Lyon Airport

✅ Trip Verified | The new terminal is a real improvement but the police control is appalling. Half of what we pay for our ticket goes in taxes, so we would expect not to be treated as cattle. The lines are just absurdly long and nobody seems to care. The automated biometric passport control has been deactivated with the excuse that there are not enough qualified officers to man it. I suggest that those in charge of these operations buy themselves a ticket to visit airports in a country where automated passport control works. Security has its own problems too with rules changing from one day to the next and agents occasionally yelling at you. The announcements in English on the loudspeaker are made with such a thick French accent that one wonders whether they are really made to be understood by international travelers. The fast lane is closed. The train shuttle is an expensive joke with no room for suitcases and the frequency rarely respected. Lyon cannot attract tourists and business if that state of chaos persists in its airport.

✅ Trip Verified | The worst thing is the staff and the security check. The airport is very disorganized, they have far too many staff for nothing, I can see they were 'trained' to do something, but it is all against how things should work. It feels like they try to invent the airport service without considering all the experience other airports had, it just goes against any logic. With the liquids every week is a different rule, today they put into the trash a Coulommiers and a Reblochon cheese because they said it was not allowed?

✅ Trip Verified | In the last year I have used the Lyon Saint Exupery almost every week, for both departure and arrivals. I am a business traveler, sometimes economy, sometimes business class. I had used both terminals, 2 is older and smaller, but far better organized. When moved to new terminal, was expecting an improvement, but I was wrong. The worst is the staff and the security check. The airport is very disorganized, they have far too much staff for nothing, I can see they were “trained” to do something, but it is all against how things should work. It feels like they try to invent the airport service without considering all the experience other airports had, it just goes against any logic. The round conveyor is stupid. There is a staff member arranging people in line, telling which line to follow even when it is visible the other lines had fewer people. But he has been told “2 people in each line” and that’s what he does it. If I did not have this paid guy, I could have chosen better the line to follow. So, if you are unlucky, you get the busiest track. Once you arrive at the conveyor, if you are unlucky again, you are at the far end and everyone else will put their trays before you and in between your stuff. Last time I had to wait 20 min for my last tray, because the people behind me were putting their stuff in front. Every week I hear different rules: only cosmetics on one tray, cosmetics and computer on one tray, sometimes my cosmetics bag is not allowed (it respects the rules), sometimes I have to take off my shoes (same shoes), sometimes shoes must be alone on the tray. And if you are totally unlucky you get the line where they test for explosives every single luggage. Then you can easily spend 2 hours. It is useless if you mention you miss the flight, nobody cares. And the cherry on the cake: if you fly back to Germany, sometimes you get your passport check, sometimes not, depending on the gate assigned. I also had fast track/business ticket, but I ended up in the same queue and other people from economy where moved in front. There is so much stress for nothing, especially when you are a business traveler and every minute counts, you do not want to spend 2-3 hours queuing - they should reconsider how to organize this security check area!

Not Verified | No issues on arrival. No queues and unlike Manchester you get your Euro back when you return your baggage trolley. Departure was a joke. The checkin staff for a small aircraft could not have been slower if they had tried. Queue only had about 50 people in front of us and they took 45 minutes to process them. We then had a long walk back to the departure gates which are in the new part of the terminal - check in was in the old part. No big queue at security and as such was a far more pleasant experience than at Manchester. The new airport is soulless. Just one huge shop then directed upstairs to departures from Gates C. Warning if you are going up there to any Gate starting with C there are no shops, cafes or anything and hardly any facilities to buy water etc. We resorted to a vending machine. The whole place just seems disorganised and lacking in facilities, seating and ambience. The old airport Terminal 1 was so much better. The shop was virtually empty of people unlike the departure areas.

✅ Trip Verified | A disaster of an airport, at least the “new” terminal 1 used by BA. It took an hour to get through passport control on arrival, with only 2 desks open for multiple flights. Departure was worse - huge queues for security, then passport control was so bad we weren’t even allowed to join the queue until after our flight was supposed to leave, and then took another hour of queuing to get through the 2 open desks. At departure time only 20 people were at the gate. I would choose to fly an hour’s drive than risk flying through here again.

Not Verified | Terminal 1, where Lufthansa takes off, is a newly built airport. During the last 6 months I had to fly from this terminal 14 times and I detected such a lot of problems, never seen in a new airport before. Here are a few: At the passport check they forgot to install an air con which works, the check in agents are very unfriendly and rough. The floor is dirty if you look into the corners, the toilets are dirty. The english of the check in agents is very bad, at some check in terminals the printer doesn't work. If you have a handicap and you want to go upstairs, try to find the elevator. If you have to wait in the entrance hall for somebody who will arrive you can't sit down because there are only a few seats. There are no interesting shops, the queues at the restaurants are long and the restaurants are not very well organized with only one ore two agents in the rush hours. The signs in the entrance hall are only for younger people, if you are older you have to go in front of the signs to read, I think in France they don't know what the word service means and this Terminal is a bad example.

✅ Trip Verified | Disorganised! Up to date information hard to come by, arrivals and departures boards several hours behind. Nothing about which terminal or check in counter to go to until everything well underway so had to keep eyes open and work it out for myself. Not enough staff to process passengers at any stage - check in, security and passport control. Departure gates kept changing, again didn’t find out until I got to it. Toilets not checked regularly, done left filthy for hours and supplies running out. Biometric passport scanners not working. Most inefficient airport I have been to.

Not Verified | This airport is a real nightmare and a shame. Several hundred people queueing with only 2 policeman controling passports. European passports line closed. Une veritable honte. Le probleme est connu et ne change malheureusement pas.

✅ Trip Verified | I wasn’t expecting much after reading the reviews on here but I was pleasantly surprised by my experience both arriving and departing this airport (specifically terminal 1). Didn’t have an issue with long queues at any point. Was impressed by the volume of staff when departing helping you proceed quickly through the security checkpoint. My friend had further checks done to some of her belongings which was handled quickly/professionally. The departure lounge was light/airy with seating absolutely everywhere along with sockets (both power/USB) in abundance. The food options were plentiful, if not slightly over priced (which is expected as far as airports go), was really surprised by the offerings of a place called EXKi as the food really was outstanding. The entire airport architecturally is impressive and helps enforce a feeling of calm. Honestly if you think you’ve been to a bad airport try flying through Luton. The only bad thing I really have to say is it’s a shame the airports operators (who also operate the tram to central Lyon) don’t offer any alternative public transportation service to get into Lyon (not even a bus). As a result they hold a monopoly and the prices are extortionate (€16 one way).

✅ Trip Verified | Well here I am again experiencing Europe’s most poorly organised airport. I have now been sitting on the plane over an hour waiting for people to fight their way through departure security to reach the gate. What a bunch of complete useless idiots must run this place. Honestly a child could do a better job. Imagine the stress caused to the people late in the queue. This kind of incompetence is close to criminal.