Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport Passenger Reviews and Detroit Airport Customer opinions   No Star Ranking Awarded         Add your Tel Aviv Airport Review   Tel Aviv Airport Star Ranking     Customer Review scoring : Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport   4.9 out of 10 48 reviews

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	Tel Avib Ben Gurion Airport customer review :  23 November 2012 by Gideon Afek    (Israel)
	Rating : 8/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	I am a frequent user of the airport (about once a month on average) The airport is generally very efficient. The only drawback being the often very long (and slow) queue to security and sometimes to the check in. The latter are the bottlenecks. Security is often understaffed, and this is a long standing and notorious problem at this airport. My experience is that all staff are generally very polite and helpful and often friendly too. Walking distances are notably long, though walkways are provided. The best feature is the baggage reclaim - it is extremely fast, and it is not uncommon for your luggage to be at the reclaim before you arrive there. Free WiFi is provided. The business lounge is frequently overcrowded. All other facilities are first class.

	Tel Avib Ben Gurion Airport customer review :  1 November 2012 by C Wajsberg    (Israel)
	Rating : 7/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	Airport is very modern and once past all security checks and passport control, and having walked for a few minutes, you find yourself in a central area surrounded by restaurants, coffee shops and duty free shops. Tel Aviv airport is to my knowledge also the only airport giving you a free storage service for your duty free purchases which you can then pick up when you return. El Al King David lounge is nice and clean. Airport is clean and there are enough lavatory's. Arriving in Tel Aviv, passport control can be slow, depending what time of the year you arrive, luggage service is acceptable and taxis are well organized.

	Tel Avib Ben Gurion Airport customer review :  11 September 2012 by D Leston    (UK)
	Rating : 6/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	Terminal 3 is great but checking in at Terminal 1 for a flight departing from 3 (easyJet) is a very strange set up. Otherwise facilities are very good and both arrivals and departures procedures are coped with efficiently. The staff, however, are astonishingly rude throughout both terminals. Not a single smile, please or thank you. So an overall good experience is ruined by the surliness of the airport personnel.

	Tel Avib Ben Gurion Airport customer review :  26 July 2012 by Tor Idar Larsen    (Norway)
	Rating : 8/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	Have had 10 trips here between 2007 and 2012. The airport had plenty of space, newly updated, superb in all ways. Immigration personnel horrible. They need to know how to handle people coming in to their country. Baggage claim fantastic - quick and efficient. Personnel mostly polite but look very bored. All routine for them. They will grade your luggage and take it all apart if they have to. Security quite quick if you are lucky. Sometimes it feels it's easier to arrive into the country than to be allowed to leave. Free wi-fi, massive space in the transit hall. Never tried many of the shops, but can be regarded as expensive.

	Tel Avib Ben Gurion Airport customer review :  14 March 2012 by Josef Sonntag    (Israel)
	Rating : 9/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	Departure and arrival - very good and efficient ground service. Quick check-in, normal security check (more efficient and quicker than other airports. Good waiting area, good shopping options and short distance between points.

	Tel Avib Ben Gurion Airport customer review :  9 January 2012 by A Bernal    (Spain)
	Rating : 7/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	I don't mind security checks, but staff were hit or miss. After 2.5 hours going through security, we barely made it onto our plane. My favorite was the rude security agent who dumped everything out of my suitcase, then 2 minutes into me trying to re-pack my suitcase said, "Can you please hurry up? We have people waiting?" The rest of the security personnel were quite friendly, however most of them were standing around. The world's largest duty free shop could've been nice to see, if I only had more time.

	Tel Avib Ben Gurion Airport customer review :  28 December 2011 by B Markus    (USA)
	Rating : 7/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	I recently flew out of TLV on Turkish Airlines Business Class. Check In was much easier than I had anticipated, security screening quick. Terminal 3 is very nice with restaurants and shops. I used the Dan Lounge and thought it was too crowded but a decent buffet selection.

