Cardiff Airport

It's going downhill even further. The shuttle bus to the newly-built link railway station is being retired from the end of May leaving pax without a car to a disorganised bus service. And guess what? The only hand scanner for self-printed (online) checkin documents was out of order again today. Unsuspecting travellers thus had to return downstairs to the departures hall queue up at checkin lines often waiting up to 20 mins for a card boarding pass. I suggest that regular travellers send in their spare change to the Airport Manager so the Airport Appeal for a Second Scanner Fund can buy a secondhand backup reader from a more efficient airport. That said staff here are fine and often a bit frustrated at the inefficiencies from management.

Cardiff is a typical small airport which has traditionally been principally for charter flights. Over the years I have seen its custom fall away as charter customers switch to Bristol and Birmingham both of which offer far better service. Cardiff has tried to reinvent itself as an 'International class' airport but it is never going to compete with the likes of Birmingham and that has failed miserably. Because of security restrictions the roof is never open and the upper floor rarely accessible. The building has all the charm of a Communist era building with few external windows. Compared with Bristol it is very claustrophobic. The land side facilities are minimal. The only positive side is the helpful disabled facilities and support that is offered.

Cardiff Airport has strengths and weaknesses. It is small so you can easily get from one area to another without too much difficulty. It has a pleasant Executive Lounge and a small range of shops. Retrieval of baggage is fairly painless and staff are fairly friendly. However the airport is still set in the 1960's and the major re-construction work to make it a 2000's generation airport has not taken place. The limited choice of flights the supporting services of bars restaurants and car park all create the impression of an airport with limited ambition and initiative. Earlier comments about drop off and pick up remain issues to a certain extent (the logic of having a security barrier at which you are simply waved through without any check seems a particularly useless feature).

Semi derelict dirty? Not sure how anyone could describe the airport as this - unless they have some sort of an agenda. I use the airport 3 or 4 times a year and find it perfectly acceptable for what I need. Not perfect but then again what airport is? Last week after flying from Edinburgh I disembarked paid for the car parking (not pre-booked) and was out of the airport within 15 mins. What is the problem with that?

Have used Cardiff airport a few times but only due to flight price rather use Bristol even at a higher cost. Staff are friendly but the airport is semi-derelict dirty and the building work never seems to finish and the benefits cannot be seen. Car parking is expensive and the shuttle bus almost non-existant even access by road is difficult. Do'nt believe their claims about being accessible by train.

I've never really had much problem when flying out of/into Cardiff. The security system needs looking at - passengers standing in queues for over an hour in high season - I witnessed a lady passing out as a result of standing in a non airconditioned room for over an hour. There is only one taxi rank outside the airport but there are local firms that you can ring for a taxi. £27 to Cardiff city (as a previous writer stated) is actually a good price - Cardiff Airport is actually around 12 miles away from the outskirts of the City. I agree that the airport needs to up its standards dramatically to compete as an international airport but it is getting better.

Had the misfortune of using Cardiff last week! Arrived early for a check in at 6pm and had a couple of drinks in landside bar imagine our surprise when at 4pm we were told that the bar is closing and that the only bar facility was Airside! We were unable to go airside as check- in for our flight was not till 6pm. We then went to restaurant landside to get a hot meal - the airport closes landside it would appear at 4pm even for food! Once again the response was go Airside! Cardiff airport claim to be an international airport - act like one and have a full service available landside.

Travelled out and back the same day to Dublin on Aer Arann. Getting dropped off at the airport requires running the gauntlet of the security staff on the approach road - twice we had to stop and tell them we needed to drive to the airport to drop-off. Security seems a bit over the top - especially as they merely waved us on - didn't check the car ask to see my ticket etc... Checked in on-line so avoided the queues - amazed how many security staff are employed. Arrival back later that evening was very different. The airport is no longer allowing cars to pick-up from outside the terminal - instead cars now have to enter the unlit short stay car park down the road from the terminal building and wait for passengers to find them. Not so easy when its dark and raining. After leaving a very chaotic terminal building I had a difficult time trying to find my lift home. The car park being used is unpaved with mud and gravel underfoot - not sure how anyone would manage with a luggage trolley. It requires a walk along the airport road for a couple of hundred yards. Once I had found my lift (could only do this by means of a mobile phone and directions) it took about 10 minutes to exit the car park as cars were not following any type of one way system - reason - no arrows painted on the gravel. I have no idea what the management of this airport are doing here - the airport is a disgrace to Wales (and the UK for that matter) and I would be ashamed of welcoming any visitor into Wales via this airport.

Really worn and shabby but it is small and one can get through quickly which is definitely good but not a great advertisement for the capital of Wales. There is a lot of room for improvement. It compares poorly to Bristol which is pretty average. The road system between the airport and the city is like something out of another era. This airport really is a bit of throw back in all senses and this a for a city with the millenium stadium.

I have never found getting to the airport a problem. The road access is fine - much better than Bristol. However the passport control system on arrival back into Cardiff is a nightmare - the only airport I have known to take so long is Plodiv in Bulgaria!