Cork Airport

The new terminal at Cork is much larger than the old one but is still easy to get around. The baggage halls are poor. There are also very few seating areas in baggage hall. The check-in halls and the departures areas are much better and have good views of the ramp area which is nice. There is also a much improved selection of eating areas before security although it is limited once airside.

New terminal just opened and looks very european - spacious good layout and good sign posting. New terminal only being used for arrivals at the minute and so departures was through the old terminal which was unfortunate. On departure the duty free shop sells books and magazines but no newspapers a sign says that newspapers are available for sale before you go through security but to get to the duty free shop in the first place you have to pass through security with no one allowed back out - I hope someone works that one out before the new terminal opens for departures.

An easy airport to get through. Current terminal is very small. Departure lounge has six gates but there are not enough seats for all the passengers of six flights. There were only three flights waiting to leave when I was there two weeks ago and already all the seats were taken with a large number of people standing. I hate to think what it would be like in the height of summer when all six gates are taken. However this should all be remedied when the new larger terminal building is opened. All the staff were friendly and helpful and adequate parking.

Arrived there for a daytrip from LHR. It was quite a walk across the tarmac but this should be sorted when the new terminal is opened. On departure the eating facilities on landside were adequate for a small airport. On airside there was pretty much nothing to do. It was restricted to a very limited bar and the usual duty free shop

With the new automated Boarding Pass terminals the check-in is pretty speedy which makes the check-in efficient. Restaurant & bar upstairs are reasonable and deliver good quality food & drink (helpful staff!). Friendly ground-personnel and no need to run a marathon to reach the gate makes it a relaxing experience. Once you go though the security and passport check you seem to arrive in quite a different country all-together: 'tax-free' is a complete rip-off prices of salmon are triple(!) of that in Cork (same trademark and quantity) so duly you bleed for your families request. A cup of coffee at the bar suffers the same added-value while seemingly being made out a mixture of tarmac and dishwater here the personnel seems to be trained not to understand any language (I tried 3) and so ignoring my protest (he was probably rightfully to ashamed to respond). The permanent wind over the tarmac - Cork airport is on the top of a hill - blows you right in the direction of your plane. Arriving back is a breeze after a good lunch upstairs (I don't like the grub in planes) missing the bus I queried a cab-driver: € 42 for airport to Cobh so I informed him it was € 30 the other way around with a Cobh taxi firm his response: 'Ah ye see that's why we don't allow them for pickup any fares from here' welcome home.

Cork is handy with a Bus Eireann Coach service every 30 mins into Cork city itself. The city is not at all far away so if in a group I'd get a taxi. The airport has a very warm feeling at Christmas time when it welcomes all its lost sons and daughters home. I believe a planned expansion is about to take place? I would like to see more services between Cork & LHR not to mention international flights - perhaps all in time. The downside to this airport has to be its cafes and restaurants- especially airside- its terrible. Instead I find myself wandering aimlessly over the fragrances until my senses have been somewhat numbed. After which I'm ready to board a plane (usually to STN and its horrific onward connections).