Yuzhno Sakhalinsk Airport Passenger Reviews and Traveller Reports   No Star Ranking Awarded         Add your Yuzhno Sakhalinsk Airport Review   Yuzhno Sakhalinsk Airport Ranking     Customer Review scoring : Yuzhno Sakhalinsk Airport   4 out of 10 4 reviews

	Yuzhno Sakhalinsk Airport customer review :  23 October 2012 by H Bois    (Russia)
	Rating : 2/10 Queuing Cleanliness Facilities Recommended	This airport is in dire need of an upgrade. There is a tiny check in area (we flew domestic today) with 4-6 check in desks, but there are no lines or barriers and in typical Russian style there is no coherent queue. People are lining up all over to get in the correct queue. Upstairs, there is a nice cafe called Lime which does decent coffee, although double the usual cost. Still it is the only decent place to sit and wait. Then you go through another security check, into a waiting room (full, no seats left), then downstairs again to board the actual flight. This downstairs waiting room was also packed so we stood for about 30 mins in total, with our squirmy 3 year old. All announcements were exclusively in Russian, and we had to guess when our flight was called. No provision for families travelling with small kids that we were aware of.

Yuzhno Sakhalinsk Airport by R King

17 October 2007   Customer Rating :

Getting out of the airport arriving from a domestic flight without baggage is very quick - just walk across the tarmac and out the gate. Departure is very chaotic and confusing. If leaving on business class on a domestic flight you should go through the international departures entrance, but there is nothing to tell you this. Once inside, there is very little indication of where to go to check in or to board, and the monitors providing information about the flights are only in Russian. My departure was delayed by two hours, but this wasn't clear to me, and I was getting worried, trying to work out where I should be, thinking I was about to miss my flight.

Yuzhno Sakhalinsk Airport by Norman Sutherland

15 January 2006   Customer Rating : n/a

Rod Hocking seems to have had a particularly tough passage through UUS - it's usually not that bad. If you're arriving from outside Russia it's important to get close to the front of the plane. Inbound immigration can be lengthy and the form will be in Russian. (Cabin Crew may have an English crib-sheet). After immigration you have to register with with the Police and the baggage does take some time to come through with no priority for Business Class. I don't know why they didn't use the carousel when Rod arrived - there is a small one in international arrivals. And you will have to show your Bag Tag before you can exit. All pretty slow and not very organised and usually very crowded. You just have to be patient, and rarely will you be out of the building within an hour of landing - 1.5 hours would be average. On international departures arrive early, (at least two hours before departure). Airport Tax is RR600 and has to be paid before you can check-in. Outgoing Immigration is more spacious than incoming and there is a bar in the departure area which may or may not be open. You're going to have to walk to the plane so in winter you need to wrap up. Yes UUS is bit chaotic and far too small for the current passenger traffic, but it does work (just about). Don't expect it to be efficient, don't be late or in a hurry - and be patient.

Yuzhno Sakhalinsk Airport by Rod Hocking

2 January 2006

Yuzhno -Sakhalinsk (UUS) On a trip ICN/UUS/ICN had to pass thru the airport twice. On the way in, those passengers in the know bunched up at the door of the aircraft and ran for the entrance hall. Those (like me) who hadn't a clue about what was coming walked normally and were confronted with chaos. I know the Russians are paranoid about security but this was ridiculous, took over 3 hours to clear a 737 load; fortunately we were the only aircraft on the ground at the time. The fire truck took about 5 minutes just to start, lucky (there were no fires). The baggage hall was interesting, all baggage arrived on a tip-truck which backed up to a slide (and you guessed it) up-ended the tray and baggage into the room (no carousel). Customs Hall is something else, one over eager passenger put his head around the door before he was called; flashing lights and sirens erupted. You didn't need to speak Russian to get the gist of what he was told. Fortunately, I had a Company courier waiting for me outside with a name board. On the way out, similar system. this time however, the flight was delayed due to heavy snow. No information given by staff, no flight info boards, all passengers JUST WAITED. In my case it was about 8 hours; this must be a fairly common occurrence in January, as the same courier was with me, and refused to leave until the aircaft was actually on the ground (most impressed). Food was available for purchase at a cafeteria, acceptable (by Russian standards) but certainly not flash, the stairs leading up to it were a bit scary, their condition screaming for maintenance (won't happen). Seating inside the departure area is simple but acceptable. Overall, the airport is (only just) OK.