Punta Cana Airport

✅ Trip Verified | We're sad. We really like Punta Cana, but the airport is horrible. Upon arrival, it took nearly 2 hours for the long, snaking customs line. Only about half the booths were "staffed", and those who were working there moved as slowly as the sloth clerks at the DMV in Zootopia. The departure area is crazy-hot (no air conditioning) and crazy-loud. Why? It's open to the tarmac, where there is heat and airplane noise and exhaust. It's busy, busy, busy. The airport is profoundly overgrown.

✅ Trip Verified | It is open air (meaning not closed and air-conditioned), so expect a hot arrival and departure. There are no actual gates you shuttle to your airplane on the tarmac and walk the ladder up. Worst was the massive lines to leave this country. No efficiency at the check-in or online options so you are left to stand in a very long line to get your boarding pass. Next on to the security line about 8 scanners for everyone to get through = another long, long line. Then you think are through, nope! Why don't you do another line the length of the security line to go through about 4 customs officer stalls. DR desperately needs to update their process of letting the tourist out of the country. Take a lesson from Mexico and have the form filled out one time in the beginning and the 'receipt' portion turned in when checking in for departure. Bam, third line eliminated!

✅ Trip Verified | I’m not sure why I’m wasting my time with a review since, based on the multiple negative reviews before me, they’re not interested in change. Still, I’ve been in line an hour and have another to go so may as well do it while I wait. By far the most ridiculous arrivals delay I have ever seen - and I have been all over the world to more airports than I can count. There are well over 1500 people crammed into this hall, slowly zigzagging toward a line of rude (and likely overworked) customs agents. Even worse, they demanded we separate from our family even though we wheeled my vomiting brother off the plane in a wheelchair and we were all using the same transportation to get to our accommodation - us into the longest line from Hell and him off in the one car we had ordered and paid for. Why? Because we were two families. So, once we finally get out of here, we’re stranded anyway until we can sort out another ride and meanwhile, I have no idea where he’s gone: the hotel or a hospital? And they were incredibly rude. We speak no Spanish but they insisted on yelling at us in Spanish while pointing to the other line, even as I wheeled him to the desk. I’m quite sure that tourism would be higher - more income generated for the country - if they provided a reasonable number of customs agents and desks. There are 14 desks, two for residents, one unmanned, and literally the entire arrivals hall is full - out the door, no exaggeration. Worst experience. There are so many beautiful islands to visit, why on earth would you waste your time with the DR and this ridiculous entry process? We certainly won’t.

❎ Not Verified | 2 hours to clear arrivals. Worst airport experience in 45 years of world travel. Its clear that they have accepted this as the norm, the layout and queuing aisles seem permanent and staff seem to have rationalised this as normal. Arrivals hall is chaotic, not well signed, unclear to new arrivals how or where to go, last thing you need after a tiring 9 hour flight is confusion. The process has 2 bottlenecks, not enough immigration officers/booths on duty (not rocket science) and then the sting in the tail, the surprise scanning of your bags after luggage pick up. Its a real pity, as we quite enjoyed the resort but Punta Cana Airport arrivals is a real obstacle for us to go back, just don't need the aggravation and there is always choice. Also very disappointed with Tui representatives on site response to our opinion, not really interested.

❎ Not Verified | Horrible airport. At least least half the gates are in an area open to the tarmac. Hot. Excessively noisy so that no announcements can be heard in the waiting areas. Passport check is not done at the gate, it’s done at the ramp to the aircraft. Passengers crowd at the gates. Buses eventually come to take the across the tarmac - people shoved into busses like livestock. No seats. Crowds again wait at the foot of the stairs - outdoors in heat, rain. There is absolutely no provision for special assistance once passengers are dropped in crowded seating at the gates. Insufficient information boards showing flight info - and not visible from many of the gates. Simply awful.

✅ Trip Verified | Arrival: Long queue for immigration, but at least the line kept moving. Had to join another queue for customs after collecting baggage. Departure: Not all self-service electronic check-in kiosks were working. The first one I used froze while halfway through, so I had to wait for another and start again. The security checkpoint took a disappointingly long time to get through because of a long winding queue. The departure area was quite small. The food court had decent choices, but all had queues at them and there was nowhere to sit as it was really busy (and this was off-peak time). The free airport wifi kept cutting out.

✅ Trip Verified | Had the most amazing holiday at the Majestic then experience departures at Punta Cana Airport. A complete nightmare. Our flight was delayed almost an hour as passengers were trying to get through massive line ups. They need a bigger airport and more staff. The airport has outgrown itself. Unfortunately, we won't return to Punta Cana. Resort - 10/10 Airport - 0/10

❎ Not Verified | The immigration personnel that check your documents, lack good manners, they need to trained as to how to communicate with the tourist. A hello with eye contact and a smile. Hand the documents by hand, do not just slide them on the counter. No one at the airport greets nor smiles. Only at the baggage I found a staff member who was polite and courteous. He is an example that should be imitated throughout the airport.

✅ Verified Review | Building itself is nice. Queuing like always long because just 1/3 of all counters occupied. Waiting area is basically a nice idea, directly open to the field. But you are sitting 50m next to the planes, so it is very loud. The worst thing were the toilets at gate 1. There are 3 cabins, on 2 cabins the doors were broken and at the 3rd the toilet seat was broken. Thats a no go!

Getting through check-in and security was very long so plan ahead. Staff talking on phones everywhere could of been work related but very noticeable. At the gate Delta flight to Minneapolis was delayed and not one of the staff members let us know what was going on with our flight to Atlanta. There was a stand by passenger that walked though the gate and got on the Minneapolis plane without even being checked, staff member was on the phone with back to gate. She was already on plane when they tried to find her. They did go down the ramp to find her etc. Then when our plane was finally ready to board 1 hour and 20 minutes late, it was a mad dash for plane. Staff did nothing to put folks in by boarding order. Love Punta Canta but this airport. Be aware! This happened on January 2 and yes we did miss our connecting flight in Atlanta.