Faro Airport

❎ Not Verified | Used Faro Airport as our closest choice both coming in from Luton and also leaving to Gatwick. My experience landing was alright. Airport was marginally dirty but got the job done. Toilets were very dirty but not busy. The airline didn't tell us which carousel our bags would be at so we had to find it ourselves and the trolleys for baggage did not have breaks which was annoying as we had to go downhill leaving the airport. Taking off from the airport was not fun. Announcements happened to late airport was busy, dirty and messy. The queue at the check-in desk was a mile long and the security queues a hundred miles long. When we got to a café, the place was a sight, the table was filthy and the choice was lousy and expensive. I hope I don't visit this airline until, A) The airports are tidied up. B) The prices reduce. C) They improve their food and beverage options. D) They put in more check-in and security desks. E) They make the lines smaller. Unless all these five things have been covered, I will not visit this airport again.

❎ Not Verified | This is just a warning for other travellers from this airport. When we went through customs we had our hand luggage searched and they took out a tin of corned beef 200g and told although it was not a liquid it had to be under 150g, it was in the rules and confiscated. I have looked online at Faro Airport to find out what is allowed and there is nothing about tinned solid food so be warned it could have been more expensive.

✅ Trip Verified | Where to start? We love Portugal. Hands down - a great holiday destination. Visit the Algarve 3 times a year. Unfortunately, Faro Airport is only downside. Check-in is fine, it's fairly standard. It's post check-in where the nightmare begins, with marathon snake queues administered by dour, verging-on-aggressive security staff who flap their arms this way and that corralling you into one of several lines. You then wait, and wait, and eventually get to the top to find your line has been merged with, is it express?, is it late passengers?, or infirm passengers or all the above? You're then abruptly told to stand back and let these people through by unsmiling unapologetic staff. You finally make it through security to an ugly boarded up area that connects you with passport control. [Some countries like Portugal still operate passport control for outgoing passengers. They obviously have their reasons. The UK and Ireland don't, and it makes airport travel that much easier.] It's Sunday 23rd October 2017 at 19.30 and there are 100-150 plus people in line but only two of the 6+ passport desks are operational. The desk on the left says Staff / Crew Only, and almost everyone is filtering through the sole position on the right. Just as we are a few people from the top of the line a member of security directs us to the Staff / Crew Only point where there are a couple of people ahead of us. We now wait in line 10-15 minutes before the passport 'controller' closes his desk and frog marches one passenger off. Seconds later he doubles back and rudely flaps his hand for the 8-10 of us still in line to get over to the 1 remaining desk where we are now faced with trying to filter into a queue of understandably antagonized / already frustrated passengers. [Not sure why the same employee couldn't have called for someone to take his position before he bolted, but then I'm at a loss as to why there were so few staff working on a night where there is such a high volume of passengers.] An hour after check-in and we finally get through to the duty free area. Unfortunately the area outside duty free is about 50pc it's normal size thanks to more unending refurbishments. There isn't a seat to be had so we stand to one side in a bid not to be trampled on. Our flight isn't boarding for half an hour. We are jaded from what we felt was an completely avoidable trauma, but then we've been through this airport before so we know it's par for the course. As such we arrived in plenty of time so as not to miss our flight but imagine hundreds of people do miss their flights on a regular basis thanks to the terrible system the airport authorities favour. [I would recommend at least 3 hours to anyone departing Faro Airport]. Fortunately we weren't travelling with our children this time - and our hearts went out to those we were in line with. Faro Airport Authorities - you know nothing about good customer service. It's plainly visible too that many of your staff have contempt for the very people who are bringing revenue to the Algarve. Next time we fly we are seriously considering Seville, and would recommend it to others too. We've used in the past - it isn't remotely as busy - and is about 90 minutes drive from Algarve.

❎ Unverified | I only wish there was an alternative airport to use when visiting the Algarve. I'm a 33yr old mother I and was called a 'naughty girl' by a condescending security guard who was very obviously on a power trip. I had my 11mth old son with me and had to swap aisles going through security as I had baby formula with me that needed to be checked and this gave said security guard reason enough to go off on one? Also several flights of stairs to our departure gate 54. Lift wasn't working, escalator wasn't working so my son, his buggy, his change bag, my hand luggage and hand bag had to be carried up and down 4 flights of stairs. No staff would help as they were on a 'go slow' within an industrial dispute. No seats to sit at when I finally made the gate. It was horrendous. I've back problems from a RTA when I was pregnant and sailed through the whole holiday without any discomfort until this. Regardless of whatever industrial action is taking place a woman with a small baby who needs help should never be neglected. Absolutely disgusting airport.

