Salzburg Airport

Not Verified | One of the worst airports I have ever experienced. After walking through security (which is a farce) there is one duty free and one restaurant. That is it. There are restaurants before security but no warning that past security there is nothing. The food at the restaurant is diabolical and probably the worst I have ever eaten. The restaurant is also not clean There are not enough seats for the overcrowded gates.

Not Verified | Can't cope on summer Saturday mornings. Massive queue for security, doubling back in itself (with people pushing in). Then there are too few seats and very little space airside. Shop is incredibly expensive. Passport stamping takes so long - ok, that's Brexit's fault - that our plane missed its departure slot two years running, leading to a 75 min delay on a 95 min flight this year. Toilets are the worst I've seen in Austria, probably due to overuse. They need to open the second terminal in summer, open gates earlier, and generally refurb the whole place. On the positive side, the security staff are polite when you finally get there.

✅ Trip Verified | I purchased a fast track for security as it makes the journey easier. I bought one at the airport as stated online no problem, however was then told there was no fast track in terminal 2. Also no staff to help out. Very bad experience and will be avoiding this airport in the future.

Not Verified | À terrible experience with far too many people in à small area. The number of seats available was ridiculously small and it felt unsafe. Also, the toilets were untidy. I Will definitely avoid this airport in the future.

✅ Trip Verified | Incredible. Departure hall mega overcrowded, restaurant/bar messy and overpriced. And on top of that, a cashier literally yelling at customers 'to hurry up' in the best of WO II traditions. Absurd, what a disgrace. "Flughafen Salzburg. Unser Job, Ihr Urlaubsvergnügen"... Really???

✅ Trip Verified | The worst airport I've ever been to. It is extremely crowded everywhere. There are not nearly enough seats in the waiting area behind security control, so people are scattered around sitting on floors. Consequently, shops, cafes and toilets are inaccessible. So claustrophobic, never again.

Not Verified | The most overcrowded and claustrophobic airport I have ever been to. There is nowhere to go, nowhere to sit (hello, floors!) and water costs a ridiculous amount. That's if you are ready to queue to the only shop in the barrack, sorry, I meant departure area. Check in is quick and airport is clean but what difference does it make if you have to wipe the floor with your stuff if you want to sit down? The airport administration should seriously consider the conditions it provides to the passengers. Maybe it has a runway that can accommodate many flights but the facilities inside the building are enought for under half the amount of people im surrounded by in the departure area right now. I travelled from the same airport in January 2017 and the conditions were exactly the same.

Not Verified | On arrival on Sat 2nd. March we had to queue outside the building then inside the building for a total of 30 mins to get through passport control - two unmanned counters on what I assume is busiest slot of week and season! No signs at luggage reclaim as to where to collect skis- found out from another passenger that they are left outside the terminal building in the bus park. On flight home one week later even more chaotic with skis - 80 metre queue outside terminal 2 with people directed to join it to check skis in. People in front confirmed we were in the right queue. After about 15 mins in this queue we came across a small sign that said this queue was for TUI and other charter carriers. Asked Crystal rep and he confirmed we were in the wrong queue and that we should check in skis with rest of luggage in Jet2 check in desks. One hour later the woman at checkout said that I should now rejoin the queue outside to drop off my now labelled skis. Fortunately by now the queue outside was only about 40 metres long so I resigned myself to about another 25 mins waiting. My prayers were answered by a helpful Crystal rep who said that I should take my skis back inside an ring a bell on a door to the right and simply hand my skis over. I was overjoyed when this worked. I was then able to help out some fellow Brits who had also been misinformed by check-in desk staff. A few signs in the airport would be much appreciated. I will try to avoid using Salzburg airport again as it is incapable of handling the passenger numbers in the ski season. It seems it is happy to take the money but unwilling to provide the service. The contrast with Innsbruck Airport at the same time of year could not be greater. A really poor experience.

✅ Trip Verified | I was a passenger on Jet2 on Saturday 26th January. The temperature was -5C outside. The "warehouse" that serves as a departure lounge at Salzburg Airport was overcrowded and from one to four doors (directly to the buses) were open most of the time to board flights. We, and others from our flight, sat in anoraks with hoods up, gloves on, scarves on, freezing cold and miserable - some without seats. Do staff ever monitor the departure lounge?? The situation was made worse because catering in the departure lounge is totally inadequate. May I suggest that before Salzburg improve their runway and perhaps take even more flights, that they address the situation in the departure lounge. You are treating your passengers like cattle. And that is not an exaggeration.

✅ Trip Verified | I agree with all the comments about overcrowding and no seats. This has been going on for years now. There are no staff in the entire passenger waiting area there, so you are right to be worried, only the two guys at the cafe counter and perhaps staff in the shop. No airport personnel whatsoever. The 'gates' get only staffed when there is a plane leaving, ie with border control and airline ground staff. They seem to run the airport as if nothing had changed in the last 40 years. This is how long I have been using this airport. Today, however, we had the most awful experience with the security staff. While they have always been laid back, approachable and amenable so far, today they had just set up a new electronic scanning area for the boarding passes guarded by a rather unpleasant woman. I was there with my (clearly visibly) elderly mother and this 'Rottweiler' barked at her that 'she' needs her boarding pass now. When my mother started fidgeting and complained that she could not set down her handbag/luggage anywhere and it took all a bit long - note that were absolutely no other passengers around that we would be holding up - that woman just kept barking at her can she get herself through the (very narrow) barriers now which she was holding open for her but not telling her, letting her try another one. So, my mother did in fact rush, got angry, nearly fell, nearly damaged that wrapped picture that she was carrying - I could not believe it. This would not happen at Heathrow or anywhere else I go. Staff would be there to help, not to commandeer. The woman kept on mumbling loudly to herself while I was standing there a few meters away observing how my mother got through security. (because there was nobody else around and nothing for her to do) 'what awful passengers there are sometimes and how people can possibly behave like that'. After my mother had cleared security I asked her - she had still nothing to do, no more passengers - why she had done that. She barked "this is an airport. Move along now, go away." I then observed how they went on to be very unpleasant at the actual conveyor belt/x-ray, (eg only gesturing at people instead of talking, not answering questions) as if they were totally overworked which they clearly were not in the absence of any crowds. A total absence of civility, training and professionalism. There was only one metal detector in operation, the usual crowds piling up in front of it even though there was very low passenger numbers, ie total inefficiency. I myself went through the little extra tucked away business class security thing because I was flying to a different destination. That was deserted, ie I could have gone through unseen if I had not said loudly 'where are the boarding pass scanners here?' At that point, another woman security chief jumped out of a back room and barked 'it is with me!' (and it was a little hand operated one). That obviously meant in clear text 'you answer to me'. They could hardly bring themselves to use a half way civil tone, the three of them. I was and still am really upset about the whole thing. The airport is just a big anonymous money making machine for them now, they have a new management, they don't give a toss anymore about their paying customers. Yes, it is a very poor impression you take with you. I have rarely been so relieved to get back to Heathrow.