Brisbane Airport

Despite recent renovations the International Terminal has very few shops is overpriced on everything and the seating provided is spartan and uncomfortable. The jet ways and air-stairs are 'dated' and lack any modern decor. I feel for international visitors who are confronted with this and what their first impressions of Australia must be. The new passport chip system is poorly set up and confusing to travellers as to what their obligations are for getting through Customs.

Very disappointed by BNE given that Brisbane was the nicest friendliest cleanest and most modern city I visited in Oz (which covers all of them except Perth). The airport on the other hand is a bit shambolic with poor organization and surly staff both behind the counters and in security. Case in point: I politely asked for a manual inspection of my film since past experience has taught me that all it takes is one mis-calibrated machine to destroy weeks of photography. The response was hostile and wound up with several security people lecturing me about acting suspicious not reading the sign that said it was safe telling me my film case would protect them from radiation anyways and then finally putting it through the x-ray machine just to prove this (and not even apologizing when doing so revealed that the film case was NOT radiation-proof)! Shopping and food options are very limited and some gate areas have plenty of space while others overflow into narrow passageways blocking traffic. Briz definitely deserves a better terminal - and much better staff!

Clean plenty off seating which you need as there is nothing to do after you have had your $7 beer and $20 pizza. It feels more like a satellite airport in comparison to other airports. I agree that customs/security can be an absolute shambles when it is busy and what is the point of putting travelators in when they only go for 100 meters in a 1 km long terminal?

Toilets and facilities are all clean. Queues are far too long though! Arriving at 1am from a long trip the first words spoken to us by an Australian were "Are you right with filling out the forms because the sooner you fill them out the sooner we can go home! The next words spoken were at Passport control "You should have filled out the forms on the plane!" Welcome home!

Arriving back on a Friday evening we joined a 100 mtr+ queue waiting for customs. No planning no guidance to structure - almost every man for himself - make you own queue and get there anyhow. Staff were pleasant enough but after standing for 45mins was a bit much. Eventually the overhanded intensity of checking was dramatically dropped and after a quick verbal check many passengers were allowed to pass through. Hardly a good warm or welcome experience for visitors first impressions of Australia!

After a previous experience returning to BNE in 2007 we were met with an hour delay passing through Customs and Passport Control during the Arrivals departure upgrades. Staff were pleasant - however delays were inconvenient. Recently had the experience returning in April 2010 and a huge difference. The bio-metric gates proved a breeze to use which meant I was through passport control within minutes. We proceeded to the Something to Declare gate where we were processed within a matter of minutes after sighting the items to declare. BNE arrivals has improved beyond expectation - however due to the quick journey through passport control there was an annoying delay whilst waiting for luggage to appear on the carousel.

Construction work going on so we had a long walk ending up in the baggage collection area with no option to stay airside and had to clear security again - always very time-consuming in the domestic terminal. Not readily apparent why we couldn't have entered via a gate lounge.

Parking is difficult in the domestic long-term park with frustrating delays trying to find a park - even before 8am. Adding to the frustration dozens or more of spaces are 'reserved' empty for valet parking should you wish to pay another $25 on top of the recently increased parking rate. If possible make other travel arrangements.

I arrived mid-morning on a China Airlines flight and transferred onto a Qantas domestic flight. Everything was fine. All queuing and waiting for customs bags and passport control was minimal with our flight and another from Japan arriving at almost exactly the same time. The process of international to domestic transfers is so easy and made pleasant by the Qantas transfer desk (who had to come running after me when i left my boarding pass on the counter). The free train (if you have a boarding pass) makes a good change from Sydney. Domestic has a reasonable range of food places.

Arriving at Brisbane airport was good hence being very far away from baggage claim passport and security although some travelators are provided when coming in on gate 75 but not all the way so whats the point of having them at all. and when departing when entering the terminal there are no screens telling you which check in desks your flight is at all then when buying some chocolate at first duty free before customs and security they tell you to pick it up after having cleared customs and security not good if you are in a hurry. Who came up with such a dumb idea of having security first and then passport control forcing you to line up and stand in a very long line and wait twice which is a total waste of time unlike all other airports where passport control is first and then security flows on from there very smoothly. Once through there are only gate direction signs in some far corner instead of straight in front of you when you leave passport control so you end up asking where to go. And when going to gate 75 which Emirates uses you walk for ages and at the end of it there is a travelator whats the point of having one at all if you have none at the beginning.