"arrival was slightly disappointing"
3 reviews Affan Butt (United Kingdom)
✅ Trip Verified | I was booked on the FR9224 service to Faro on the evening of the 4th. Arrived at the airport at 3pm for the 5.20pm flight and proceeded to drop my vehicle in the meet and greet area which was across the road from the Departures entrance. Inside the airport we proceeded straight through security with our cabin baggage and onto the gate. The whole process was under 15 minutes. And an on time departure. Upon arrival it was slightly more disappointing. Immigration being fast. The meet & greet wasn’t. Cones placed everywhere designed for the driver to get lost in an absolute maze and fellow passengers encountering issues exiting the automated barrier. Overall for my local airport and its location being 13 miles from my home, I’d definitely use it again. However saying that I do not think this airport can handle more than 1 flight at a time. Airlines like Qatar would encounter many issues getting their passengers through the short staffed terminal should they choose to return in the future. This airport has potential. Hopefully more flights are added soon so the people of Cardiff & Vale can finally travel without going 60 miles south to Bristol or 200 miles to London’s airports But that would require staff, expansion and funds.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | January 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | N/A |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |
"airport is very sad"
George Williams (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | This airport is very sad. It is like stepping back in tome. With COVID we were made to queue outside the terminal.There were so many officials for 1 flight? I was shocked at the F&B offering and more expensive than I have experienced in Japan If they want to make money from their concessions they need to reduce the price (and massively increase quality) to drive volume. Difficult to take seriously as an international airport. Very officious (rude) security staff too. Shame.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | August 2020 |
Type Of Traveller | Business |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"would highly advise people to stay away"
Parvin Begum (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | The service there was horrible, we waited so long to check our luggage and when we did we had 2 kg extra which we shouldn't have had, they didn't inform this information to us and kept the luggage and they charged us £50 and when we said we would minimize the weight of the luggage. They charged us this amount for only 2 kg and it was only 1 luggage, they didn't inform us and took the luggage, we clearly said we could take things out to minimize the weight but they said too late. We didn't know it weighed more but we even asked if we could lose the weight but they didn't listen. Overall because of this, I do not think this airport is really good and in the future I will go to a better airport, I do not recommend this airport to anyone and would highly advise people to stay away.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | July 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | N/A |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"screaming orders out at passengers"
Alex Cross (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | Monday 5th August, 6.25am flight to Corfu. Approaching baggage/security check all we could here was this lady screaming orders out at passengers as she directed them to different counters. Short stocky blonde lady, early 50's take a look around at your colleagues, they were clearly disturbed as much as passengers with the way you were speaking to us. As I passed through the scanner myself, I said to two other members of staff "Why is she behaving like this"? They genuinely shrugged their shoulders. Is this regular behaviour from this lady, if so, someone put her on afternoon shifts as she is clearly not a "morning person". The only positive I can say about her is she is in no way discriminative, everyone got the same treatment.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | August 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | N/A |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"came up against the most officious security officer"
John Montgomery (United Kingdom)
✅ Trip Verified | I’d love to able to write something positive about this, my local airport but alas this isn’t the occasion. Travelling with my son who is autistic but in no way challenging in his behaviour we came up against the most officious security officer in the passenger search area. My son was wearing his highly visible “autism puzzles” wristband which proclaims they are working in partnership with Cardiff Airport. All was progressing well until the officer demanded my son push a tray being used by another passenger forward into the search machine. My son had already pushed his own tray forward and was confused by this brusque instruction and when I interceded the officer’s response was it wasn’t his job to do this. He then petulantly turned on me demanding I empty my pocket as this sharp eyed Sherlock had observed a handkerchief which he insisted must be x-rayed. This experience encapsulates the mountain CWL have to climb to rid themselves of the entitled and self important attitude which is now all pervasive since they were recipients of the ill judged handout from the Welsh government. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that CWL’s desire to facilitate the travel of disabled passengers is nothing more than a shallow marketing exercise which clearly hasn’t been communicated effectively to their staff.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | August 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Family 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 |
Recommended | no |
"not even got enough parking"
Martin Livesey (United Kingdom)
✅ Trip Verified | Tried to book 2 weeks parking in August. Nothing available. This is an airport that is trying to increase passenger numbers, but they have not even got enough parking for the low number of passengers they have got at the moment. Rubbish service, they need to put someone in charge who knows what they are doing. I checked the same dates at Bristol - 4 options available. Wonder where I will fly from next time??
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | August 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"staff were not able to control the passengers"
Abigail Morris (United Kingdom)
✅ Trip Verified | Worst airport experience ever! I was taking a flight from Cardiff to Faro with my two children and husband. When we arrived around 4am for our flight at 6am the airport was the busiest I;d ever seen it, there were about three other flights all going off around the same time as us, queues were massive and people seem very stressed. I went straight to airport assistance as we had requested this for my son who is autistic, Cardiff proudly portray themselves as working in partnership with autism. I was given very bad advice at special assistance, I was told that there was no one available to help me at present and as it was so busy I may be better off just joining the queue unassisted. I did this and when we finally checked in our baggage we joined another extremely large que for security and passport control. During this queue I again noticed a section for special assistance and so I told a member of staff, he then guided me through a gate and placed me right by the queue for scanners, there was only one working and at this point we suffered at least three passengers directing abuse towards myself my daughter and my husband. I have never before been the target of such anger merely because staff were not able to control the passengers and perform their roles adequately, I had to argue with about three people justifying my sons disability. Once I got through passport control I complained to staff who just offered me some sympathy! In Faro airport the opposite was true, I received special assistance from beginning to end with the staff member staying with us through the whole process. I am ashamed to be British and ashamed to be Welsh!
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | July 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"horrendous experience"
Donna Peyton (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | Absolutely horrendous experience! Never in all the years I’ve been travelling have I been so utterly disgusted by poor service in an airport. Queues for an hour at check in! Lady at the desk didn’t have a clue what she was doing. Added to that, never will I fly with Ryanair again! The first and definitely the last.
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | July 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | N/A |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"Rubbish service"
M Livesey (United Kingdom)
Not Verified | Rubbish service. Tried to book car park, nothing offered for meet and greet or long stay, only off site with Holiday Extras in August 2019. Do not believe this. Will fly from Bristol next time as they are much more efficient!
Experience At Airport | Departure Only |
Date Visit | July 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Couple Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | N/A |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
"found the airport to be quite user friendly"
M Anderson (Thailand)
✅ Trip Verified | I traveled into and out of Cardiff Airport in June 2019. I found the airport to be quite user friendly and compared to some of the reports I've read a pleasant surprise. A couple of negatives the one pound coins needed for the baggage trolleys seems rather tight and petty. Although it's close to Cardiff and the M4 it isn't easy to get to and from unless you have a car. Even in a car there seem endless roundabouts and traffic lights to get through. Check in was fine, I arrived in plenty of time. The security on departure seems over zealous compared to say Heathrow and would if the Airport were busier lead to very long queues. The shopping was okay, toilets were adequate, seating in the new departure lounge was fine, I didn't try the food outlets or WiFi. As I said at the start not an amazing airport but it did the job it is after all a small regional airport.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | June 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | N/A |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |