Marseille Airport

Whilst the air conditioning is being upgraded in the check in hall in T1 the airport as a whole is big enough spacious enough and friendly enough. Food and drink/food is expensive - but not too much (same old all over the world high prices) We were out of the airport in our hire car in 50 mins from touch down. Car hire offices were 50 yards from the terminal and on return had friendly check in staff for our delayed flight. It's ok. It's no architectural gem but it does the job efficiently and quickly which is what you want.

By the way Mr Parra should know that the business centre (or executive lounge) is in Hall 4. I have seen it with my own eyes and full details are on the airport's own website. Has Mr Parra actually been to the airport?!

I have used MRS regularly for the past three years and find it a quick friendly and pleasant airport. Admittedly I am among the 'other' (inferior?) i.e. economy class passengers that one of your correspondents objects to sitting with but there you go - the downside of democracy hey?! It is not true that the car hire pick up is in a distant corner of a car park - it is much closer to the arrivals hall than at Nice for example and is very clearly signed. Once in your car you are quickly out of the airport and onto the excellent Autoroutes du Sud network or in my case the quick D7 to Aix. I like MRS!

It is evident that Mr. Martin Hambleton doesnot know Marseille airport as well as he mentions. There are no business class lounges at all. I checked with the Air France staff at the information counter in the international departure hall and they confirmed that there is no business class lounge at the airport. There is also NO duty free hall at all in whatsoever international departure hall at Marseille airport. I know there are some shops but these are not in the departure hall. I used both the Schengen and the european departure halls and I could not find any F&B facilities. Maybe Mr. Hambleton could be so nice to inform all air passengers where the business class lounges are located where the F&B facilities in the departure halls are (I do not mean the Flo and other brasseries which are not located in the actual departure halls) and where on Marseille airport we can buy duty free products. I fly once a week have visited hundreds of airports all over de world and feel that Marseille is the worst airport to spend your time waiting. No comparison at all with Schiphol Frankfurt Copenhagen Hong Kong Bangkok Nice Vienna etc.

Don't really agree with the comments below at all. MRS is a well built and user friendly airport that provides a reasonable service to travellers. Mr Parra does not mention at all which airline or which Departure hall he was using. All departure halls have business lounges indeed the International hall has a lounge called "Cezzane" and provides very good facilities for business travellers (you need a key pass from the check-in but if your flying business you will receive one) the Domestic (AF and codeshares) has a smaller but none-the-less comfortable business lounge. All airlines with the exception of the "North African" and charter/low cost flights have dedicated business check-in in both halls. Again there is a large duty/tax free shop in the International hall very well stocked and in fact perhaps a little to big for its size. All departure halls provide F&B facilities and all are open untill the last flight has departed. There are technically 3 departure halls at MRS and all have access or provide the above. I honestly don't work for the airport but i do find the comments of Mr Parra a little unfair on MRS. This is my local airport and i have been commuting through it for over 7 years and have never encountered the problems described below.

No business class lounges AT ALL. Even if you fly business or first with Air France you have to wait in the departure hall amongst all other travellers. (Most of them from North African countries). No separate check in. No food or beverage available in departure halls NO tax free shops No other shops at all. Just nothing only a waiting hall where nothing happens ar anything is available.

Travelled ORY-MRS in May 04. MRS was a bit of a "disaster". Had to wait 45 mins for luggage to appear on the carousel and the main concourse was being "renovated" so dust and debris were everywhere. Car rental agencies were located quite a distance from the terminal building in a remote car park with no signage to this effect in the terminal. So if you go to Marseille patience will be quite a virtue!