Nassau Airport

Customer Reviews

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Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
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Customer rating from 24 reviews
4/10
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5/10

Nassau Airport customer review

We arrived at the airport on June 5 at 11:30 am. There was no line for Delta so we checked in with the agent in less than 5 minutes. The next stop was security a security agent checking IDs. There was no line and we were through in another 5 minutes. You drop your checked luggage off on a conveyer belt and go through screening. They emptied our carry on as we had our scuba regulators in the bag but we were still through in 10 minutes. The last stop was US customs which was another 5 minutes. Bottom line was we went from the cab to the gate in 25 minutes on a Saturday at noon. The airport is suggesting a 3 hour check in and the motel suggested 2.5hrs. Not sure why.
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4/10

Nassau Airport customer review

Things have changed. Due to a storm my Sky Bahamas flight was delayed getting me to Nassau and that gave me only an hour and a half before my flight to the states. I did my best to cultivate a Zen-like acceptance to prepare for a bad travel day - but I didn't need it. I picked up my checked Sky Bahamas bag in 5 minutes found the international departure terminal in 8 minutes got myself checked in at American Airlines in 5 minutes and about 20 minutes later was standing in line at Dunkin Dounts in the departure lounge. There was a lot of security it's true but it went quickly (even when the bag searcher opened my cribbage board and spilled out the pegs). Note this was on a Thursday and that might have helped but it wasn't the horror I'd been led to believe by some of the older posts.
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2/10

Nassau Airport customer review

First off Nassau Airport is not on the same level as airports in the US or Europe. That should be news enough for people expecting a 5-Star Airport. The recent growth on New Providence and at Paradise Island (i.e. Atlantis Cable Beach etc.) is almost a world away from Lynden Pindling International Airport. My experience last week seems to be better than some of the good folks who have come before me but by no means is NAS a 5-Star Airport and the unexpected should be expected Inbound pax deplane and enter the Bahamian Customs facility. I arrived at about 2:30 and most of the lanes were open. Next comes the bag claim. Word of caution- try not to check any luggage. This will only slow you down and bag handling at NAS is disastrous. A Customs officer will ask you about the contents of your bags and most of the time will let you through without any checks. Taxis and Car Hire is outside of the bag area. Departures: I flew out on USAirways at around noon. If you are flying to the USA from NAS arrive at least 3 hrs early. Flights within the Bahamas Caribbean and to Canada & the UK leave from another terminal and usually need 2-3 hours lead time. USAirways opened their check-in desks at 9 so my group was checked in first. 3 hours may seem excessive for a Caribbean airport but it really helps here. After check-in you walk around and behind the check-in desks to the first security checkpoint. This has a metal detector and the whole works so be prepared to do everything you would at TSA/CATSA. Next comes US Customs & Border Protection Preclearance where a US (not Bahamian) officer checks your documents. Make sure to fill out the proper forms before you arrive at the airport. Not filling out the forms until the last second will only delay you further. After CBP you proceed up an escalator to a SECOND security facility. This also has a metal detector and more stringent security checks. My laptop was checked for explosives and had to be taken out of its TSA-approved case (not recognized in the Bahamas). The reasoning behind 2 checkpoints is hard to fathom but is probably to create a few more jobs for Bahamians. After all 3 of these checks you finally enter the departure lounge. Thanks to new ownership by Vancouver Airport Group (who is responsible for YVR Gatwick and the new Montego Bay Airport terminal) there are new shops such as Dunkin' Donuts Hard Rock Cafe (Souvenirs Only no food!) and Harley-Davidson. Prices are extremely high ($2.50 for a candy bar) so buy only if you need to. Also sit near your airline's boarding door. The jetways are still several hundred feet away but each airline has one set of double-doors where they conduct boarding. The PA is impossible to hear thanks to the massive echo in the building but you should be fine if you pay attention and sit near your gate. Finally at the jetway security personnel conduct random hand checks of luggage. They seem to pick the first person who walks towards the door so mix yourself in the pack to lessen the chance of being stopped. All in all NAS is changing. Vancouver Airport Group will steer the airport in the right direction down the road but it can't be fixed overnight. Just remember: get the earliest flight possible to your destination to avoid the 11am-2pm security rush for 1pm-4pm departures and get there 3 hours early (or more if desired). It takes 30-45 minutes to reach the airport from Atlantis/Downtown Nassau so plan for that too. This should help to make your departure from Nassau a bit less stressful. As many others have said NAS is below expectations for the capital and toruism hub of the Bahamas. A week spent in the luxury of the Atlantis seems lightyears away from the old hot Nassau Airport.
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1/10

Nassau Airport customer review

I have just returned from a trip the to Bahamas flying back from Nassau International Airport to Detroit. We arrived to the airport 2 hours 45 minutes before our flight and would have missed our flight if our flight had not been delayed. None of the workers knew what was going on and we were continually told to be in one line and then got yelled at once we got to the front that we were in the wrong line. We were standing in a line after we received our tickets and had to take our luggage to another line for it to be loaded. We were standing in this line (where we were told to go) for 15 minutes a worker then came over and said this was not a line and that we needed to go to the end of the line outside. We told her that we were told to stand here and her response was "and now Im telling you that you are not supposed to be here and to go outside". I have never been treated so rudely. We then proceeded to a line outside of the airport that took us 45 minutes to get through merely to place our luggage on a conveyer belt. We then continued through line after line and two different security stops one of which seemed pointless considering they did not make you remove your phones computers jackets or shoes. We still do not understand the point of us standing their and being searched if it was not a true security point. Before we went to our gate we went through customs in the Bahamas. The workers here were beyond rude. A foreign family was told by another worker to go to the front of the line because their earlier flight was late so they were running close in getting their connecting flight. One of the workers at the front of the line legitimately yelled at the family and everyone else in the line said it was ok for them to go in front of us but he made them go to the back of the line. We all felt horrible it was not their fault that their connecting flight arrived late! If I ever travel to Nassau again I will fly to another airport in the Bahamas and take a boat to Nassau. There is no reason for workers to act this rudely to customers.
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3/10

