Cape Town Airport

Customer Reviews

No Skytrax Rating
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 63 reviews
6/10
No Skytrax Rating
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3/10

"Why introduce such an archaic system"

(South Africa)

Trip Verified | Firstly the sky bridge was late arriving at the plane. Why? There was only one international flight arriving, is it too much to ask that the bridge arrives on time. Secondly, the e gates were not operational. Why on earth have them if you are not going to operate them. Then to top it all, after collecting our baggage, everyone had to load their baggage onto a manual scanner of which there was only one. I have not seen one of those use in SA ever. Why introduce such an archaic system.
Experience At AirportArrival Only
Date VisitMarch 2024
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
yes
3/10

"far behind in terms of international standards"

(South Africa)

Trip Verified | I returned home to Cape Town with my husband, my 69 year old mother and my 3 year old twin boys on June 28, 2023. Our flight landed just after 11am. Passport control was overcrowded, overwhelming and chaotic. There was no queue for elderly people (not in wheelchairs) or for families with young kids. I found this problematic as our kids starting having major meltdowns in the queue that was miles long. We tried to call a staff member over to ask if there was any way we could avoid standing in this long queue with my kids and my mother. The lady told us to come with her to the front (by the counters), but we had to all crawl under the metal bars to get there. After a few minutes, after she had spoken to her supervisor, she told us that she was sorry, but we had to stay in the queue as the supervisor said if he allows it for us, he must allow it for everyone. Shouldn't this be the norm though? Making provision for families with elderly parents and young kids? I found this so hard to understand and felt very frustrated at this point. We had to then re-join the queue, and when I asked if my mother could at least go through a gate, we were told no. When i asked if my mother could sit and wait on a bench until we reached the front of the line, we were told no. So we all had to climb back under the metal bars to get back into the queue. After having lived in many countries and after travelling through a lot of international airports, I have to say that Cape Town International Airport is far, far behind in terms of international standards. Very disappointing to arrive home and to have this experience. I am not looking forward to departing from or arriving to this airport again in future.
Experience At AirportArrival Only
Date VisitJune 2023
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no
3/10

"Will never use this Airport again!"

(Namibia)

Not Verified | Got off a 10 hour flight from Dubai and had a connecting flight to Namibia with a layover of 2 hours of which 1.5 hours were spent at the first passport/Immigration control. Only 2 booths open. Then afterwards the scramble to get to our gate because there is no transit area. You literally have to go out to the exit and back in through the whole Airport to Departure Area then to a Security check and another immigration counter where another hundred people were queuing with 15 min left. We had no choice but to cut into line because other travellers still had plenty of time and then we were still told that we are late by the Immigration Officer. Some of the Staff was friendly and helpful while others were not and just didn't care. Will never use this Airport again!
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitJune 2023
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"they were so understaffed"

(Switzerland)

Trip Verified | After 2,5 weeks of touring around South Africa, we experienced nothing but efficiency and kindness from everyone. That is, until we checked in at Cape Town International to fly back overseas. What a total catastrophe CPT airport is - because they are totally understaffed. Six international flights all leaving within 60 minutes of each other, and this is what we experienced: A 30-45 minute wait in front of security. Then 2 hours (yes 120 min!!) in front of passport control, because 1000+ passengers were trying to leave, all impatiently waiting and pushing and getting verbal as they got more and more nervous about missing their flights. There was one passport booth open. At some point a second one opened, and eventually a third, to process 1000+ people!!! I am so disappointed in Cape Town airport, and will avoid all international travel from there from now on, and recommend everyone does the same. What a disaster and actually a huge pity! A beautiful modern city, full of international flair that has such cool vibe, and it has a disaster airport! It just doesn't add up. The few (and for the most part friendly) staff on duty tried to keep things going, but they were so understaffed that things just fell apart.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitMarch 2023
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"angry, upset and shaken by my experience"

(United Kingdom)

Trip Verified | Absolutely appalling verbal abuse and aggression from the ‘Supervisor’ at the International Passport Control booth when I presented my UK passport and SA passport after travelling from Wales, UK, to Cape Town via Amsterdam by myself — almost two days in transit with train delays, and a crowded KLM flight. I arrived at Cape Town Airport at 11pm, exhausted and with luggage that was difficult to carry. The ‘Supervisor’ was aggressive about my SA Passport status, refused to listen to my reasoning, told me I was ‘just making excuses’, ‘that I was flying illegally’ - and had me in tears when he aggressively shouted at me to ‘go back to where you came from’. How on Earth was this ghastly little man put into a position of such power? I have only ever once before received such aggressive and appalling treatment from a Passport Control Officer — and that was in Johannesburg in 1976 under a SA Nationalist Party Government. This man needs to be retrained in how to deal with the public. Or fired. I am a 63-year old grandmother, and after an hour at the Passport Control booth, I exited the Arrivals Hall at well after midnight into a dark and frightening car park to try and find my Car Rental. I was so angry, upset and shaken by my experience, that I am writing a letter of complaint to the Airport Manager.
Experience At AirportArrival Only
Date VisitFebruary 2023
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"This airport is a disgrace and unprofessional"

