to both the domestic and intl. terminals. Surely this can be improved and better signed?

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Kairas Mistry

31 May 2004

Despite the "horror" stories listed below, my experience was great. I arrived at least 3 hours prior to my flight, which left plenty of time to check in. Check in was relatively smooth, ticket agent was very polite and efficient, didn't wait in line more than 10 minutes (economy passenger). The terminal is great with plenty of distractions by way of shops and restaurants. The smoking area has room for improvement, but I was glad that there was a smoking area. The added security at the boarding gate (US bound flights) was a bit annoying, but that I'm sure is US mandated and not an invention of JNB. I may have hit the international check in at the right time to avoid the long lines etc.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by L Gutknecht

14 February 2004

I'm a frequent traveller and see therefore many airports. I must admit that Johannesburg Intl. to me appears as one of the better ones. There are things like the incredible queues in the evenings in the International Terminal, which can be quite stressful or the sometimes long queues at immigration on arrival. But most airports face this same problem - also in Europe! I have also used the new Domestic Terminal and was more than impressed with it. Very stylistic and efficient! The problem is, that most of the flights to Europe leave in between 3 hours to arrive in Europe in the morning and masses of people have to check in at the same time for various flights. Whenever I have enough time, I check in my luggage in the afternoon and then it's done in no time as there are no queues at all. In the evening I just walk through with my hand luggage. The airside zone is fantastic with it's shops and restaurants. Many European airports do not compare to that! As all the flights are non- smoking nowadays, smokers would certainly appreciate more smoking sections for their "last cigarette." There is only one small bar on the mezzanine floor with no view and usually very crowded and untidy, whereas the restaurants downstairs with the superb view across the airfield are nearly empty. They could definitely do more business, if there was a smoking section downstairs. But all in all, Johannesburg Intl. is a modern, well organised and pleasant airport to fly to and from.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Alan Stewart

12 February 2004

Used to live in SA and was back at JNB in Dec 03 after a 3 yr absence. International arrivals has not improved - if you land between 8am and 11am and are not South African - immigrations is just a scrum down. New domestic terminal a bit of a hike, but once there is lovely. Had extremely tight domestic connection (checked in 1 minute before desk closure), and SAA ground staff could not have been more helpful to get me and my family checked in, and then to the gate in time - truly above and beyond the call of duty.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Iain McCarter

28 January 2004

The duty free area is indeed very pleasant, but a word of warning, it is also much more expensive than buying in Johannesburg itself. Cartons of cigarettes are 5-10 rand cheaper from supermarkets, and African curios and souvenirs are best bought from local markets, like Bruma Lake, where they are much cheaper and the money will go to the local community. Perfumes and alcohol are also available at lower prices from the many shopping centres dotted around the outer suburbs.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by David Shaproski

16 January 2004

Agree with previous comments about luggage being plundered. I use JNB mostly for flights to Europe 2-4 times per year, and my luggage has been "pilfered." Other bad things about airport include the complete lack of space in the departure area, and porters who sometimes refuse to allow me to carry my own luggage. Also, the system of bussing passengers is very inefficient; sometimes the bus waits for 25 minutes when it is already full, and the passenger holding area for flights requiring a bus is dark and dank.  But it is a wonderful looking airport but very interesting duty free, and the domestic terminal is great as well.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Peter Garner

16 December 2003

Caught the 2340 flight to LHR via Amsterdam but decided (wisely) to check in at 7pm to give me some extra shopping time. The scene represented a vast Springboks scrum training session, but at least the overworked staff were keeping things moving and was through to passport control in around 20 minutes. My only gripe with the airport was that the cafes do not stay open late enough for late flyers, and although the bar on the upper floor stayed open late it had managed to run out of soft drinks and snack items earlier.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Richard Woodward

15 December 2003

Totally agree with Barry Shirlow; My wife and I have just had our luggage 'pilfered' at Jo'burg, for the third time in as many months, while in International transit. It really is a major problem there which ACSA cannot or will not control.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by S Marsh

27 November 2003

The security at JNB is a joke. As I passed through security it showed a cork screw in my luggage. After empting my hand luggage the only explanation was a gift wrapped package for my husband from our children. I was forced to open the package and remove the item, which was confiscated.  I walked into the duty free liquor shop and bought another one. Another lady had the same experience with her nail scissors. She bought a new nail kit from the duty free pharmacy which included a nail scissor. Where does safety and security come in if sharp objects can be bought in the duty free area?