	Tel Avib Ben Gurion Airport customer review :  6 December 2011 by David Stein    (USA)
	Rating : 8/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	Recalling the old terminal, I love the new terminal 3. Arrival procedures were quick and efficient. I was out of the arrival are in less than an hour. Public transit access to Tel Aviv and elsewhere in the country has been vastly improved with frequent rail service. On my departure check-in was simple and quick. The central waiting area is very pleasant and airy Security is what it is because of on going threats. Scrutiny is easy to accept and security personnel were professional.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT review :  31 May 2011 by N Werner   (Switzerland)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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After I stepped off the plane I was already interrogated but it was friendly and quick. Immigration was a breeze and I asked the officer not to stamp my passport and it was no problem. Baggage came quickly and we were out and on our way in no time. Departure was a bit of a different story. We arrived 2.5h before departure and there was a long line for our LX flight to ZRH. However somehow we were asked to come to the front and the interrogation started. It took almost 2h as they searched my bag, asked me questions and passed me to three other officers who asked similar questions and then I had to go to some back room to get searched again. The staff was very friendly though and it is just part of the trip if you visit Israel. After that immigration was a breeze and I had some time to get back my VAT and buy some duty free before boarding started. Terminal 3 is quite nice and modern so besides the security checks it is a very pleasant airport to use and it is not far from town.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT review :  29 May 2011 by Richard Edmondson   (New Zealand)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Security procedures at this airport are so onerous and badly organised, it is a wonder anyone visits Israel. When I visited the airport in May 2011 to catch a flight to Cairo (which El Al Israel Airlines had cancelled without telling me beforehand), I was interrogated and searched at the checkpoint outside the airport, then subjected to another lengthy interrogation, bag screening etc inside the terminal. I don't object to sensible security checks, but I do object to being made to queue for nearly an hour, especially when most of the security staff are standing around talking and not doing their jobs.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT review :  21 March 2011 by R Lubbers   (USA)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Arrived 3 hrs 10 min prior to a Lufthansa flight. By the time we made it through security and passport control, we had no time whatever to even look at the shops, restaurants, or restroom facilities in the airport. We arrived at our gate just as boarding began, unable to take advantage of using the business class lounge for which we had paid. I have no quarrel with the intense security measures at TLV, but I do have a quarrel with a totally inadequate number of staff to handle this many people within a short period of time. I would fly out of Israel again only under severe duress, and would strongly recommend that people who value their time visit other countries.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT review :  16 January 2011 by Kim Krister   (Finland)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Departure procedures started 3 hours before flight scheduled time at Ground floor. Before getting to the terminal, my passport was taken, I have to open my luggage outside, go throw metal detector and pack my things up again. Then waiting in a line before check in. They questioned every imagine things, noticed all stamps of countries in passport where I have visited. Then was a luggage scan inside a huge machine I´ve never seen at any airports. Then friendly check in at desk. After that the delay began. At first passport control, they put me for a side line. After waiting there 10min a lady comes yelling me that you should come here with Asians. Another 50min wait after Asian group they took another 20 European pax after me as their flight was scheduled earlier. After another 50min wait there in a same line, I finally got in. My hand luggage was x-rayed again. They called more staff and I was questioned again, why I was in Israel, at which hotel. A lady took my passport and boarding cards and started to call authorities. Then I was escorted with all my things back to terminal hall for inspection. All my things including underwear and so on were put on the table for scan with those big blue "tooth brushes" and they even x-rayed my training short. Staff at this point were calm and polite. They took a batter from my camera, tested it with my recharger, they even did it to my iPhone, checking if it really works. Then I was escorted away from hall, leaving my cameras and some valuables almost unattended. In a room they searched all kind of possible weapons from my body. I heard behind the curtains when some woman was upset when they told her to take her bra off. They scanned my belt, shoes, iPhone. Then staff was frustrated and said, that everything is ok that I can wear my clothes. Then back to the huge hall, where I saw my clothes and valuables unattended at the table. They packed my luggage and said that my electric shaver and toothpaste don´t come with me to cabin, they packed them to a fragile box. Then I was escorted to elevator, waited there staff to pick my box checked in. Then they said, there are no security checks for me, I´m ready to go. They escorted me again through those lines, where I started and there was a final passport control. This all took 2.5 hours I had only 20min time to spend at Dan lounge. I don´t know for what profile I fitted in, I´m a frequent traveler, but this is an example for other travelers what to expect there. Terminal facilities were clean and calm.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT review :  4 January 2011 by Romain Guirand   (France)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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The security check is a shame for this country and a veritable nightmare. After one week of tourism in the country, going back home to Paris, I had the worst time ever in my whole life at security check and practically missed my flight. No one was talking to me nor explained anything, I had to wait for my luggage to be checked for half an hour while people from the check-in counter were closing 20 meters away. They checked all the luggage even for nothing and despite scans did not reveal anything. This is very sad and annoying. This just convinced me of never returning to that country, even though I liked it very much.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT review :  1 December 2010 by Sasun Vartanyan   (USA)

