Dubai Airport

When you read some review sites and find negative comments you assume it is due to the reviewer having had bad luck and that it is possibly not that bad. However the reviews here are almost the opposite - most reviews are correct and in fact some almost optimistic. I have been to Dubai airport twice in the last six months and on both occasions Emirates parks 15 minutes away from the terminal and they pack you into a bus and drive you to the terminal. Signage isn't too bad - but why all the security checks? Anyway as described you keep going up and down escalators and finally enter a terribly overcrowded terminal concourse which even at 2am is absolutely packed with passengers. Very difficult to find a seat. There was a queue to use the toilets - but they are clean. How could Emirates expand their flights so much without thinking of airport facilities? It was therefore quite a relief to arrive in Changi Airport Singapore as the next stop. It is such a shame you can't avoid this airport if flying Emirates as Emirates is actually a very good airline.

I had a decent transit experience at T3 the first time through here 7 weeks ago. My flight from HYD had the misfortune of being parked at a remote stand which meant wasting 20 minutes on a bus back to the terminal. Once in the transit area no signage regarding what to do if transferring to an airline other than Emirates. Security check was fast. Then came the bizarre process of going down a set of escalators walking 50 feet then up another escalators to the floor we were just on this time a little further down the hall. Then came the hike from the far end of Concourse 2 to the transfer desk for BA at the other end of Concourse 1. What's maddening is that the transfer desks are outside security by just a few feet (amazingly to reach them you are told to go the wrong way through the metal detectors) so after getting my boarding pass I had to go through security again even though I'd just been in a secured area! Finally boarding pass in hand I could head for my gate - only to find yet another useless security check! The whole thing took exactly one hour while speed walking through the terminal enduring 3 security checks during that time 2 of which were unnecessary. At least with the exception of one officer at the third and final security check the personnel I encountered were helpful and efficient. The bottom line after two transits through Dubai - if your arriving flight parks at an aerobridge the process isn't bad taking perhaps 30 minutes though you may have to walk a bit. But all bets are off if you get stuck at a remote stand. That risk alone will put me off from choosing to transit through Dubai again.

A shockingly designed poorly serviced airport. I had the misfortune of experiencing this airport separately with young kids (1yr and 3yrs) and with an elderly less mobile person. The airport is about 3km long and 100m wide. Meaning it is overcrowded and you have to prepare for a half-marathon just to transfer and get your boarding passes only to have to walk another 3km back to get to the next gate. Furthermore there are no parents rooms (baby change rooms) very few trolleys which are simply impossible to find very few restaurants or cafes to sit rest and refresh at with even less tables and chairs. Certainly not an airport you can enjoy. Poor signage unhelpful airport staff and few people actually speak English. I would certainly not recommend this airport.

Terminal 3. I have been here twice this month. There is nothing good about this airport terminal except for the look from outside. Immigration took 60-90 min both times. The immigration staff are the worst I have seen. They are rude and unhelpful. Departure hall was over crowded and was difficult to find a place to sit. For an airline like Emirates this is a complete let down.

Extremely long queues at check-in even worse at immigration. The staff are rude unfriendly and poorly trained. I would not fly from Dubai International if I had the choice.

I was dreading my recent transit through DXB but it was ok. My flight from LHR landed just before 11 pm I thought this would be an awful time. It took 30 minutes from parking (thankfully at an aerobridge) until I got to my onward gate. Almost all that time was spent walking the vast distances of both concourses from one end to another as my arriving flight was at the far end of concourse 1 and the onwards was at the opposite far end of concourse 2. The transfer itself was a breeze; not a single person in line ahead of me at security check which took all of 45 seconds to get through. There was also plenty of seating space available throughout concourse 2 and no real issues with lack of available toilets or overcrowding in the shopping areas. You can buy pretty much anything you want from the myriad of duty free shops but prices seemed rather high. I'll be going through again in about 6 weeks and I'm hoping lightning strikes twice and I have an easy experience again!

90 minutes queue time on entry. Really slow with their new machines and no information or assistance available. Really bad experience in Terminal 3. Terminal 2 and FlyDubai is so much better than this modern monstrosity that looks like a metal slug and works at the same speed.

Terminal 2 of this airport has the worst conditions. I happened to get stuck in transit in this airport for few days. The condition is terrible: very cold no place to nap very busy poor food no place to charge phone no clean bathrooms and worse than that very rude and unhelpful immigration/airport staff. Terminal 3 of Dubai is very nice and luxurious but if you want to see the real face of Dubai stay in terminal 2 for just one day.

No problems passing through security while transferring. But then a small group of people accompanied by an Emirates ground staff member comes to the security obviously in a rush and skips the queue. No explanation no excuses. It took them 20 minutes all the time we were standing there just being ignored. Dubai Airport is crowded at any given time of the day but in the morning (6 am onwards) it gets really busy. There aren't enough toilets but luckily the rare toilet you will find it kept spotless by the staff. Restaurants are overpriced as at any airport. 6 euro's (8 US dollar) for a coffee and a donut?

Arrived Dubai on 1st April from London. Took 1hr 45 mins to get through immigration at 1am. Half the desks unmanned. Departure later in the week slightly less traumatic only 25 mins. Tip - always aim for a desk with a female immigration officer they work at 2 or 3 times the speed of the men.