Cardiff Airport

✅ Trip Verified | We have recently returned from a our holiday in Sorrento, travelling in a group of six. On departing the Uk, we were absolutely appalled, by the changes made to the check in procedure. We arrived two hours before, the queue to check in was nearly up to the entrance door to the airport. “Self check in”! What is it coming to for a package holiday, there was one check in desk open with a lady sitting doing nothing, as this desk was only for people who had not checked in on line. There were also people travelling to meet a cruise ship, where a member of staff took forever to sift through a load of luggage tags for each person travelling, when he could not find something for a passenger, he left the desk for ten minutes, whilst three other members of staff just stood around talking and doing nothing. I complained to one if the ladies, who finally stepped in to get the queue moving. When we travelled last September, there were two check in desks open, two staff and no queue! Now four staff plus one on desk, and a complete nightmare, I fail to see how this is an improvement. I refused to use the self check in machines and requested assistance, not a great start to our holiday. I am travelling to Tenerife on 5th July, and am dreading the check in, I have never felt so disappointed in Cardiff airport. I thought baggage collect time was bad, but this is a whole new level. I have never been one to complain, however felt I had to write to tell you about our experience, In the hope improvements will be made....Bring back the old check in procedure, it worked.

Not Verified | Shockingly bad arrival procedure. You have to walk for 15 minutes to get to passport control only to find the toilets just before are closed. Passport control was a joke, mine didn't work on the self scan so I was referred to somebody to check it who didn't even look at my face before sending me through. Finally able to use a toilet 25 minutes after getting off the plane. Baggage took another 15 minutes to come out and onto an belt which had out of order on it which was very confusing for everybody. Overall a shocking experience for an international airport and not one I'll use again despite only living 12 miles away!

✅ Trip Verified | A small but efficient airport. After many years of habitually flying from Chicago to Heathrow, in recent years we have started taking alternative routes into the UK. Top of our family’s list is the Chicago-Dublin-Cardiff route. A little over six hour Chicago-Dublin followed by a beautiful low level flight over the Irish Sea and down the coast of Wales. Cardiff airport is small, friendly and east to navigate. From the plane touching down to collecting your baggage and walking out of the terminal usually takes around 20 minutes. A few extra flights would of course be nice, but as it stands, Cardiff is an excellent small regional airport.

Not Verified | I really wanted to give a positive review for my nations airport but after several trips doing business travel, I am unable to give much positive feedback. The people who are working there are on the whole very pleasant but there are some major issues with the travel experience. I travel regularly on business and have booked the Meet and Greet parking recently. This isn’t at all meet and greet, it’s just an area of the short stay car park which is slightly closer to the terminal. When you arrive, you go through camera machine. You are greeted by a man who walks you to a porta-cabin where the stafff are very pleasant (but unable to do anything beyond the script) and you leave your keys with them. The car park is very exposed so you take a chance with the weather. There has been no attempt to provide shelter to the traveller for the bad weather (no trees, bushes, or anything else to protect passengers from bad weather). They take your keys and you walk to the terminal. You seem to only be able to book this via Holiday Extras so there is no competition on the pricing. When you return, you have to return to the cabin for your keys. Not sure how this is meet and greet. Plus, if you have to pay extra for a later stay, you have to pay at the departure gate to get out of the car park (not a nice experience when it is windy and raining, it’s Friday and you have had a long day/journey). Moving on to the departure lounge - well not much there. The diluted version of the normal duty free available in Europe, a cheap and cheerful bunch of cafe’s (Costa is awful) and a very limited WHSmith which also stocks minimal toiletries. Toilets are terrible and need refurbishment. No water fountain available for people to replenish reusable drinking bottles. Flying with Flybe who have now decided to reduce the cabin size suitcase to a weekender size (and charge people £50 at the gate for normal cabin sized cases that don’t fit into the abnormally small sized check cage). Walking over the airplane is not too bad (as long as it isn’t raining). Arrivals is pretty unpleasant, walk over the tarmac (in the rain) through a long series of steps and long corridors. Get to immigration and guided to the automated gates which take several minutes to switch on and begin to function (whilst being ordered to stand forward/back by different member of staff). Leaving the airport - well 2 flights in at the same time from Amsterdam and Munich - massive queue for the taxi desk (no obvious queue outside of awaiting taxis). No other way to get to Cardiff centre and no taxis waiting (really - what impression does this give to visitors to our nations capital?). Really, this needs to be improved. Not a pleasant experience overall and I am slightly embarrassed that this our international airport.

