Belfast Airport

Not Verified | Undeniably one of the worst airports I have ever travelled through. It is dirty, run down and in the middle of nowhere. The road to the airport needs duelling and upgrading. Better still, flatten the airport and build a new one. Trying to make improvements to this airport is just putting "band aids" on a problem that just keeps reoccurring. And the walk to the plane, in pouring rain! 2022 now and no jetways at this airport! I take it back, I noticed one jetway that wasn't being used. Please please avoid this embarrassment of an airport at all cost!

Not Verified | Just returned from a lovely holiday to a shambles at Aldergrove airport. We waited 45 minutes for our luggage which arrived soaking wet. About 100 passenger stood around in close proximity all fearing for their health as Covid precautions were nil. This problem is nothing new, even before the pandemic the waiting time for luggage has been ridiculous. The worst Airport I have ever used. Sort out luggage or more people will travel via Dublin.

✅ Trip Verified | Worst airport for both outbound security and inbound baggage claim. We waited 90 minutes for security on the way out and 80 minutes for baggage claim - we were one of the lucky ones. For an international airport it is not reasonable. Also there was another arrival flight on top of us which when trying to remain socially distanced it was not feasible. It needs to be sorted out, no wonder airlines aren't flying from the international.

Not Verified | Continues to be one of the worst airports in the world to travel through. From only two staff on easyjet bag drop lines meaning waits of over 1hr to get your bag dropped then only two lines open in security. Taking over 2.5hrs from entrance to airport to clearing security.

✅ Trip Verified | This airport is an embarrassment to Northern Ireland. The queues for bag drop and security are ridiculously long (a total of 1.5h wait combined for a domestic flight), with practically zero measures in place for covid. People in the security queue were visibly stressed at the possibility of missing their flight and they were laughed at and mocked by security staff - totally unprofessional. As others have mentioned the airport is in dire need of an upgrade - there’s not a lot of seating, a lack of charging points and limited catering. It’s also absolutely filthy and needs a real good scrub - the airport has obviously recently invested in some new bathrooms but they haven’t been maintained. Avoid if you can and use BHD or DUB.

Not Verified | No social distancing. No cleaning of the airport or wiping down surfaces. Staff in Sip and Stone were rushed off their feet. Food was cold and was given the wrong order. Also very poor value.

✅ Trip Verified | I had fond memories of this airport from a being a child. There was a viewing gallery, an area for kids to play video games, plenty of seating etc. Boy has the airport changed, I had no trouble getting checked in and had no issues in security. The departure terminal is what I would describe as being dank. I saw no USB ports for passengers to charge phones etc. Seating was just horrible. Most of the seats are located at the various eateries, with other seating being quite hard to come by both in terms of empty seats and just seats in general. I’d say a good 3/4 of the seating was in one of the cafes/bars. I was flying with easyJet and had selected speedy boarding which consisted of being wrangled into an un air conditioned stairwell for about 15 minutes, which wasn’t very pleasant. In terms of amenities, unless you shop or sit at a bar there isn’t much to do in the airport. No viewing gallery, no quiet areas where you could read etc, they also have the cheek to charge £1 for terminal drop off. As with Stanstead, BFS has become a budget airport for budget airlines.

Not Verified | I recently flew into Belfast in June 2021 for a 2 day trip. I rented a car from Hertz car rental that I had booked through a third party and had already prepaid the required insurances before going to Belfast so that I did not have to purchase insurance when arriving in Belfast Airport. Upon my arrival, I went to the Hertz desk to get my rental car. The woman behind the counter asked if I wanted to take out personal injury insurance which I politely declined. She then proceeded to tell me that Hertz had to take a £70 deposit for fuel if I did not return it back full which I agreed to. I gave over my card details I used to purchase the rental and signed the car rental agreement. After returning home after my trip, I checked my bank account and noticed Hertz had taken £68 which I did not know why. I had returned the car with full fuel so it couldn't have been that. When I contacted Hertz to see what the charge was for, they told me it was for a Super Collision Waiver Insurance. Now this was news to me as I hadn't heard of it or was even asked at the desk if I wanted to take it out. When looking back at my signed form for the car, the Super Collison Waiver fee was in there, but because I did not read the form before signing it I did not notice in included and Hertz are impossible to get through to that I will have to take this a loss. This post is a word of warning for anyone who will be renting a car from Belfast International that to read the forms carefully before signing the agreement so that you can avoid this from happening again.

Not Verified | This airport is in a bad condition. It needs a deep clean, new interior, better shops and dining areas, a wider variety of airlines. Not good enough to call the airport international with just low cost EasyJet based at it and no transatlantic flights. I think it would be very beneficial to seek contracts with more airlines and specifically offer a few transatlantic routes even on smaller aircrafts such as the A321neo. In 2021, this shoddy airport is not good enough for Northern Ireland. On the positive side, the bus service is decent and frequent, clearing customs is quick enough and there’s at least a currency exchange booth at the main entrance.

✅ Trip Verified | Like all good Ulstermen, one may consider avoiding BFS due to its perceived poor service and reviews. I have avoided it mostly in recent years and opted for BHD or DUB as an alternatives for business travel to the Province. My experience the other day however was better than anticipated. Security, was better, was quite quick and on balance I have to say efficient. Someone in charge directing customers has helped enormously and the high volume annoying screams of 'liquids, pastes and gels' in ones ear has ended. The new body scanners make a difference and speed things up. Numbers wise it was quieter than usual but everything else went smooth overall. The gate areas can get crowded if there are two flights leaving next to each other.