"friendly, welcoming and helpful"
Tony Maddern (Australia)
✅ Verified Review | Faleolo airport in Apia, Samoa is a small airport. We found immigration, customs etc very quick and efficient, as well as baggage handling. At the moment, the airport is not really pretty to look at, but a new terminal is being built, which should be spectacular when completed. It's really refreshing to be able to walk through the airport on arrival / departure and not be forced to navigate through a giant shopping mall like at Sydney. The airport has done duty free shops (which you are free to go into or not go into, rather than having to go through them to get in / out of passport control, a few small food shops (reasonably priced) and a bar. Parking is $5 Samoan Tala. Staff at the airport are friendly, welcoming and helpful. The only negative side is that there is no air conditioning outside the security areas and check in is a bit uncomfortable when it's humid.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | July 2016 |
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 | yes |
Faleolo Airport customer review
A Gibbons
Faleolo is the international airport for Samoa located 1 hour from Apia on Upolu island. A pain for late night/ early morning arrivals and departures but conveniently close to the ferries for Savaiii Apolima and Manono islands. Used Faleolo airport this last weekend as a business class passenger. First pax off the plane to a stretch limousine awaiting at bottom of steps! Together with police guard and band. 100% true but alas this VIP welcome was not for me but for the Samoan Head of State seated across from me on the plane. However no pomp and ceremony for me once inside this basic airport. Immigration was slow/methodical but courteous. Baggage claim and clearance even slower. On return check- in handled efficiently by Polynesian. No lounge facilities at Faleolo provided for premium passengers (only a govt lounge for VIPs). Landside toilets are derelict and filthy. Better to hold your water until you get airside. One rung above Port Moresby airport in PNG - which itself IS one big toilet. Immigration at APW outbound even slower than inbound due to a disorganised pax on an Air Pacific flight - also departing at 4.30am-5.00 am. Once airside an overpriced cafe and dutyfree but at least there's air-con. On the bright side this could be a really good airport with a just little attention to cleanliness from the Samoan Airport Authority (such a contrast to the country itself - Samoa is kept spick and span by its people). Note that you have to pay WST40 departure tax at ANZ/Westpac banks on departure (not incl in ticket).No big deal but for this amount of money (equiv USD 15-20) airport could at least keep the loos clean.
Recommended | no |
Faleolo Airport customer review
Majosh Sanee
There have been a number of improvements at the Faleolo international airport but I still cannot get over how expensive duty free products are. I travel to and from Samoa at least three times a year and I have yet to purchase anything from duty free. It's just so much more cheaper at other international airports - even taking into consideration the rate of the Samoan tala in foreign countries! Airport taxes are just so ridiculously high it's unbelievable. Look at the departure tax for instance - I remember when they lifted the tax to $30 and justified it to the public by claiming that children under a certain age did not have to pay tax. My husband and I have two children - an eighteen year old and a 4year old we still have to pay $120 which calculates to 'more' - 'much more' than the four of us would have to pay to get out of Auckland International Airport (even taking into consideration the Samoan tala exchange rate!). And I need not elaborate on the many luxuries (100 times over) that are available at the Auckland international airport and NOT available at the Faleolo airport! Once the tax hits the $40 mark you might as well include it in the ticket like everyone else around the world whose departure tax is over $30! We pay tax on our tickets and at the airport ... why not just put them together and leave them on the ticket! That would be one huge improvement - and less hassle when flynig out of faleolo!
Recommended | no |
Faleolo Airport customer review
R Ellis
Apia's airport has been upgraded and presents a warm pacific feeling. The immigration/customs staff should be taught to smile though - especially after tourists are sold on the idea of a friendly pacific paradise proudly operated by the friendliest people on earth!
Recommended | no |
Faleolo Airport customer review
Tolu Efu
On arrival into APW in the evening heat arrived into immigration waiting for 5 minutes as there were no immigration officers to process our docs as if they were on lunch? This was a bit of a shock. Apart from that dilemma baggage was swift & on the conveyer belt pretty fast. Custom officers very polite & efficient. Faleolo airport is very open & spacious. In a hot humid climate tiles are laid through the entire airport. There are no main entrance doors to the terminal as it is one open place but very modern indeed. Departure lounge quite nice with the Tropical Pacific feel to it a big beautiful bar dominates the one huge departure lounge. This would be the only place together with the PH J Class lounge is air-conditioned.
Recommended | no |