Calgary Airport

✅ Trip Verified | What a terrible airport! The worst part of my experience was with the incredibly rude staff member working the oversized baggage for WestJet. She had the entire conveyor belt stanchioned off and wanted me to just haul my enormous bag (hockey bag filled with camping & hiking gear for multiple people) onto the surface directly. She refused to explain where a foot pedal required to operate the ramp to load my bag into the security screening device was even located. She said things like "why can't you just look with your eyes?!" and refused to come and actually show me where this pedal was. When she finally did come, berating me verbally the entire time, it turned out that this foot pedal was just one of many cables under the conveyor and so far back that she had to crawl underneath to pull it out. She asked if I was deaf at one point (she was seated 12m away and was mumbling in the airport noise). There was no one else waiting and no evident reason for her not to just help. This attitude was generally typical of every other airport staff member I encountered, too. Dirty bathrooms, overcrowded waiting areas at the gates, and not nearly enough charging ports for a building in the 21st century to have. I would actively avoid ever travelling through this airport again.

Not Verified | Seating is awful. No place to charge anything, so bring your own power backup. Businesses close ridiculously early. Domestic flights are scheduled willy Milly all across the vast terminal with no rhyme or reason.

✅ Trip Verified | I have mixed feelings about this airport. Upon arrival, the check-in process took almost no time at all, and I was on my way in a matter of minutes. Terminal signs pre-security were limited, but easy enough that I was able to find the C security checkpoint quick enough. Security was a different story. The wait was brutal, taking over an hour to clear. On top of this, the staff were not very fast, chatting to everyone about travel plans, flying, etc. Terminal signage post-security was much clearer, and my gate was found quite fast. Departure was also very efficient, and boarding went by fast, and I was departing on time. Overall, this airport has good and bad, but it's one of the better airports that I've been to.

Not Verified | Brutal security lines - super long and not moving. Projected time half hour but already been waiting that long! What is the issue? It was never this bad before! Do better!

Not Verified | The security experience in the Calgary airport was by far the worst. In fact, it was ridiculous. So so slow. Maybe 20 people in front of me and it took 30 minutes to get through. Refusal to open other lines. 3 or 4 security staff just standing around talking. What an embarrassment.

✅ Trip Verified | Worst airport I've ever been to. The security screening is terribly managed, long lines, rude staff, no direction. Be prepared to stand in line for hours, and they won't open up any additional Security lines. They are all on a power trip.

✅ Trip Verified | Calgary airport is a true embarrassment to our city. The domestic travel experience is horrible if, with perpetual renovations (that never seem to be worked on), stark institutional decor, and reliably long lines at security. The layout of our new international terminal does not deliver much of a better experience. Enough of blaming Covid. Get it together and manage this facility in a world class manner.

Not Verified | Worst experience at an airport I have ever had. I am a casual travel writer and photographer and tend to carry sensitive equipment depending on the project. In this case I was to be shooting a film project and had a few rolls of 35mm film. The day before I arrived to the airport I called both the airport and the company handling security and was assured that my equipment would be hand checked at my request and that they deal with film often enough that they don’t run it through the scanners. Upon my arrival at the security check I was told that they didn’t care what I was told and I was to do it their way or be removed from the airport. The individual behind the scanner proceeded to not only unroll fresh undeveloped film making it useless, but proceeded to treat my gear as unprofessionally as I have ever seen. My cameras were thrown down on the belts and tossed into bins. My canon AE1 now requires fairly large repairs to the shutter and the lens mount. This is a vintage camera so repairs are costly. I have flown through 3rd world countries with better airport staff then what is seen in Calgary. Absolutely unprofessional, unpleasant and overall uncaring. Very pathetic.

Not Verified | Ridiculous security measures. Global entry means nothing. US citizen returning to the US from Calgary. Chosen for electronic screening pre-security and was asked to remove the plastic protective cover from my laptop. It wasn't enough to remove it from the laptop case. I have travelled a fair amount and have never been searched to this extent or seen or heard of anyone else having to do this. I had a hard time removing the plastic snap on protectors so I had no problem calling for the manager to help me get it off since the security staff member would not assist. I went through the regular security check with my bag and got my bag checked again for baked goods. I disliked the attitude of the security staff doing the electronic check. Very very annoying. Going through the Customs officer was a breeze as usual. It's just getting there through security that continues to be an irritating ordeal. In my experience, Calgary has some of the worst security staff in all of my international travel. When I say the worst, I mean the attitude and the power mongering.

Not Verified | Ridiculous security measures. Global entry means nothing. US citizen returning to the US from Calgary. Chosen for electronic screening pre-security and was asked to remove the plastic protective cover from my laptop. It wasn't enough to remove it from the laptop case. I have travelled a fair amount and have never been searched to this extent or seen or heard of anyone else having to do this. I had a hard time removing the plastic snap on protectors so I had no problem calling for the manager to help me get it off since the security staff member would not assist. I went through the regular security check with my bag and got my bag checked again for baked goods. I disliked the attitude of the security staff doing the electronic check. Very very annoying. Going through the Customs officer was a breeze as usual. It's just getting there through security that continues to be an irritating ordeal. In my experience, Calgary has some of the worst security staff in all of my international travel. When I say the worst, I mean the attitude and the power mongering.