Brisbane Airport

You'd better hope your international flight does not arrive early in the morning, because if there is another flight arriving at the same time it's a nightmare. No one working at arrivals seems to know what going on, virtually no staff to help confused customers, no Australians Only arrival lane, people arriving whose first language isn't english get all the help. Australians are left to their own devices and queues quickly get out of control as people start jumping lines. Someone needs to take things under control, it's just a shambles.

If there is anyone out there who believe the seating at Brisbane airport is good? I travel regularly all around the world and Brisbane International Airport has to be the worst airport I have ever experienced, not one comfy sofa or armchair to be seen anywhere. They have spent a lot of money modernising the airport but the seating is awful. Not only are they horrible, the proportions are all wrong, you would need to be 7 feet tall to sit comfortably. They should try visiting, Changi airport in Singapore but let's change that to any airport in the world to see what can be done. Horrible. One very unhappy client.

Although Brisbane is a relatively new and modern airport it is poorly managed, very expensive to park and there's always issues. Today only 1 elevator is working in the car park and people with luggage either departing or arriving are having to wait up to an hour just to use the elevator to get to or from the terminal. There's always a shortage of car parks and it can often take ages to find a parking space. Escalators and elevators seem to be out of order or out of use more often than not. Huge gaps in the concrete cause trolley to jam with suitcases always flying off the trolleys. The problem is that they have a monopoly and this means that they couldn't care less. It's best to use nearby airports if possible as this one is a shocker.

Congratulations on having plenty of comfortable couches at the departure gates, perfect for sleeping. I had a 9hr stopover, waiting for a very early flight. Another positive point is the amount of charging stations throughout the airport and the smoking area is very pleasant. It was a great idea to have an outdoor area. I did have to pull a pair of ski gloves out of my carry-on luggage to stay warm though. Fortunately, I had read a review that warned me it would be freezing. This was in the middle of winter, but I swear it was as cold inside as outside.

Why does Brisbane international departures always have to be so freezing cold? It's a waste of electricity and not necessary. Please warm it up. Are constant announcements necessary? Impossible to have a phone conversation. Other airports don't have public announcements and its better.

Have recently flown through Brisbane's Domestic terminal half a dozen times over the last three months (November 15 - January 16) and it is clear that the Domestic Terminal is in dire need of a re-vamp (or demolition). The building itself is very dimly lit and crowded in both the arrival/baggage claim sections and airside. Walkways are narrow and there is very little open space. Another major issue is the seating, the seating arrangements are absolutely horrendous in the Qantas wing of the terminal. Extremely cramped and close together and hard to move to and from seats especially during peak times due to them being arranged in all different layouts. It just looks messy, which adds to the feeling of being hemmed in. The seating in the Virgin Australia and Low Cost sections are miles ahead of the Qantas wing but the terminal itself is too small and poorly laid out to cope with the growing number of domestic passengers that pass through. Chewing gum stuck to seats and rubbish also present throughout all area's of the terminal. The International Terminal is centuries ahead in terms of design, layout and efficiency but Brisbane Airport is in need of a new domestic building.

Have previously been critical of Brisbane Domestic Airport but now all of the renovations are complete for Virgin Australia I came away impressed. From the time I was dropped off to the time I arrived in the Virgin lounge was less than 10 minutes. Only criticism I have is that it is a long walk from the Virgin lounge to the gate.

Emirates check in staff weren't very friendly but that's Emirates, not the airport. Very quick progression through security and immigration return probably took 15 mins. Facilities were clean and there were enough shops/food outlets to keep one busy.

Maybe I've only been through the international terminal at off-peak times but I've had no problems with queues for check-in, customs and immigration (both directions). Signage can be poor, especially outside for buses (note the free shuttle between terminals, which doesn't run particularly frequently), trains and pickups. Airside is not very big but has lots of seating, a few cafes and shops and great views of the runway. The 500MB/3 hours free wifi is incredibly slow every time I've used it - sometimes unusable. The only serious problems is the toilets - really not enough of them on my visits, with long waits for a stall (so I can't imagine what it's like in a busy period) plus the cleanliness is below expected Australian standards (although not filthy).

The free access departure terminal is quite bare and there is a shortage of seating both inside and out. I went there in summer and there is a need for more shaded areas and trees. The jetstar check-in facility is cluttered and there is no queue organisation for the kiosks so its like a free-for-all rush to get to one. Once in the checked-in part of the terminal there is a lack of seating near the gates as well as a lack of mobile phone recharge ports made even worse by the high number of out-of-service internet desks. Toilets were filthy and no attendants were to be found anywhere. The flight info screens were few and far too small. No wifi service. Apart from that the catering and retail options were quite good but these were limited to the Qantas areas. Skytrain service is excellent however - the rest of the airport should follow their example.