✅ Verified Review | Overall I found Faro Airport not so organised. They send you around the snake type lanes even though not so many people. This morning around 8.45 the security person directing passengers was extremely rude. I even saw her shout after some passengers and was very abrupt with them. Maybe she doesn't realise that without passengers she might not have a job. Shame as at the security belts the staff were very nice.

✅ Verified Review | Arrival. Ryanair flight. Passport control took best part of 45 minutes. Electronic system not operational and only two desks open. Down escalator not working, so a struggle to get downstairs with carry-on luggage, even worse for people with mobility difficulty. Departure. Ryanair flight. The airport undergoing extensive alterations. Directional signage very poor and ill thought out. Almost got lost, as did many other passengers. Only one of the many escalators were working. The route to our gate involved going up and down various stairways, following temporary signs. Good thing that we arrived early. Late arrivals unfamiliar with the current temporary layout are in danger of missing their flights. In summary, the airport looks impressive from the outside, but once through the check-in area, it's a bit of a shambles. Very few staff around and no apparent urgency to fix stationary escalators or lifts. A bit of a stressful end to our last day in Portugal. I dread using Faro airport again until all the work has been completed.

❎ Unverified | Arrival was fine, no issues at all. Yes passport control was busy but we got through with minimum of fuss, didn't wait long for luggage. On our return to the airport on Saturday 14 I was dreading it after reading other reviews, but didn't find it anywhere near as bad. As some people say from getting off the coach to departure lounge took exactly 50 mins, long queue at check in and also at security and passport control but it was all very organised. We managed to find seats although the departure lounge was busy, there were people sitting on the floor but these were mainly older kids and they were not in the way at all. Toilets were fairly clean, didn't have toilet tissue so glad I had tissues in my bag. The bins were over flowing but still not as bad as I was excepting. We travelled from Newcastle airport and it took a good 30 mins to get into the departure lounge and on our return we waited 40 mins for our luggage so not really too different to the waiting time we experienced at Faro.

❎ Unverified | Had the most dreadful experience trying to depart for the airport. Security was extremely congested and took almost 1 hour to get to the conveyor Once through another queue through passport control which took a further 20 minutes Thankfully we left 2.5 hours before flight which meant we were able to get on board even though we had no bags to check-in. Once through the maze of duty-free that we are forced to walk through, we were unable to find seating and further long queues for coffee was one more queue we were not prepared to do. Place was dirty and inefficient and needs a serious review should they wish to continue to attract tourists

✅ Verified Review | My husband is disabled which mean he is unable to walk very far and not able to climb stairs, he also has dementia. We had booked assistance which on the way in was passable. Our return journey within the airport was very stressful. The phones were not working inside the airport to summon assistance. On arriving no wheelchair was available so we waited outside for half an hour until our friends managed to find one of the helpers who was very kind and helpful. The process through the airport was fine although very busy. It was from then it was not cacceptable. There was a lady who had a very bad broken leg who like my husband had to climb into a bus up two steps and walk to a chair. This lady was not supposed to weight bear. Then drove to the plane where eventually the special vehicle to transfer to the front of the plane arrived. There were 4 wheelchairs there being used as seats that were bolted to the floor so could not be used to transfer to the aircraft! Once again had to walk to the seat. The staff were very sorry about this and could see how stressful this all was but it was out of their hands! The bar across the lift was wobbly and this was what my husband was holding on to. When we got to Stanstead things couldn't have been more different. A narrow chair was brought into the aircraft, then transferred onto a seat in the lifting vehicle. All of this would never get past here in England, thank goodness. I will never again take anyone in a wheelchair to be subjected to this.

✅ Verified Review | Travel regularly to and from Faro throughout the year and normally quite a quick airport to get through when departing. What have they done to it? Absolutely horrendous queues for security, nearly missed my flight despite arriving at the airport 2 hours early and with only hand luggage! Shocking and stressful experience, not what you want after a relaxing few weeks away. Who wants to come home from holiday in that state? Improvements to the airport? Definitely not an improvement in customer experience / satisfaction.