Cardiff Airport

Still not the easiest place to reach. Road and signposting still needs improving. I found it easier than Bristol, though. Travelled Flybe to Algarve April 2016. Parked in short stay, £70+ but there was a prebooked deal through Topcashback so worked out closer to £50. Prepaid and barrier lifted correctly on driving up to it. Needed to get closer to the barrier than I expected from previous experiences. Difficulty getting from car park to main buiding as there were no ramps, only steps. So in spite of having wheels on my large suitcase I still had to carry it up the concrete steps from the car park. I've had one heart attack and I'm not sure that lugging a 20Kg case up steps is ideal preparation for a holiday. So whoever designed the shortstay park did not have disabled access in mind. Inside was fairly standard. I gave up on airport breakfasts years ago. Tea and toast is the only safe thing on the menus. Security was a little 'nosey' about my medication. Perhaps I don't look like someone who's had cancer and a heart attack. They even asked why I needed a tube of cooling soothing cream and seemed surprised I might get sunburn in the Algarve. Standard departure lounge feel. Food, shops like everywhere. No difficulty finding a seat, which was a bonus. Compared to a few years back it does seem better overall. Sort out the approach roads, signposts and car park steps and it will be very good. Oh, and the car park barrier worked correctly when we returned too.

As we live in the very West of Wales Cardiff is our nearest airport (90 miles) so we're limited when choosing destinations for holidays if we don't fancy travelling too far. The airport itself isn't too bad. It's clean, easy to get around and staff are friendly but there are a number of issues that really let it down. Firstly is its location, it's 10 miles from the M4 through residential areas which can be a nightmare at School dropping off and picking up times. It also doesn't help that it is really poorly signposted. As you get closer the signs disappear altogether. We know where it is but even we get confused! Secondly the choice of flights is really poor. We wanted a winter sun holiday this year and basically had the choice of Tenerife or Gran Canaria, nothing else. To make the airport pay it needs to get tour operators to offer more routes. It also needs to attract more carriers. British Airways's maintenance unit is next door. If BA planes can use the runway to fly in and out for service why can't the company use it for passenger flights as well. Lastly introduce a bag drop. Most tour operators do online check in now. We checked in online but then waited 40 mins to check in again as Cardiff doesn't have a bag drop. Sort these things & Cardiff would be perfect.

Having read previous reviews we were a little concerned but on reaching the airport we found it clean, tidy and well run. Check in was quick and we were dealt with courteously. Upstairs we found seats and ordered breakfast from the cafe (which looks like a bar). We had a cooked breakfast which was served at our table in a very quick time and was good and we felt reasonably priced. Tables and chairs were new and quite comfortable. There is a small shopping area which could be improved with a superdrug/Boots so that you could buy toiletries after you have gone through security. Boarding was fine and we like to walk across the tarmac to the plane steps. Arriving back was easy with no problems and the art/Wall art etc was interesting and fitted in with a Welsh theme. All in all we would prefer to fly so more Cardiff flights please.

Nice easy going airport, clean and lots of seating capacity. Reasonable food and drink available. The security staff were brilliant, friendly and courteous but efficient and competent. Check in was a breeze with virtually no queue and bag collection was brisk and easy. This is a great airport for people travelling from this area as it is easy to access and it's possible to be home quickly as opposed to the London and Bristol airports. There is a lack of destinations but it yours is catered for I see no reason to fly from anywhere else if you are resident in the area.

Car Parking at the airport was easy in Long stay 1. It is so close to the airport terminal we walked with our bags but a shuttle bus is available if necessary. Self Service Bag drop was easy and security was thorough but friendly. In the departures lounge there was only 1 shop and couple of cafe's but for an airport of this size it was fine. On arrival back into the UK, there was only a short walk to border control but there was a large queue for only 2 flights arriving at the time. We collected our bags and were swiftly on our way home. Cardiff's location is what drew us to the airport, and it was much better than travelling from Wales to London for a short-haul flight. The size also made it easy because everything is close. I would definitely travel from Cardiff again.

After reading reports and from previous experience several years ago I was not expecting much but apart from no air bridge was pleasantly surprised. The walk from the aircraft was only about 20m. with a short walk to immigration where there were 3 officers plus auto checking for 100 passengers and we were out of the terminal 10 minutes after landing and to the clearly signposted pickup point. The only downside was the charge to leave of £1.25 which left us scrabbling for the correct money at the barrier with a queue building up behind us. The routing to/from the M.4 motorway also does not seem to have improved much since my flying days there.

I stopped using Cardiff airport several years ago as it was drab, unclean and gave an overall feeling of being semi-derelict when returning to Wales. Additionally the so-called shuttle bus does not exist in practical terms and signage getting to the airport is poor. Nothing has changed, it is still a difficult to get to back-water domestic airport. Now they have attracted a new airline (Vueling) the management have the opportunity to upgrade and let us hope they take it.

Am keen to promote Cardiff Airport and I am local but was very disappointed as we arrived off the plane on 27/10/15. Arrived to a dirty airport corridor first thing in the morning, there was even sawdust on the floor. Surely a basic requirement is cleanliness and the airport smelt musty and had obviously not been cleaned overnight. Going to the toilets, there was not one hot tap working, only cold water taps. One of the hand driers was broken (has been for some time). Better signage is required for the toilets. A review of the signage is required from seeing it for the first time. It is very confusing how to exit the Airport. Only one Border Control person when 3 flights came in at the same time, queues were awful. Come on Cardiff Airport, I want to continue to use the Airport but am finding it difficult to justify presently.

Although I live in Cardiff we haven't been using Cardiff Airport due to the high cost and limited flights. We decided to travel from there for a short trip with Thomson to Palma. Firstly when I tried to book car parking a few days before it was fully booked (late September hardly high season). Ended up getting a taxi - arrived in very good time which was just as well as we stood in a check in que for over 40 minutes the line was blocking the main doorway at one point. This was for a 6am flight - again not 'peak time'. We were called through to the gate only to wait another 25 mins standing up (we are young enough to stand for long periods but a lot of elderly travellers found the wait very frustrating - 5 or 6 seats max) - I normally travel from Bristol and London and we will not be rushing back to Cardiff. On our return we walked in a huge circle through the building with nice new walled `features' promoting Wales - then waited over 35 minutes for our cases.With a handful of flights a day why is it so difficult to provide the customer with a good experience. Get the basics right Cardiff rather than promoting Wales. Very, very disappointed - not sure when I will book a future flight - such a shame.

First time using Cardiff Airport for many years, and probably the last for many more. Day before flight, I tried to book parking only to be told by the NCP website that all car-parks were full. Later worked out that I was probably too late to pre-book at a lower rate, but why did the website say car-parks were full? Surprise, surprise when I got to airport - plenty of room in car parks! Was flying into Milan Malpensa with Flybe, but not one of their representatives could tell me if the flight arrived at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 in Malpensa. The breakfast in the departure lounge was an absolute disaster, I didn't realise hash browns were supposed to be soggy, bacon tasteless and a black pudding flavoured with dishwater. Returned from Milan via Birmingham International airport and then travelled by hire car back to collect my car at Cardiff. Parking cost was more than the Cardiff to Milan fare - go figure that one!