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Barry Shirlow

9 November 2003

Unfortunately I have to use this airport frequently. Theft from luggage is a major problem on international flights and in fact some carriers warn you of this and discourage one from booking in too early. On the 16th Oct 2003 I arrived from CDG on SAA273 and my luggage had been pilfered once again. Staff even explained to me how it occurs so why cannot something be done about it?

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by D Swanepoel

25 October 2003

I use JNB airport mostly for international flights but something that struck me as exceedingly stupid in the domestic terminal is how the lifts don't take more than one trolley. Then for some bizarre reason you can't take a trolley up the travelators but you can take one down. So getting your trolley up to a higher level requires either waiting for ages to find a lift or pushing up the incline yourself.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Brett Borach

22 August 2003

I am a regular user of JNB airport and really feel that I disagree with the comments about South Africas immigration officials. I am a South African and when I pass through immigration with my passport, I pass through in no time, simply the passport is scanned, the official asked where have I come from, they stamp it and that's it, I have never had to wait more than five minutes for an official, which I am sure is a similar experience to a European National landing in an EU airport. When I travel to Europe on my passport I also sometimes have to wait for hours in horrendous lines to be seen and then get so many questions by the officer(who is occasionally grumpy as well) before being admitted, so I guess it just depends on which passport you have and where you are travelling to. As for checking into international departures I do agree that more space is needed, as it really gets hectic, but I guess every airport has its pitfalls and that I guess is JNB one. I think that the duty free in JNB is absolutely fantastic and rivals with many European airports, but the best thing is that allot of the goods like gifts and cigarettes are far cheaper than many European airports.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Grant Macpherson

15 August 2003

Arrival Immigration is a nightmare, always a very slow process during the morning European arrivals. The trick is to stand in the isle next to the South African passport holders and when the immigration have finished processing its queue it will open up to other nationalities. The immigration authorities take ages to process people from the Asian Sub Continent. Leaving is a simple formality.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by Kevin R Cox

8 August 2003

I agree totally with the comments of H J Albertse below: Passport control for arrivals is appallingly slow. If you arrive at peak hours for evening departures (international) prepare for a scrum. And please, can't some alternative to those ill-working, slow, crammed to the gills, elevators be devised - other airports manage it, so why can't JNB? And yes, the new domestic terminal is nice and spacious but too far, particularly when you factor in the long walk from international moving walkways would help - once you had negotiated the accused elevators

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by H J Albertse

18 July 2003

Peak hours in the new departures hall of the International Terminal, can be very draining. Battling your way through thousands of passengers and families saying goodbye, to your check-in desk, is no pleasure. Already space is at a premium, once again! The duty-free and shopping, after customs, are noteworthy and quite excellent. Lots of space here, although there is no holding lounges at the departure gates in International, which can prove to be extremely frustrating. People resort to sitting on the ground in the hallways next to the gates. Terminal 2 International arrivals, where all SAA and partner flights arrive; is a total disgrace. Slow customs officials, and usually a long wait, especially if a widebody aircraft has arrived. Steel yourself for peak hours when there is multiple arrivals. Totally inadequate space at the baggage carrousels, where people shove and hit to get to their luggage. Since the closure of the old domestic terminal, the transit centre outside SAA International arrivals, where check-in for domestic flights were possible previously, has been closed down. It's quite a long walk or jog to the new domestic terminal, especially if you are in a hurry or have been delayed. New domestic terminal is fabulous, except for the most inept ground staff at some airline counters.

Johannesburg Int'l Airport by G Bronkhorst

14 May 2003

As a regular traveller through Johannesburg International Airport, I would put it as one of my preferred airports. The brand new International Terminal is very nice, with a fantastic duty free. Checking in for connecting flights after international arrivals are done easily as there are check in desks conveniently allocated at international arrivals.