Nassau Airport customer review

The vast majority of problems with this airport pertain to the delays of having to travel back to the US. If you are travelling to any other country (international) security is a breeze. For example travelling to Toronto Montreal or London: simply check-in with the agent walk down 40 feet to the right to the security area and walk through the detector. After this quick security screening you have reached the "international lounge area" where you just sit and wait to board. It takes about 20 minutes in total if there isn't a big line up at check in. Just be there an hour early to make sure your bags get on the plane but they should since NAS is a small airport. The BIG problem is travel to the US. If this is your case you should be at the airport at least 2.5 hours in advance due to all the TSA regulations. The Bahamians are just following protocol but they sometimes exagerrate when they confiscate possessions (eg golfballs were taken from me) and they are rude and brush you off when you ask why. Expect at least 3 security checkpoints a carry-on search (1 on 2 chance of having that done) and for the unlucky a random spot check (1 on 6 chance of having that done). These are all measures the TSA has enforced in the Bahamas and have to be followed by Bahamian security personnel. The US Customs line can be really long and slow especially during lunch hour when the bulk of the flights are leaving. You would think they could have more agents out at that hour and save the lunch for 2 PM when things calm down. During Christmas break and spring break the Bahamian Customs area for arriving passengers can be packed and lines can take over an hour if 4-5 flights arrive at once. Otherwise it is extremely smooth. The biggest problem with the airport is the fact that it is just SO old and in dire need of renovation. The restaurant in the US departures lounge is way overpriced and the food is horrible. Ultimately the image the airport conveys is that of a tiny island airport you'd see at a Bahamian island like Long Island-- this is not an airport suited for the capital Nassau. Also the baggage area has no security and lost bags are thrown everywhere. It is a mess to see for tourists. But the baggage people who can be paid to place your bags on a chariot and wheeled out are helpful and informative. They are worth the $5 tip since they'll also get you a taxi/limo. Overall this airport is a 5/10 but people should not base coming to the Bahamas because of the airport. It is a great country with much to offer simply a little slow as the expressions go.
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4/10

Nassau Airport customer review

We have traveled to Nassau/Paradise Island from Wash DC for 25 years so have seen many changes in the airport - mostly for the good. Since 9-11 security has been stronger in Nassau than anywhere we have been in the USA. Many metal detectors and pat downs and it takes a very long time to snake through the airport but I understand and am always up on the lastest TSA rules and prepared according to the rules. In Nov 2007 the last security check point in Nassau did me in. They took my carryon to search it and that was fine with me. They pulled out a bag of batteries and told me I had to check the bag or throw away the batteries. I was appalled because I did what TSA says to do and the batteries were worth over $60. I had meds in my carryon so told them to toss the batteries but I am still upset over this. Other batteries were okay to carry in camera cell phone etc but not alkaline even when in accordance with TSA rules? They had no right to do that and were rude about it.
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3/10

Nassau Airport customer review

Beware of the laxity surrounding the baggage claim area in the event your luggage doesn't arrive on your flight. We traveled to Nassau from Ft Lauderdale on 6/23/07 and had three of five checked bags that didn't accompany us. Bags are left on carousels or dumped haphazardly on the floor. The Baggage agent did a good job of recording bag identity info and initiating a search. But that's the extent of it. Upon returning to the airport four hours later I located the missing bags lying among approximately 200 other unclaimed bags. The agent was unaware the bags had arrived on a subsequent flight. Security is lax and no effort is evident of any airlines collecting and securing unclaimed luggage.
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3/10

Nassau Airport customer review

Food I go out to the parking lot and there's a truck out there selling hot food that's pretty good. Cheap too. The bar I wouldn't use and there is a snack bar at the far end of the terminal that's not bad either. The liquor in the store in the terminal has some really good prices on some brands. Rum etc. You need to know what the prices are in the states as some types of liquor are amazingly cheap then others aren't so. The departure tax always left a bad taste in my mouth and is probably the most irritating thing I've encountered there.
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Nassau Airport customer review

I travel to NAS at least once a year and like any thing it is time for some upgrades. There are days when things go right and there are days when fate kick in and things just don't turn-out like you want. This little island in paradise has an airport that was built along time ago. The government is now realizing that they need attend to this venue now. A five star airport it may not be if judging it with the likes of Dulles IAD or Ronald Regan DCA where I'm from. But a three star for Island is fair to say.
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Nassau Airport customer review

We found a nice airport that was air conditioned clean and with very pleasant and helpful Bahamians doing there best to be accommodating. It took a little while to get through security but the line kept moving. I was pleased they were making security a high priority. As others have said - part of the delay is because you go through US Customs here - not at your US destination. I thought it went well. Thanks to the wonderful Bahamian people!
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