Abu Dhabi Airport

✅ Trip Verified | Expensive. Seriously. The prices are hiked to such an exorbitant amount, it’s really not worth purchasing anything here. Design of the airport is flawed. They should expand for space. It’s crammed with so many things that it makes the airport look smaller than it already is - staff is rude. A norm with UAE, generally.

✅ Trip Verified | Perhaps the most plaintive thing is experiencing an 11-hour layover in this cold airport without bringing any long-sleeve coat. I’m transferring from China, a sub-tropical country, to Oman, a tropical country. How am I supposed to know I should bring my down jacket with me?! And don’t laugh, as I’m not exaggerating for one bit. I saw passengers wearing down jackets, scarves, and layers of pullovers. And how I envy them! I basically wear all my three T-shirts and still freeze to death, thinking I might end up with hyperthermia. Walking in the aisle gives me goose bumps that won’t go away. Yes I know it’s quite scorching here during summer, but do you have to air-con the place to make it feel like the Arctic?

❌ Not Verified | Very poor airport design. Having arrived from Kuala Lumpur en route to London, it took an unbelievavsble 45 minutes from wheels touch down to reaching the transit lounge (due to long taxi time from landing to aircraft parking, then bus ride in the heat to terminal building, then security queue and finally a painfully long walk to the business class terminal). There is only one toilet to be shared across all business class passengers. actually there are two toilet if you include the disabled toilet. Avoid this airport until the new one opens in 2019 I believe. Next time go through Qatar.

❌ Not Verified | As a 22 year old college grad who has spent the past few years living in squalor, my expectations for air travel aren't very high. That being said, I'm pretty disappointed with Abu Dhabi's airport. Before I begin, it's worth noting that I'm writing this in the midst of a 8 hour layover, which probably isn't helping my mood. A few of the other reviews complained about the humidity, which personally I don't have an issue with - the facility is well enough conditioned to avoid heat stroke. To make things simple, I'll list pros and cons from my experience today. Pros: Good wifi. The massage I got was actually pretty decent. Fast queue times (just kidding, I still have a few hours before I find out if that happens for sure). Cons: 45 minute massage cost 105 USD. Very average ramen noodle + beef cost 17 USD. Poor airport design (I've had easier times navigating labyrinths). The tables in the smoking lounge are falling apart. Cigarettes only available by the carton. No alcohol in the daytime (to be fair, this was due to a religious holiday). The employees aren't very helpful, I was looking for the sleeping pods that were advertised on the website, after walking around for 30-40 minutes with several employees pointing me in several different directions, I eventually discovered that the sleeping pods were no longer in the airport. Tips to Abu Dhabi: Give each traveler a map + crayon when they get off their flight. Lower your food prices or hire flame jugglers to entertain me while I eat your sub par noodles. Sell cigarettes by the pack. Bring back the sleeping pods.

✅ Trip Verified | Hot and humid. Overcrowded. Staff have no idea how to deal with travelers. Worst of all, and most troubling, security is incomplete. I witnessed the following: Passengers setting off the metal detector but not being searched. Not passing bags through the x-ray machine. When I tried to raise concerns with the staff I was abruptly told to move on. Indeed I set off the metal detector but no one searched me. How is this level of incompetence allowed by IATA? Will not use this hub again.

✅ Trip Verified | So the main issue with Abu Dhabi Airport is the humidity. It's such a basic thing you the airport designers would get it right, but they haven't. The actual air temperature is fine, but it's like walking through a very cold soupy swamp. They do have functioning air conditioning units, but they seem to be reserved for the airline lounges (where I'm writing this review from). Other than that, there's very little shopping or food available near the gates themselves which is a pain, and the wifi in the main airport area is almost unusable.

✅ Trip Verified | Sufficient restaurant, lounges, prayer halls, clean rest rooms and good directions. Airport staff not very friendly but helpful. Overall good airport for transit [short period]. WiFi available free and thats a good additional feature. Good connectivity at central parts of airport only.

✅ Trip Verified | After using Doha and Dubai airports in the region I had hoped Abu Dhabi might at least come close. What a joke. Horrible, cramped facility with incredible delays caused by security checks for arriving transit passengers. Little available seating and laughable duty free prices. Will not use Abu Dhabi again, but not only because of the airport - Etihad also is very poor.

✅ Trip Verified | Worst transit airport I have ever been to, unorganised and unprofessional check for transit flight is absolutely chaos where they can't handle even more than one flight at a time, I spent more than an hour in the que for baggage check where I only had 1.45 hrs for the transit flight and all together there is a long walk to the gates, I really panicked because I thought I am going to miss the connection flight. It was absolutely nightmare, there was another baggage check just before board, where they force you to send your hand baggage through luggage even if it is legally allowed size, where the same flight allowed it first place.

❎ Not Verified | Knowing that this is one of the main transit hubs I had really high expectations but I was left in shock how dated this airport actually is. I had a flight transfer here and the first thing you have to go through is a security check which is then repeated at the gate meaning that if your layover is short you could miss a flight. The airport corridors and shops are narrow and under huge pressure from millions of passengers. Absolutely the worst part are the toilet facilities which are extremely scarce and dirty. In general the facilities offered for passengers in transit are subpar. If you wish to sit down you have to enter the gate zone as outside of it there are only a few chairs available in the corridors. The staff I came in contact with were really nice.