Bologna Marconi Airport

✅ Trip Verified | This is the worst airport we have ever flown from. Our cruise ended in Ravenna and we had the choice of flying home from either Bologna or Venice. We chose Bologna because it was nearer. Big mistake!! Through no fault of our own, we arrived at the airport at 10am for a 5pm flight to London. We couldn't check in until 2pm, so we had to hang around, with our luggage for 4 hours. The check-in area was heaving and there was limited seating. The seats were metal and very uncomfortable! There were shops and food outlets so we could eat and drink. 2pm came and we were able to check-in. A large queue quickly formed behind us but the lady in charge refused to open the check-in until she had had the floor cleaned to remove a few scuff marks! We checked-in, eventually cleared the long security queue and found ourselves in Departures. If we thought the check-in floor was bad, Departures was an absolute nightmare! For an international airport, the area was very small and horribly overcrowded. Seating was even more limited than downstairs and people were sitting on the floor. We saw one woman sitting in a corner breastfeeding her baby! There were long queues for the toilets. There were a couple of food outlets but no seats, so it was a choice of stand up or sit on the floor! All in all, Bologna airport was a very unpleasant experience and we will never fly from there again.

✅ Trip Verified | Terrible airport, like something from the dark ages. Old and no signage. Lots of staff in the wrong place, Its not set up for transit. Forget about seating, they have 20 for hundreds of people. The staff though friendly don’t have knowledge of things. You just have to wonder around hoping for the best.

Not Verified | Worst airport I’ve seen in my life. Poorly built beyond belief with cafeterias having queues out into the extremely narrow passageways. At least 4 times as many passengers as seats forcing most visitors to sit on the floor. If you can avoid coming here, do so!

✅ Trip Verified | This might be the worst airport in Europe. I’ve traveled here twice (2021 and 2024). The gate area is a zoo. People constantly climbing over each other to just find room to stand, let alone sit. The check-in and security are bad, but not as bad as gate area. I literally created this account to vent because I simply do not understand. It is pure misery and adds stress to an otherwise wonderful trip to see family and friends in the region. Airport management and regional authorities should be embarrassed about this. Other Italian cities like Firenze have terrible airports too, but I really cannot compare to Bologna. Emilia–Romagna is one of the few regions with relative wealth in Italy, which makes this more tragic. “Tourists come spend your money on ragù and get back in your cattle vans and go away”. What’s worse is when you make comparisons to mid-size cities in countries like Spain (Málaga, Valencia, etc), which have less money, but still have comfortable, clean and well-organized airports.

Not Verified | The airport is misery. Bagagge lost and no info of when to receive it. Had to go back to airport the next day and stand in a queue for 2.5 hours in a small corridor without air and with angry and stressed 100 others who lost their luggage several days ago. Only one part of the queue could be helped during too short "service" times. The staff was overcrowdwd and work under non-worthy circumstances. At departure no seating and overcrowded because people need to circulate to buy in the shops or restaurants. I will never use this airport again.

✅ Trip Verified |   What is happening with some Italian Airports? As Florence and Pisa, Bologna is completely and horrendously overcrowded. One cannot walk around at the gate area, which is immediately after a so-called Duty-Free. With people queuing to get on a plane or for a sandwich or coffee, there is no space to get anywhere without pushing your way through. The worse, there is absolutely no air to breath, with all these people standing around. Probably much is because of some low cost airlines, which let you queue well before effectively boarding planes, but whatever it is, Bologna should think about some solution as it is an ordeal. A pity, because personnel is generically very friendly and there are lovely food options in the terminal.

Not Verified | We flew British Airways from LHR to Bologna on 20th February 2024. Despite a half-full plane, BA failed to load my suitcase. We reported this to the Lost Luggage office. The young lady who assisted us was rather casual about the matter, even though we told her I had no clothes but what I was wearing and we were only in Italy for 5 days, and we had a 2.5 hour drive to Jesi. She told us that we could wait to have it delivered to us but it wouldn't arrive until the day we left, or if we guaranteed we would come and pick it up today we could collect it at 18.30 hrs (6.30 pm). We said we would definitely come back at 6.30pm to collect the bag, even though it meant wasting a day waiting around. We confirmed that time three times with her. We duly showed back up at the Airport at 1830 and rang the bell to the Lost Luggage Office. No-one answered. We then noted the sign on the door that said opening hours 20.30-22.00. Another set of people who'd also lost luggage were also trying to make contact with the office. After trying the phone number provided to us by the girl in the morning, and ringing the bell repeatedly, we found an information counter and explained our problem to the woman there. She rang and spoke to someone INSIDE THE LOST LUGGAGE OFFICE, but they refused to speak to us or answer the phone or door. Finally at 20.32pm they answered the bell and let the now THREE groups of people trying to get their luggage in. By then we had accrued a 30 Euro parking fee, and then had to drive to a rural area near Jesi and get into a farmhouse in the dark. Bologna Airport has flights coming in pretty much 24/7 but a lost luggage office that is only open 3.5 hours a day, and refuses to help people outside that time, even if people are present in the office. I am extremely disappointed with the level of service at Bologna Airport, I have informed all my friends (some of whom travel to Italy regularly) to beware of routing their travel through there unless only taking carry-on baggage!

Not Verified | Marconi Express monorail service: Surprisingly poor service upon arrival at Bologna Airport from Bologna Centrale. My ticket wouldn't open the gate. I wasn't alone in this as a few others were the same including a man with a baby in a pram. Some got through the gate easily, others with difficulty. My ticket failed to work. There was no visible way to call for help or assistance. We were there and prisoners to the closed gate. The trapped father with pram sent his wife for help; from trying to get out first to help arriving took over 14 minutes. The staff member, when she arrived, was rude and brusque telling that we must have done it wrong. I am not aware of having done anything incorrect but, if I had, there had been no avenue for assistance. Having travelled the world, I can normally cope with a automated ticket! The Marconi Express Experience was very disappointing and actually quite anxiety inducing. At the point that I got through, the poor man with pram was still blocked and it took another 5 minutes for him to get through. I waited with him as he did not speak Italian. The assistant was rude and unpleasant in her responses offering no support or apology. As I waited, I watched another family trying to get through from the other side to go towards Bologna and also struggling. When they eventually got through, they also needed immediate assistance as their child got on the train they, with their luggage, struggled to get on. The doors closed and neither parent was on board. All anxiety inducing stuff! I'll look to get a taxi next time unless the service improves.

✅ Trip Verified | Unpleasant staff, long queues with no space, accessibility is a nightmare (Marconi express is insufficient for the amount if people travelling to/from the airport, car parking are even worse, taxi is the only option).

Not Verified | Worst experience ever! Understaffed at Security and check in. 2 persons checking in 1000+ people. Law of the jungle - everybody fighting to get their bags dropped and not missing their flight. Feel sorry for the staff - shame on airport management.