Raratonga Airport Passenger Reviews and Raratonga Airport Traveller Reports   No Star Ranking Awarded         Add your Raratonga Airport Review   Raratonga Airport Star Ranking     Customer Review scoring : Raratonga Airport   8.6 out of 10 10 reviews

	RARATONGA AIRPORT customer review :  30 October 2012 by N Drew    (Australia)
	Rating : 4/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	Personally, Rarotonga airport, like most of the Cook Islands is a little over-rated. Had to stand for 30 minutes in a queue to check in on a concrete floor while we waited for the check in desks to open which they did 10 minutes past their advertised time. After checking in we were told we had to pay a $55 departure tax which I was told is not part of the airline ticket price. Customs and immigration not that helpful and my wife had to give up some perfume we had just bought or they would not clear us. Limited shopping there but the toilets were clean. Blaring music non stop which made it hard to hear the announcements so at times you were doubting you were at the right gate. Not overly impressed.

	RARATONGA AIRPORT customer review :  14 July 2012 by Don Moir    (Australia)
	Rating : 9/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	Raro continues to provide the friendly and low-key facilities I so enjoyed years ago (visited 2000, and as commented on here in 2004), however there's a whole new terminal building that, with a whole four shops and a cafe at departure, is positively massive compared to what went before. It's been nicely done and they have continued the live music for welcoming and departing, with custom songs depending on where your place is going (eg. 'Pub with No Beer' for the flight to Sydney). The cafe does a good coffee and there's enough seats to cope with a plane-full. The staff here actually care about their customers and that's what makes it such a pleasant experience compared to almost any other faceless, oversized airport with security gone mad as there is almost everywhere else. Thoroughly recommended.

RARATONGA AIRPORT review : 7 April 2009 : by Anthony Gibbons

Customer Rating : 3/5

Half the terminal has been demolished to make way for the new terminal under construction. Bit of a shock on arrival but should be fabulous when finished. Befitting a gorgeous island such as Rarotonga. Previously RAR didn't separate Arrivals and departures - bit of a problem for the once weekly flight to/from LA. No airbridges in the new terminal planned from the renderings I could see. So still a bit of a problem to/ from aircraft when a tropical downpour arrives as it want to do. Reason being this is such a tiny aerodrome with short runway of approx 2300m ( just enough for a 777). Accordingly turnaround and parking area for aircraft precludes a fixed airbridge. New departure area will still have the outside garden area so you can have one last look over the airfield to the beautiful mountain peaks before boarding. On another note, duty free no longer the stupendous bargain it once was. Still pretty good compared to many big airports around the world. Happy to see such a new terminal being built but also a shame that Raro is geting all grown up! Hope the new terminal can retains its 'island' feeling.

RARATONGA AIRPORT review : 27 June 2008 : by Neil Ramsay

Customer Rating : 5/5

Small airport by international standards. Immigration and customs smiling and welcoming. Departure easy with only one aircraft. $30 departure tax has to be paid and quite rigorous security procedure but done with typical Cook Islands good nature. Walk from terminal to aircraft across tarmac necessary. Could be a wet one in a tropical downpour.

Rarotonga Airport by Noella Ross

9 October 2007   Customer Rating :

Having just arrived back from Rarotonga memories are still fresh and I can truly say: "I love it!" From the moment of our arrival in the middle of the night when we stepped off the plane and into the arrivals terminal, I knew this place was special. As we queued for Immigration, Customs and baggage, we were welcomed in song and ukelele by a Cook Islander perched on a stool in a little grass gazebo, and with the smiles and friendliness of the officials (all at around 5 am!), what better Welcome could be given. The shuttle/bus drivers in their colourful shirts presented us with fresh leis made from Gardenias and took over the shifting of our luggage to the bus trailer. Farewell at the Airport 8 days later, again around 3-4.30 a.m., we were treated with respect and friendliness along with efficiency. Collecting our boarding passes, we were able to buy cappuccino coffee and a locally-baked treat and sit in a outdoor garden area under grass umbrellas, in the balmy warmth. We were farwelled by the singer with the ukelele as we walked from the departure gate to board the plane, a friendly wave being our last memory. The Airport seems to embody the goodwill and naturalness that we had found during our stay on this paradise island. The airport may be small and not 5-star compared to World international airports, but its ambience and personality make it 5-star in my books!

Rarotonga Airport by Janice Schmidt

27 October 2006   Customer Rating : n/a

Problem: Security personnel are behind the times. When I departed the Cook Islands on 21 October 2006 for the United States I had small amounts of toiletries as approved by www.TSA.gov that were confiscated. Many other travelers had the same experience. Of course I was unable to convince the authorities otherwise. There were no signs posted and the PA system is poor making announcements difficult to understand if an announcement was made.

Rarotonga Airport by N Fitzgearl

25 January 2005

My favorite airport in the world, and I've been to dozens. As others have said, it's relaxed, quiet, simple to take care of business there and the employees know what they're doing. And the fastest baggage claim I've ever experienced. It's the quickest int'l airport to get in and out. While it doesn't have PPT's opulence, it has the most spotless airport bathrooms I've ever seen. The whole place is functional and easy and that's all I require from an airport.

Rarotonga Airport by Don Moir

9 June 2004

Ah, there's not many places you can enjoy an outdoor departure lounge! The airport in Rarotonga echoes most of life in the Cooks - relaxed, friendly and simple. Positively Heathrowian compared to Aitutaki 'airport', but hey that's still the joy in places like that. Fantastic islands, lovely people and great service.

Rarotonga Airport by Craig Meyers

10 December 2003

Travelled to Rarotonga last year. The airport is small which is not a problem when arriving as arrival procedures are fairly efficient and straightforward. Luggage pick-up and customs did not take more than 10 minutes. Tour operators are very efficient with hotel transfers and minimize your time at the airport. Departures, however, are a problem in the small airport. Although check-in was relatively painless, it was raining and because the flight was a 767 I had to stand in line in the rain as there was not room for everyone in the check-in building. The process through customs was, once again, efficient and painless. The departure lounge is not large enough to accommodate 200+ passengers. As it was raining that evening most people opted to wait indoors making it very warm and claustrophobic. Overall, not a bad little airport considering how much time one actually spends there. A larger departure lounge would make the waiting more bearable

Rarotonga Airport by M Devor

1 December 2003

Lovely outdoor airport. Small and easy to handle. It is a different world from Auckland, where most flights go. Even though the Cooks are an overseas NZ territory, one passes through full customs and immigration checks at both ends and pays the dear departure tax, on both ends. This surprised me. I was even sent to secondary inspection at  'Raro' for my chocolates, but she then waved me on. Staff are friendly and courteous. They play music and give a good, welcoming reception to the one arriving plane, then the airport goes dead. Kind of amusing. ANZ actually has a Business Class lounge, but it is small and cramped and so I preferred to remain outdoors and enjoy the Island's beauty one last time. Some advice: rent the car at the airport. We rented at the hotel and then took the bus. The problem is the one bus departs the airport in connection with the one flight, then returns in the same manner. Standing room only and check in at the hotel took forever.