Keflavik Airport

✅ Verified Review | This is the second time we have transited through Keflavik on route to Anchorage. There is no security to go through when transiting, the toilets are the best each having its own large cubicle big enough to freshen up and keep luggage with you. Very clean too. A lot of transatlantic flights leave at the same time which makes the waiting area congested. There may be a bus transfer to the plane but that adds to the experience as far as I am concerned like the old days of flying! We purchased some food for the flight on the way out which was reasonably priced for an airport. No complaints. I would rather transit in Keflavik than Seattle when flying to Alaska.

✅ Verified Review | Iceland is a terrific country with wonderful people but the security and baggage control area for Keflavik Airport departures makes Bristol airport look marginally better! If you can't process the number of passengers in a decent and reasonably civilised manner (avoiding massive queues and long times) you should not allow the number of flights being allowed into the airport. Treat the customer with some degree of respect. Had a great week in Iceland but departure experience worst part of the trip. Dread to think what summer is like here. Elsewhere the airport is excellent - just let down by the "people processing!"

✅ Verified Review | Keflavik is by far the worst airport I have ever been to. There's not enough space to accommodate large number of passengers. Not suitable for overnight, no sofas nothing at all. Unfriendly restaurant workers. Unfriendly airport staff.

✅ Verified Review | Arriving wasn't so bad as it was the wee hours of the morning, but departing mid-afternoon was another matter. As others have mentioned, it is complete chaos from the moment you enter until you board your flight. Honestly, I would strongly suggest giving yourself 3-4 hours ahead of your flight departure, because there are lines, lines and more lines, and no staff to provide assistance. Signing is either non-existent or completely confusing. We had gotten there early intending to fill our paperwork to get a VAT tax refund, something all the stores pitch as a means to get you to spend more. "You'll get 14% back at the airport!" Well, you better get there at least 4 hours early, because the line to get the refund was miles long with like 2 staff people working the desk. So no tax refund for us. Ok, Iceland, you got me on that one. When you try to check your baggage, it doesn't get any easier. They don't make clear that you can get boarding passes and check luggage at self-service kiosks, nor that there is a separate area to drop your luggage if you have done so. We waited almost 20 minutes in another line, until I happened to spot a sign that said self-checked baggage could be dropped off at another counter. Then you are funneled through multiple duty-free shopping zones that are amply staffed (unlike all other areas of the airport), before you get to security and your gate. Forget getting something to eat, because there was a huge line and two cashiers for that as well. I guess some people really liked the toilets, but they seemed a total waist of space with huge rooms that take up the space of three stalls (there's a sink in every room). The sinks are weird with these faucets that provide water and air, but of course, the average person doesn't know that, and you end up blowing soap suds all over yourself and the mirror. And finally, the boarding areas are mass chaos. Five gates all boarding, with 50 chairs, so people are sitting all over the floor and standing everywhere, with lines for various flights intersecting each other. No one is there to provide any help, and as mentioned, there are no announcements about flights boarding, flights being changed to another gate, just endless lines of people standing everywhere. This airport needs to be completely redone from the inside out, and their staff needs some serious customer service training.

✅ Verified Review | We recently flew WOW Air from Toronto to Copenhagen and had connecting flights from Keflavik Airport both ways. Our Toronto-Copenhagen connection was fine, except that our plane was parked far from the terminal and we needed a shuttle bus. We were there early in the morning, there was no one around and almost everything was closed. The washrooms are fabulous, as other reviewers have mentioned. However, our Copenhagen-Toronto connection was an entirely different story. We see that the airport is undergoing renovations/expansion. However, arriving at Keflavik mid-day, with many other flights arriving and departing, is a miserable experience. We were at the departures area and it was packed. There wasn't enough seating for everyone. The snack shop chaos looked like something you'd expect at a Boxing Day sale, with lines of about 20-30 people waiting for a cashier. We couldn't even buy the expensive sandwiches because there wasn't enough time to get through the line (we weren't there last-minute) and we were hungry. The washrooms were still fabulous, but there was a big line-up for the one drinking fountain in the area, everyone seemed to want to avoid paying for water (us included). The worse thing about the experience was the smell of cigarette smoke everywhere in the departure area. It brings to mind the days of old when that was commonplace, only the airport is supposed to be smoke-free. Hopefully with the renovations there will be a designated smoking area that is far from the building entrances, it was just terrible.

