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.

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