Brussels Zaventem Airport

Not Verified | The worst arrival at an airport. This is by far the most horrible experience we’ve ever had while waiting for passport control. It feels like we landed in a 10th world country, not in the capital of Europe. What’s even more shameful is the fact that similar reviews have been shared for months and no action was taken by the airport management. I will definitely never visit this airport again.

✅ Trip Verified | Utterly terrible, worst arrivals security I’ve ever had the misfortune of transiting. Staff care nothing, queues are horrendous. It’s actually quicker to arrive at Charleroi and walk/crawl to Brussels. Should be ashamed of themselves - centre of Europe? Centre of ignorance is more appropriate. Zero out of ten.

Not Verified | This was the worst arrival experience we have had in many years of world travel. It took literally two hours standing in line waiting to be served at passport control until we exited the airport. There were only 3 booths open for the huge number of incoming passengers using the any passport line. There was no area to sit nor any bathroom facilities nearby. It was horrendous and despite wanting to visit family here in future, there is absolutely no way would fly in here again.

✅ Trip Verified | Airport management needs to improve operations at the customs. With more international flights now to Brussels, the airport needs to match up with the traffic. The wait time before getting to clear customs on arrival was at least 2 hours. For departure, the queue is also moving at a glacial pace, the team does not seem to be working with urgency despite growing frustration of the passengers who are minutes away from their flight’s departure time.

✅ Trip Verified | My husband requires Special Assistance and as his carer I always accompany him. Apart from physical disability he sometimes requires help with toilet needs. Anyway I stupidly brought the luggage trolly past the boarding pass desk only to be shouted at by this girl who was pushing the chairs. I am almost 67 and I was struggling with the luggage after removing them and putting the trolly outside the gate. She stared at me when I asked for help and only when I pointed out that 2 of the bags were my husbands did she take them from me. The contempt towards me was evident We proceeded to Passport Control when she told me that as I didn't require special Assistance I could not go with her. I tried explaining about being his carer etc but she totally refused to accept what I was saying. She called over an older lady and I was able to understand part of the conversation and the older lady asked her to allow me to go with them but she refused. I went through Passport Control and waited for them and followed them until they were transferred to a buggy. There was one space left and she told her colleague to get on. A lady on the buggy said she would help by talking my bag. This girl snatched my bag off her and pushed it back to me and off they went. I can accept not taking the bag but not the rudeness the contempt and lack of customer service skills. I am relieved that my husband did not need to use the toilet but the fact that I was not there to help him if he had to caused me to be anxious and worried. Terrible experience.

Not Verified | We were flying business and in other airports you've got separate queue for passport control but in Brussels we did not get any priority. You will get stuck in the queue from the previous plane. Even during collecting the bags we were on a belt shared with the flight from Abu Dhabi which just arrived before our flight from Doha. We had to wait almost an hour to get the first bags rolling. On previous business flights in other airports are bags are already on the belt when we get through customs.

✅ Trip Verified | Line to passport control was an hour and 45 minutes. Very poor line control. People were jumping the queue constantly. Horrible experience. I’ll fly into CDG from now on.

Not Verified | I'm a frequent flyer Miles & More. Had accident and shoulder surgery. Damage arm, partial paralysis and another surgery in view these next monts. I asked, being priority, as I always do in Zaventem, to be allowed through the unimpaired passengers control. Airport attendant with a GS badge flatly refused, saying "For just an arm, you're not allowed". Rude, ill-mannered, rogue. How come I am accepted in priority on every flight, in every airport (Milan, Turin, Munich, Basel, Zurich, Athens, to name a few) except here, in Zaventem, when a bully is wielding his so-called authority? (Un)welcome to Belgium.

Not Verified | They did it again, twice in 2 weeks. I'm a frequent flyer Miles & More. Had accident and shoulder surgery. I asked not to wait in the queue, being priority. Airport attendant flatly refused, saying that plane was full, and company refused to get my carry-on in racks in cabin. Hence my suitcase would have to go in hold. He added that they should completely forbid carry-on for these flights. When I finally boarded, I had an entire row of seats for myself alone, and both rows in front of me were half full. Plane full ? Carry-on impossible? Ridiculous personnel.

Not Verified | Flew from Brussels to London on April 22nd. The queue for passport control to get out of the country was miles long for non-EC people. We had to stand in a snaking queue for 90 minutes in a hot crowded hall with no seats, no water and no toilets. There were hundreds of people and only one person on passport control. No explanation was given. One lady fainted and was yanked to her feet by rude and uncaring staff before a wheelchair was found to take her away. This was a dangerous situation, and people were even in danger of missing their flights - some probably did. If you have to travel through this airport you need to leave an extra 2 hours. Don’t plan on buying anything in duty-free as you will not have time. Really deplorable and not what you might expect for a supposedly sophisticated European capital city airport.