Customer Rating :  5/5

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Scrutiny was before check in for the El AL flight to Tel Aviv; yet arriving and passing thru the customs etc easy and fast. Train station is right underneath the terminal, taxis are just outside with a dispatcher, so no scamming. Everything went very smoothly. Leaving the country, arrive at least 3hrs early though, especially if you are flying El AL; there will be questions, and luggage search for all, but mine was all done in 20 min or so by friendly people - still 2 more security checks to go thru (unless you're one of the "lucky" ones to be singled out for extra security, then, it could be a hassle). Lots of stores, eateries; caution for spotters though; refrain from taking pictures of the planes etc - very modern and up to date, functioning terminal.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT review :  9 March 2010 by D Pyle   (USA)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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Inbound from Zurich on Swiss and outbound on Lufthansa. My arrival into Ben Gurion couldn't have been easier, cleared customs in about 10 minutes, bags were waiting at the carousel and walked right out of the terminal. Leaving Ben Gurion was another story. Arrived at security 4 hours before departure, was turned away and told to return in 30minutes because we were too early; 3 hours prior is just about right, FYI. Went through the first two of three security checks before checking in with Lufthansa. I was told I had to check all liquids, cannot carry them on. At the third check in after my carry on bags went through X-Ray I was asked to step aside for a hand inspection of my two carryon bags. The instant oatmeal packs, Glucose Tabs (I'm a diabetic) and my meds in their prescription bottles (6 bottles actually) caused the inspector to call her supervisor who told me that I had too many meds and could not bring them onboard with me. I could not believe he was actually suggesting that I put prescription meds in my checked luggage that already had been checked. I had two choices, leave my meds behind or go back to the first security area and ask for a cardboard box, place my meds inside and check the box as luggage. The supervisor was nice enough to allow the security agent to accompany me to help me bypass the very long lines. I was allowed to take with me two days worth of meds. From start to finish it took 2.5 hrs for me to get from the front of the airport to the business class lounge, this included the added delay of checking my meds. I'm happy to say my meds and luggage made it in one piece! I still don't understand how prescription meds can be a security risk.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT customer review : 8 January 2010 by M Ingram

Customer Rating : 5/5

Terminal 3 is spacious and works like a dream. Security is an issue but we know how important psychological profiling is - efficient and quick in the pre check in area. At least the airport is designed to take all this into account and the hand baggage X ray is more relaxed then anywhere I have seen and the fact that you can pack as much liquid as you like means that panic attacks over the size of your sun cream bottle don't exist. Departure lounge with a massive cetral waterfall from the domes ceiling is clean spacious attractive and relaxed with good shopping. Free wireless internet is brilliant-. I have got from door to gate in 10 minutes with hand baggage and 20 with cases and still been through the most thorough security check.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT customer review : 25 September 2009 by N Farrow

Customer Rating : 1/5

Took me an hour and a half to get through the 'krypton factor' type questions, bag scans unpacking and packing again etc. I understand that they want to be sure of security, but it is completely unacceptable for it to take this long to check in and get through to departures. My bags were unpacked and searched twice and somewhere along the lines of having my hand baggaged unpacked and scanned, they managed to lose a diary of very important meeting notes. Nightmare.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT customer review : 27 June 2009 by B Holdstock

Customer Rating : 1/5

I spent nearly an hour and a half of having every souvenir scanned by their new little blue toys! They even took an Armenian clock away to put batteries in to see whether it works! I hated every minute of it. I understand where they are coming from, but drop the arrogant 'we have power' attitude. It spoiled an otherwise remarkable holiday. The only friendly person was the young lady who came to me whilst standing in a long line waiting to have my luggage scanned. Asking questions upon question - didn't believe it was me in my passport photo, but my sister who stood next to me. Even my sister had to answer a ton of questions. It is crazy. I'm leaving the country and want to cause chaos now - when I'm leaving? The night before it took me 4 hours to pack my huge bag. Just for them to rip open every bubble wrapped magnet, plate, cup etc I bought. To then be told "oohh we'll help you pack it back". Then they bring me this huge huge piece of bubble wrap, but sorry we don't have a scissor. I nearly exploded! Then onto the boarding area. To be told I'm overweight with the luggage. Start unpacking. Which I did. Stuffed it into carrier bags. Then my 4 pieces of hand luggage and I proceeded to departures. To be told to unpack everything again! What are they looking for?

