Dubai Airport

We had to transit in Terminal 3 two times. We faced the nightmare overcrowded noisy and dark. Just a modern souk with not enough toilets or areas for rest. Rude security staff yelling like soldiers. Decorated with an awful taste. This airport does not live up to Emirates concept of excellence.

Terminal 3. Two transits 3 and 2 hours arriving respectively at midnight and 1 pm local time. Long walks mean I wouldn't want to make a very tight turnaround here. Good size boarding gate lounges and in some places there was chaise longue-type seating. Clean staff courteous clear announcements racks of toddler buggies for families. Golf carts transporting less mobile passengers around were driven a bit aggressively. Security queues not long. Hard to see what more one might want from an airport while in transit.

Have used Terminal 1 a few times in 2011 arriving around 21.30. Walking distance is long. The arrival gates seem to be on the other side of a taxi-way and passengers walk through a long tunnel (underneath the taxi- way/runway) to the immigration area. The queuing for visitors is always long - about 30 people and the processing time per visitor is about 2 minutes for picture taking and eye-scan. Immigration officers are slow unfriendly and not welcoming to visitors.

This is a shopping mall not an airport - too crowded noisy not enough seats no quiet area. Cunningly planned so that you spend more time in the shops.

This airport is a nightmare. Arrived late in the evening 23.30. Connection flight was scheduled 4.10 am although unfortunately there was a delay. I was searching for a smoking lounge in T3 - not available. Tried to find a seat to get some sleep over night but none were available. Tried to connect to the free WiFi - not available. When finally sitting at the gate waiting for boarding the Aircon was round 15 degrees Celsius. Without my winter jacket that I had in my hand luggage I would have been frozen.

This review pertains only to Terminal 3. Overall unimpressed especially considering it is only 3 years old. Enormous (takes at least 30 mins to walk end-to-end) overcrowded stuffy and a severe lack of toilets. I had to queue to use the men's toilets which is almost unheard of anywhere. Showers were entirely useless as they didn't provide towels soap or shampoo. It seems when they designed this place it was meant to be a shopping mall first and an airport second. One plus is the duty free has some of the best liquor prices I've seen.

I have been through Dubai Terminal 2 twice and both times have been awful. Staff are rude the Charterbus took 1 hr each time I have been there one of my transits was 8 hrs and I was forced not to smoke because the smoking areas were closed for maintenance. Conclusion my first flight via Dubai was a trial the second I was forced because I didn't have a different way to reach Yerevan from Jordan and I promised myself there will not be a 3rd time.

Arriving around 4.30 am in transfer from BKK to AMS I found DXB a decent airport for its size. There is quite some walking to be done including a security check but that is common at any large airport. The airport gets quite busy around this time as many flights arrive and departing around 7.00 am again. During these hours the airport begins to look like an overcrowded shopping mall. The Emirates Business Class lounge is quite good. Lots of space plenty of places to rest eat or drink. This lounge gets a bit crowded but it is acceptable. I wonder what DXB will look like when the expansion of Emirates will continue but for now it's a good and convenient alternative to direct flights from Europe to the Far East.

Have been through this airport 5 times. None of the times the free wifi worked. Bus arrivals can easily take 15 mins to reach the gate. The airport isn't very well thought through lots of walking too crowded and redundant security checks. Most staff are simply rude. Most "open" smoking areas are closed for maintenance and the few open are awful. It's clean and luxurious but in many ways far below standard.

Transit on T3. Airport was overcrowded and busy. Connection between flights was easy and smooth although there was no place to unwind (apart from lounges) to relax. Shops and eateries everywhere.