(Germany)

Not Verified | Firstly after an 11-hour flight, we were met at the immigration booth by a very aggressive immigration booth worker, we had an issue with one of our family members' passports and he (the gentlemen in the booth) basically threatened us that he would send us (a family with kids) back to our country without even explaining what the issue was or even trying clarify that is a solution which does require such extreme measures. Only after a really friendly immigration officer came to help did we end up finding a solution. So after the passport issue was resolved a few hours later because of help from the embassy, we had to have another situation with an erratic staff customs lady who made a scene claiming to be pushed by us even when no such incident occurred and demanded an apology loudly screaming. When we asked for security to please have a look at the camera footage to see just how absurd this lady was, they did not even want to help us and sided with the customs staff lady. This airport is a disgrace and unprofessional to even have such members working there in such important roles when dealing with people, if it had not been for the friendly staff that we did encounter there a single star would be too gracious. Please check your seats when sitting by windows, they reek of urine.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitAugust 2022
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
4/10

"wait for my baggage almost 20 minutes"

(South Africa)

Trip Verified | I arrived at Cape Town International Airport and had to wait for my baggage almost 20 minutes. This was a local flight from JNB to CPT. This is not my first bad experience of the same nature in recent weeks
Experience At AirportArrival Only
Date VisitAugust 2022
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
no
3/10

"VAT refund bit of a scam"

(United Kingdom)

Not Verified | I find the VAT refund claim procedure at CPT to be a bit of a scam. There are no signs at the check-in or prior to going through security to advise where to go to claim for tax refunds, but as soon as we got through passport control there was a sign and a counter advising about tax refunds. When we enquired, we were told that you have to claim the tax back before you clear security. This desk was just to pick up the card with the amount that you had claimed on it. So now we have to wait until we get back to London, fill in a form and get it stamped by the customs staff, then send it back to South Africa along with all of the original receipts, in order to claim the tax back. If I do that, I can’t insure any of the valuables that were bought as you need an original receipt as proof of purchase and to prove actual value. So I guess this is how they stop people from actually being able to claim the tax back, as people either don’t bother to do it once they get back because of the hassle, forget to do it, come across a problem with the info they were provided at CPT airport so can’t claim, or choose not to if it’s a choice between claiming the tax back or insuring the items against theft etc. Any airport I have been to before, you have to clear security to get to the tax claims desk (I guess to prove you are actually leaving the country?) So I find this a very underhand way to keep hold of tax that visitors have paid and are entitled to get back.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitJanuary 2020
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"the phone was stolen"

(South Africa)

Trip Verified | I was about to enter the flight with my hand luggage but seen that some people were handing over their hand luggage before entering the flight because of the fact that it could be full. I too handed my hand luggage. When I had landed and waited for my bag at the carousel, I had noticed my bag looked different. I immediately opened if and seen that a parcel (a new cellphone in a small box) that I was carrying for a friend was broken into and the phone was stolen. The rest of the items were left scattered in my bag. I immediately went to British Airways office to lodge a complaint whereby I was told by the lady that she doubts anything can be done but simply advised to lodge a complaint at a police station for theft with no instructions on the procedure and what would happen henceforth.
Experience At AirportArrival Only
Date VisitOctober 2019
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
10/10

"baggage delivered swiftly"

(South Africa)

Trip Verified | Most international airlines leave between 16H00-21H00 and check-in area wide open. Very friendly check-in by SAA and supervising Air Mauritius staff. Security, Customs and Immigration very friendly - one of the most pleasant airports around, not only for it super-friendly staff (even the toilet cleaners say: "Welcome to my Office"), but also for its spaciousness and cleanliness. I have been through the airport at peak times, and yes, immigration can take hours especially on early morning arrivals, but this is well controlled and managed by ACSA staff at every customer contact area. CTIA is shortly about to extend both Domestic and International terminals. Boarding was chop-chop. I do not buy duty free as its cheaper in the local shops - but duty free area seemed large enough with lots on offer and coffee shops are visible. MK843 / 26MAR19 landed in CPT at 20H15. Quick disembarkation, speedy- well managed & friendly customs officials, baggage delivered swiftly and was out of airport by 20H45.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitMarch 2019
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
yes
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