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT customer review : 31 December 2008 : by M Bedioui

Customer Rating : 3/5

Sometimes during security checks in TLV your bags and suitcases can be taken away from you for some minutes as they scan them in other rooms. My advice is to check that everything is still in your bag when it comes back because they empty the bags away from you before scanning them and put things back by themselves. The lost and found office has only one part-time English speaking worker and is rings busy most of the time. They really completely emptied all my bags, scanned every piece and I was body-searched too. This was about 50 minutes long. The staff was nice, smily and efficient. I was even escorted to skip the regular security checks (so I did not need to queue) once the 50 minute check was over.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT customer review : 19 November 2008 : by Eric Bateman

Customer Rating : 4/5

On arrival, I queued for about 10 minutes at passport control, to be told that the same person had processed me coming into Israel 2 years ago. On the way out, the Air France check-in was appalling, but the security was pretty easy and friendly. They have to ask you the questions which they do and the whole thing again took about 10 minutes. The young lady who inspected my bags was pretty friendly and it took me about 10 seconds to re-pack them so no big deal. Then going through the personal security took about 5 minutes max - everyone was firm but polite so no problems. One of the security girls apologised for the delay. Tel Aviv will always be a unique airport because of the security situation but I had no problems with any of the security questions being asked or the way in which the people concerned asked them.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT customer review : 7 July 2008 : by Sabina Sanzio

Customer Rating : 3/5

Takes ages to walk through the airport. Now I know that getting to departure gates can more often than not involve about a 10 minute walk, but at Ben Gurion airport, you need serious walking boots! Lots to keep you entertained once you have passed through passport control - the final passport control that is, after all the security checks. Having said this, no sign of an internet cafe anywhere - wireless access available, but I was not travelling with a laptop. Was at Tel Aviv Dov Hoz airport also on 23rd June and its a shed! Do not arrive extra early for your flight as there is nothing to do here whatsoever and has very limited seating, so you could end up just standing around in a one room, very small building.

TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT customer review : 29 April 2008 : by D Baron

Customer Rating : 4/5

The longest walk! Tired from Atlantic flight, walk to passport control seems forever. Why didn't they think about a train when designing it. On the good side, modern and airy, good food and nice stores.

Tel Aviv Airport review by M Laporte

22 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Do not buy any sealed product in Israel, the security could open jars and bottles to check the content. I will not be able to give them as a gift and have to eat them quickly since already open. The young trainee who process the check process was quite harsh and refuse to help repack my luggage. she stated that she is a security agent and therefore does not have to be kind. I had to remind her that she deliver services to customers and that she is the last representative of the country to be met by tourists, such behaviour just gives a very poor image of the country and the people.

Tel Aviv Airport review by J Williams

22 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Flight to Amsterdam with KLM departing at 5.30am. TLV Ben Gurion airport is easy to navigate although one must factor in time for the obligatory supplementary checks prior to check-in. Even at 4am the main gate area resembles a shopping mall. Plenty of shops and things to keep one occupied for sure. The Dan lounges are clean and well stocked with friendly staff.

Tel Aviv Airport review by Jan de Wit

19 March 2008   Customer Rating :

New terminal 3 (used by most airlines) is very clean and spacious. A big number of check in counters. Lots of Duty Free shops and food & beverage facilities. Modern and very pleasant terminal! the lounges are luxurious.

Tel Aviv Airport review by Gary Belan

17 March 2008   Customer Rating :

The new Terminal 3 is a vast improvement from the old Terminal 1. I have arrived and departed through here 6 times in the last few months. I have been impressed by the airy design of the building and the efficiency of the process, both arrival and departure. You expect intensive security questioning and although some questions may seem irrelevant, they know what they are doing. You have to allow three hours when travelling through any major airport mainly because security queues are so unpredictable. Take a good book! Duty free is quite expensive.

Tel Aviv Airport review by Adam Simmons

28 February 2008   Customer Rating :

Extremely impressed by the facilities at the new terminal three, with stunning architecture, an excellent array of shops and a smoking room provided at the end of each of the four piers. Quality of check-in was somewhat poor .

Tel Aviv Airport review by John Abrams

31 January 2008   Customer Rating :

Having travelled to 45 countries I have never been so ill-treated as I have when I left Tel Aviv. The questions were ridiculous and went on for 45 minutes! Why is my passport photo so old? (passport is 9 years old), why have you been in Tel Aviv for 6 days, which museums have you been to? Why have you a Dubai and Bahrain passport (I know someone teaching there), Why was he teaching there? (i don't know it's good money!), why have you so many disposable cameras? (just do) why didn't you take any pictures (because friends did), who are these friends, do you have receipts for museums and accommodation, do you have brothers and sisters. This went on for 45 minutes by Head of Security. Then had to go to a room and empty wallet and take off my belt so they can be searched. I'm not unhappy about the last two things but the questioning was rude, insolent and discourteous.