Berlin Tegel Airport

As a seasoned traveller I feel I have to comment on Berlin's Tegel Airport. Friday 30th August 2013 was my first visit sadly I have to go through there again next week but what a shambles! This has to be the worse designed airport in Western Europe it resembles a series of porta-cabins linked by wooden stairs and walkways with ridiculously cramped corridors little in the way of seating shops toilets lounges or comfort. Reading Air Berlin's literature one is under the impression that they keen to use Tegel as a hub and win customers! Well they may be providing a reasonable service but this airport will not assist in their objectives it has to be the worse I have seen in some 20+ years of travelling. A regular visitor to the capitals of Europe Middle East and South East Asia on a monthly basis with 70+ long hauls a year Tegel is even worse than Paris CDG now that's saying something!

When departing from or arriving at Berlin Tegel Airport it does not matter if you fly Air France or Air Berlin like a I frequently do you always feel like you step into a third world country. The airport is small overcrowded. The security personnel are rude and make crude jokes. The toilets are small and dirty. The duty free services are a joke. It is a shame that Germany's capital has such a disgrace of an airport system.

Airport is quite small and neat but the shopping possibilities are not got Terminal A Duty Free shop when entered the security area is tiny.

A shambles of an airport one entry point to security for my flight but shared with 2 other flights and only one security line. Resulting chaos had airline pleading for an extra security check. Security check when I got to the line had Teutonic thoroughness as an excuse of incompetent slowness - a view shared by many fellow passengers. Apparently a new airport was to be ready last year but faults meant it has been knocked down and has to be rebuilt and won't be ready until 2015.

This must be the most inefficient airport for international travel I have come across. Instead of having a centralised passport and security area each Gate has its own security and passport area which are set up on landing and after check-in. The net result is that after landing there is a queue stretching back to the aircraft while immigration is carried out. That's bad enough but on departure our area was not set up until 1 hour 15 minutes before the departure time. As we had arrived in good time we and other passengers were stuck on what little seating there was for 45 minutes until the security and passport area was set up. The lesson is - don't arrive earlier than 90 minutes before your departure time because you will only have to wait.

This has to be the most chaotic airport I have travelled to (and I do over ten international flights per year in Africa USA and Europe). On arrival there is virtually no information on transport to the city and on leaving there is absolutely no signage as to where the various airlines fly from. I eventually found Air France in Terminal D. I then volunteered to go on standby and was allowed into the Air France lounge. Going through security took an absolute age and then the boarding gate area was chaos. Too many flights for the space. And virtually no toilets. I did not get on my original flight and was then sent back to the Air France desk who where severely understaffed and completely unable to operate their computer system. I have now back at the lounge with no ticket while they try and figure out how to do something that should be obvious. In summary the airport as a whole is chaotic and understaffed. The facilities are outdated and too few for the number of flights catered.

You have to judge it for what it is. A city airport not an international hub. Can't really understand any complaining about different terminals. The airport is so small that the different gates have different terminals ie Terminal A - gate 1-20 or so and up to terminal E. The farthest terminal E is some 75 meters away from the first A. From security to gate another 75m. No need for any additional trolleys etc. Small environment - small taxfree with the obvious perfumes and drinks no more. Supposed to close in near future for some years now but about to be expanded first!

The check-in timings were disgustingly long which took me in excess of 45min. Thankfully I had no close connection flight as I would have surely lost it. I could not make out what was holding the 2 operators from doing their job. When it was almost my turn they were happily chatting together with no concern and without informing the passengers on the hold up.

An airport for people who want hassle free travel not for shopaholics and those who think they have to buy things they don't need because they are in an airport. You can grab a sandwich or a coffee a newspaper of travel item. No long electric walkways very short distances. About ten meters from taxi to check in and same from check-in through security to waiting lounge. Easy access to city always taxis good fast bus services. Friendly relaxed staff. A great experience after the endless generic franchise retail outlets and long walks from entry to check in to security to boarding gate in the nightmare airports of Heathrow Frankfurt et al.

I can see that Tegel would be a great airport at which to arrive as all of the distances are really short and the gates are quite near the exits. However I must say it's probably the worst airport I've been to when it comes to departing. I arrived at 9:30am to check-in; probably fifty people were waiting in line to check in - but apparently the check-in for Air Berlin doesn't open until 1000? I wanted to sit and read while waiting for my flight but learned that security for my gate wasn't supposed to open till 11:00AM - actually employees arrived at 1100 to get ready; it didn't actually open till 1120. So I had about two hours before going through security and could find neither a place to sit down nor good food options. Once I made it passed security I encountered a relatively tiny somewhat dirty waiting area and a tiny little food stand. At most airports you have many food/drink options beyond security; this is not the case at Tegel. I guess my review doesn't matter much as this airport will be closing within the year.