Marseille Airport

Most reviews are for the awful budget terminal. But even the nice 'looking' full service terminals for international flights are run haphazardly. No bag drop off until two hours before departure. This means for an international premium class ticket you will queue until two hours before your flight. The lines stretch across the terminal and they don't crowd control at all. People will cut in line, 'save' spaces for another 5 people and the entire experience takes more than an hour. For the only flight on that airline for the day, with a business class ticket. Then immigration, then security. Two hours is barely enough time given the illogical and inefficient setup they have created. This only applies to international - we split into 2. One international (terrible) and one domestic (fine - still with the stupid 2 hour rule, but much smoother and faster).

The terminal MP2 is appalling - it's easily the worst terminal I've ever used, both when arriving at Marseille and also leaving. I used to travel to Marseille regularly (as I used to live here), often flying Easyjet. However, this was my first experience of MP2 and I hope it'll be my last. I don't know what the airport shopping is like as I spent so long queueing in the endless and chaotic queues that I didn't have time to go shopping.

I use this airport at least twice a month, as a business passenger almost nothing is done to improve your passage through security - even if you checked-in online, you must still go to the check-in desk to receive a pass. No priority business lane for security and loud complains of other travellers if you want to pass in front of them (understandable), security staff lacks motivation and quite often only one lane open with a long queue while at the next lane the agents are chatting while doing nothing. Toilets are often dirty and even clogged for days. The business lounge has no windows, is noisy. The employees at the boarding-side cafeteria are not obliging.

This is the worst airport I have been to. Massive queues for security with one lane open for checking/x-raying bags while 4 other members of staff sat in adjacent lane doing nothing. After queuing for almost an hour there was no time to even go to Duty Free as we were told to go straight to Gate only to find another massive queue where our passports had to be checked again (this was the 4th time by now). Eventually, as it dawned on someone that the London passengers were all going to miss the flight, they brought us out of the queue and let us go first. When we got to 'departure lounge' we were herded into a small overcrowded area with no seats. I agree with an earlier review that there seemed to be a 'couldn't care less' attitude about the whole thing but I think it is the management that is at fault - it was the most inept management of resources I have ever seen. Also it looks like a dump.

Marseille itself is a wonderful, buzzing, cosmopolitan place, but this airport, or possibly just the Easyjet/Ryanair sector of it, lets it down. You enter into a general hall that includes a very nice café area, where you can wait for your flight check in to show. The use of computers and digital displays in this airport is almost non existent. When we noticed our Easyjet check in was open, it was via a wooden or stiff cardboard board above the Easyjet area. We had speedy bag drop which that weekend, might just not have existed (see my Gatwick review). There were two queues. We were second in the speedy queue but you'd not have known it. At least 5 people went though on the other queue before we were called forward. There were two check in desks but our attendant seemed to have a lot of admin before she could start the process. We eventually were called, showed our documents, the tags were put on our luggage. Then we were told to take our luggage through and to the right. This was via a crush barrier, not the sort that you see in the bigger airports but solid fixed steel like a cattle crush! We traversed this maze of a barrier, to arrive at another point where once again our credentials were checked/scanned and our luggage put on a conveyor. We then went into a general holding area, that had a news shop and coffee area, and quite nice seats. But the loos were upstairs. This next floor was obviously an overflow area as there were lots of seats and no one in them. Ladies, these loos were the worst I've been in even on campsites. There were three that I would not even go in. Clearly there is no regular check/cleaning. Gents were apparently good. Down in the general waiting area, we could see a doorway that appeared to lead to passport control and the gates, but signage was minimal. There was no digital departure board. There was a board that showed all current flights, but it didn't seem to be updated as an announcement for the first flight didn't result in any change on the board. Our flight was meant to be 11.20. At 10.40 we decided we'd best move closer to the gates/passport control. We found passport control, through another of the fixed barrier mazes. There were 4 booths, three of them manned.The two guys in the ones immediately facing , simply ignored us. I moved forward, the woman in the other booth told me to wait. There was a digital board facing them and clearly they were able to see flight information which we couldn't.As it was there was chaos at Gatwick, so our flight was delayed, but no-one told us. Eventually at 10.55 we were called forward, and I noticed one of the attendants from the check in desk carrying the Gatwick sign from the desk. She was setting it up at the gate as we approached. Speedy boarding, she said, to the left by the window. Given that one wall is a window, difficult to know where to stand. There was a door in the middle, and one at the far end. Eventually there was an announcement in French and English telling us to move down. It got to 11.15. The luggage was on the tarmac, as was the fuel, and two sets of steps. No plane. Said plane eventually arrived at 11.20 (for said 11.20 flight) There are no loos after passport control. (There is a warning notice) and no seating in the gate area. We were eventually boarded at about 11.55. Unfortunately the first step on front set to the plane was a little high for my arthritic knee, and no attendant there to help. Poor service!

Absolutely poor. If I was one of the vendors in the airport I would be asking for a rebate of my rental. They keep you held in the security check for so long you can't spend any money in the duty-free or even have time for a drink before setting off. I have never seen slower queues.

Should be one of the best but is so badly managed it is ruining the image of Marseille. They claim there object is to be easy to use and then ruin the place with interminable bollards and posts. The shops are poor and the catering all basically the same. Security is rude and engages in untrained activity. I had to travel with a broken shoulder and they insisted in removing all the fabric braces including the back shoulder brace and then refitting and adjusting them with no training or medical competence available. This airport is a good reason not to move to Marseille either as a business or to live Wasted taxpayer's money by incompetent managers. A real shame.

Marseille MP2 is frankly a bit of a pit - presumably the airlines that use it benefit from reduced fees which they pass on to customer. Definitely feels like the steerage option and I shudder to think how this works for the very old the very young and those with reduced mobility for disabilities whether temporary or permanent. Felt like a visit to a DIY store with service on same basis. It feels as if there is a complicit acceptance of you have paid your money and made your choice about this place. The only positive to the recent air traffic controller strike in June is that we took an Easyjet flight to Nice instead of MP2 - I had been warned by a friend who flew last year but my wife and I were still surprised on our return leg. Good reason for looking at BA flights next time provided one can book in advance and get a decent fare of course.

Arrived at around 11.40am on a Saturday from Barcelona. First impressions of terminal were positive but after going downstairs to baggage area went downhill from there. Only two toilets in the baggage area and at least 20 people in line. Toilets were not very clean. Bags took around 20 minutes to arrive. Lots of renovation work going on in terminal. Used the information desk to get some maps and ask some questions and they were very helpful. Outside terminal went to buy tickets for shuttle into town. Huge lineup and there was only one person serving. Four buses came and went before I was served. Finally left the airport around 13.30. If you must use this airport only word of advice is to buy tickets for the airport shuttle online.

My wife and I departed from Marseille Airport to Paris CDG last Saturday in the early afternoon. We are both over 70 my wife had a hip replacement operation last year and whilst I consider myself as reasonably fit I have had a number of heart operations and have an artificial heart valve. What annoyed me most about this airport was the lack of management leadership control of the security queue. The staff in my view were ill-disciplined arrogant couldn't care less. Quite honestly I did think they were appalling when we arrived there was a queue with only one gate open after we had gone through security suddenly there were more staff and two gates open and no queue. Very bad performance compared with decent airport security such as Manchester.