Lovely clean airport, arrival and departures had no problems. Duty free shops were easy to navigate. Didn't try food or drink as our coach arrived late at the airport. Toilets were the cleanest I have come across. Queuing was minimal, security was very organised. One of the best airports I have visited.

✅ Verified Review | After reading some of the reviews on this site I thought that it would take forever from the moment I arrived to the airport to clearing security. I was very wrong. Even though my flight was during the busy early morning period it took just 1/2 hour total. That time includes checking a piece of luggage before going to security. The airport staff were very friendly and helpful when I asked them questions about how and where to check my luggage. Yes, there were long lines before security but they move relatively fast. As for lack of seating, another complaint on this site about many airports, I didn't find that problem at Keflavik. This is my second time in Iceland and so far so good. I will back at Keflavix in about 4 months but this time I will not believe any of the bad reports I have read about it.

✅ Verified Review | Two transits in February on way to the US from London. Smart little airport. Excellent free wifi and toilets to dream for! The best I have ever seen at an airport. Food and drink expensive and a bit limited but free drinking water available as well for a refill. No secondary security for transit which is good. Bus to the aircraft on one occasion and driver was attentive to check all doors were secure and that the icy tarmac had been salted before passengers entered. This small effort was actually impressive. Would be pleased to transit KEF again. And some stunning scenery before landing. The only negative thing about KEF is the lack of seating at boarding gates which is very limited. Most people sitting on the floor for transit periods. And well done with the "outdoor" style smoking areas.

✅ Verified Review | Recently on a trip from Finland to the US I only had 40 minutes from one gate to the other. First, it is impossible to find the gate information online in advance. This means dashing out of one plane to look for monitors and next dash to the departure gate. Secondly, if one is traveling to the US there are 2 more "passport" checks to go (and I am a US citizen). In one of the the queues people are lined up on some stairs. What about people that have problems standing or walking? Maybe Iceland is only for fit, sporty people. No problem with that, but then they should advertise that if you are not fit then don't go there. Iceland is a beautiful country, the Airport needs to improve a lot so it doesn't leave a sour taste to otherwise a nice experience.

✅ Verified Review | My mother and I arrived at Keflavik airport at around 6am on Friday 28 October 2016 nearly two hours before our flight F1494 was due to leave for Birmingham airport. We’d travelled from Keflavik 18 months previously and had one of the worst experiences at any airport we’ve visited in over 30 years of worldwide travel – we were hoping it had improved since then. Whilst I would say it has improved slightly, they still have a long way to go before it can be said that Keflavik is a welcoming airport. We went to join the lengthy queue for Icelandair so as to check in but we were informed by a dour looking female member of staff that we had to print out our own boarding passes before we could join the queue for this operation. As neither Mum nor myself are technically minded I asked two other female members of staff if they could help us? One of them just walked off. I have noticed that the majority of staff at Keflavik don’t like to help passengers as it prevents them talking to their colleagues. The other lady was new to the job and was hoping to make a good impression, so she assisted us – let’s hope it stays that way. I’d advise all passengers to arrive well in advance of their flight time as all the queues are long and if you get in the wrong one you are in trouble. The queue from customs was so long it stretched to the top of the stairs and lift exit, which prevented people from getting out. This must surely be a health and safety risk? All of the places to eat were full and there are very few seats elsewhere, so be prepared for a lot of standing, especially when waiting at the boarding gate as there are several flights waiting to be boarded in the same small space. The airport could definitely benefit from expansion as at best it’s a shambles, at worst – chaos, but more than that, the staff need to stop seeing travellers as an inconvenience and realise it’s part of their job to be of assistance. If staff don’t want to do what is expected of them then maybe they should ask themselves if they are in the right job and if not, let someone else do it (and that doesn’t mean the passengers!) I would love to visit Reykjavik more often but the thought of having to go through Keflavik at the end of a hopefully enjoyable holiday more than puts me off. Iceland is becoming more and more popular for visitors and the people I’ve met in Reykjavik have been amongst the friendliest in the world, but their fellow countrymen and women at Keflavik let them down big time. All staff could do with a thorough performance management check and, if necessary, be sent for further training so they can be made fully aware that they should be approachable, helpful, courteous and patient, something that sadly they are still miles away from.