Not Verified | The place has deteriorated over the years, millions have been spent and even private company's couldn't make it pay! You the rate payer are the less than proud new owners, check in was ok, it was the departure that was an assault course, down corridors/steps arriving at a narrow corridor and just standing there. Then the walk out to the plane on the tarmac, it was raining heavily on the return flight, same procedure, absolute rubbish! Some woman in the customs hall shouting at people, "stay in that queue", very intimidating place. Avoid if possible.

✅ Trip Verified | Very amateur, we were the only plane to land but it took forever to get the steps to the doors. By steps, I mean steps, no airbridge, if it rains you are in trouble. The walk from the aircraft to the airport exit was dreadful, I think a royal marine would struggle, up and down so many steps, everyone was commenting, some said they would never use the airport again, the fit were helping the elderly and disabled. It a such a shame that the first impression of Wales is such a dreadful experience. Maybe the airport could start sponsored walks or mountain climbing courses? The signage for the bus (worst bus ever, rattled so much my fillings dropped out) was awful, the bus took forever, stopped everywhere, try and find the bus to the airport from Cardiff city centre, people were walking around like zombies dragging their flight bags behind them, maybe a water station at the stop would help! Bristol's is amazing, runs every 10 minutes, USB charging ports, direct to airport. I've flown from Cardiff many times and it seems to get worse every time, they are focused on selling and making money from passengers. If it wasn't for Vueling airlines I would rather pay the extra £13 and fly from Bristol. Overall getting too and from the airport is pretty hit and miss, the rail link is poorly signposted, forget even trying to get to the airport on a Sunday. Generally the staff are all pretty miserable, then again so would I be if I work there. As a Welshman I'm ashamed of this airport, such a missed opportunity.

Not Verified | The staff were friendly while waiting in line to check in at desk, fast check in after getting booked in. Lounge was full but the seating well spread out and comfortable. Information board well lit up and gave all the departure gave and time for take off. The food was okay and priced well for what was on display, in other words Good Grub. Duty free did come up a bit quick after going through security, still was a good selection on display. I will be using Cardiff airport in the future.

✅ Trip Verified | The airport exterior is unwelcoming. The computers went down at check-in. The lady's at the desk did their best and it's not their fault they work in such a poor airport with worn out equipment. It was also hot in departures which added to the uncomfortableness of having to stand around and wait not quite knowing what was going on. We all started worrying that we would miss our flights. No one cared to say, don't worry or that the flights would be held for us. Then the security staff in Cardiff are an absolute nightmare (apart from one lady who smiled as we loaded the baskets - she was normal and nice). Do this, do that, take your shoes off stand in this x-ray machine or else! Then the information screens are in illogical places in the airport "lounge" (which is a bloody mess). You can tell it's run by the Welsh Government: Absolute farce. And then just when you find your flight number on the screen it cuts to a flipping advert and you have to wait for your flight to come around again by standing in one place because few of the screens can be seen from a seat. The airport is shabby, badly designed (even though they've half tried to do it up), unfriendly, unwelcoming and should be shut and moved to somewhere where it would be of use. It doesn't take much effort, but there seems to be a general malaise of miserableness in Rhoose! Use Bristol!

✅ Trip Verified | Travelling with my autistic son I welcomed the news and attendant publicity that Cardiff Airport was now “autistism friendly” and employing staff trained to help ensure that passage through the airport would be as smooth as possible for people with this disability. The reality encountered when we used Cardiff Airport recently was somewhat different. We turned up at the "help desk" only to be told that there was no record of the contact I had already made to advise of our travel arrangements. Nonetheless my son was duly supplied with a wrist band and we made our way to the departure lounge and waited in the designated area to be escorted to our flight. The escort arrived promptly but then things started to go wrong. The escort was also accompanying an elderly wheelchair passenger and as we headed to board our flight no less than three times officious staff stepped in and abruptly challenged us as to where we were going, much to the embarrassment of our escort. These staff must have been asleep during the "not all disabilities are visible" part of the training the airport proudly proclaims that they have received. The lesson to be learned here is that there is a world of difference between running a social media charm campaign plastering posters everywhere proclaiming Cardiff Airport to be “autism aware” and employing staff who actually understand what this means and who have the ability to use some powers of observation. Unfortunately the transfer of the airport to Welsh Government ownership seems to have encouraged the development of the officious, self entitled attitude we encountered. Luckily my son took this in his stride.

Not Verified | If the state of the airport is a reflection of Cardiff then run for the hills. Travel a lot and this is by far the dirtiest airport I have departed from in the UK. Dirt and food all over the floors from the front door through to the gates. Sticky tables in caffi cwtch. Come on Cardiff airport management, a broom and a wet cloth are not brain science. Despite this can’t fault the staff who were all friendly and helpful.