Zurich Airport

Not Verified | I did not have a good experience at this airport. I was very disappointed in the lack of quality customer service that was provided here. As I was going through security at check point 2, I had politely asked for the staff to hand-check my disposal cameras considering the magnet in the machine ruins the film. I have done this at many other airports and they all hand-check it happily with no issue. Instead, I was rudely told no and to put it through the machine. I politely explained that the machine ruins the film of the camera and I always hand check it and asked if they could speak with someone to see if it was a possibility. This staff member then proceeds to yell across the room to another staff member, rather than actually putting in any effort, who also rudely say “through the machine!” without any context provided. At this time the security point was not busy and they had no intention of even seeing what the issue was. Even after I explained the reasoning behind it, they forced me to put my cameras, filled with pictures from my 2 week long trip, through the machine to get erased. Following this, these same staff members then continued to have an attitude and started ranting loudly and openly to each other about the situation. I am not one to typically write a review but this was handled extremely unprofessionally and I am very disappointed.

Not Verified | We are living in Zurich and the airport is probably one of the very few disappointments here. Checkin is extremely slow and so is security! Besides this my parents got some Lindt Nutella blocked today even though it was dark and wasn’t liquid at all. It was also sealed. In a country where so much is invested in the environment, they don’t seem to find it a priority to invest in a machine that they can test for security and let these goods through. They rather waste tons of goods that goes in the rubbish. Obviously because the service was so slow my parents had no time to return to hand me the things. Very disappointing and a huge let down

✅ Trip Verified | I flew roundtrip from NYC to Dubai with transfer in Zurich. The unusual part of the trip was on a flight from DXB to ZRH. The flight was full. As all the passengers started disembarking the aircraft - there was a long queue on the jet bridge. We were confused why weren’t passengers ahead of us moving - the flight arrived in Zurich very early in the AM when it was still dark outside and it was freezing cold - as it should be on a January morning in Switzerland. So turns out there were 2 uniformed officers checking everybody’s passport before letting them proceed to the terminal from the jet bridge. If they need to do the additional security screening why not do it inside the terminal instead of the freezing cold Jet bridge??? But other than that odd experience the terminal for flights outside of Schengen zone was OK - I had a smooth connection.

✅ Trip Verified | The airport is completely overcrowded, the lounges completely packed and far too small. Airport security is below any standard with outrageous waiting times for passengers and old and inefficient scanners. Plus they have a massive lack of security personnel. Avoid this airport if you can.

Not Verified | Booked business class to relax in lounge. Went through passport control to find boarding area D lounge is a) almost impossible to find b) noted on lift buttons, and c) closed when I did eventually find it. I was advised to go back out via passport control to find a lounge at a different part of the terminal but was also advised that in doing so I may miss the flight as I would then need to go back via passport control to get to departure gate.

✅ Trip Verified | As a transit airport like Zurich, I did not expect much. However, the terminal was clean, the signages were clear. Also, the duty free shops had a variety of stuff that could be purchased. No need for security too during transit. The wifi was unusual, but thanks to boarding card scans, it was effective to get access, for good 4 hours you get. There was a ton of snow around, which made the surroundings beautiful. I will surely recommend this airport for transit. Quite above average.

Not Verified | Zurich decided that everyone needed to actually use the Ziploc baggies to put all of their liquids in. However, there seem to be some confusion about what constitutes a liquid. In this case, they determined that chapstick, and stick deodorant were liquids. Not a big deal really to me. However, they were to a certain TSA who searched my bag because I didn't put those solids into a ziploc and became telling me that I should have known better. At least that's what I thought she was saying in her finest German. When I explained it. I don't speak German and I tried to ask her some questions about what constitutes a liquid so that I did it right. Next time she became hostile and angry. I will avoid the Zurich Airport whenever possible. I don't ever want to go to that situation again. If they won't even let you ask a simple question so that you can do it right. How do they expect you to do it correctly? Questions are not threats.

Not Verified | This is my second time transferring through Zurich and despite how beautiful it is, it's one of the most "user-unfriendly" airports I've ever experienced. I'm a veteran traveler, having done extensive international travel for many years, and I just can't find any logic in anything about this airport. Oh, and my home airport is JFK. As poorly designed as JFK is, I find that Zurich is even worse in terms of usability. First, the signage is totally incomprehensible. In trying to find the Swiss Air business class lounge in terminal E (more on that later), the signs seemed to contradict one another and never actually led me to any lounge. I asked numerous staff members and received a long series of conflicting responses ranging from telling me that the lounge was closed, there is no lounge in terminal E, or that I needed to use the lounge in a different terminal. I eventually opted to go to another terminal to use the lounge there. Despite what I was told by various staff members, I still needed to go through both security and passport control simply to move from one terminal to another. And the lounge in the other terminal was mediocre at best. I'm now on my return trip and upon transiting through Zurich, I nearly had my duty free purchase confiscated even though it was purchased after security in my origin airport of Tel Aviv, which is well known to have some of the strictest security measures in place in the world. I had purchased some Halva as a gift for a friend and it was somehow flagged in Zurich as being liquid (it's not). Upon explaining to security what it was, they finally let me pass through with it. Oh, and by the way, Zurich airport sells pocket knives in duty free in terminal E. Can someone please tell me how a box of Halva is more of a threat than a pocket knife? Upon going through security, I experienced the signage issues yet again. I eventually made my way to the Swiss Air business class lounge. Despite being a beautiful looking lounge, it's completely impractical. The food is inedible and I had to trek out of the lounge and purchase food in the terminal to be able to eat during my 8 hour layover. The nap room was completely unusable due to the design of the beds. When I tried to lay in the bed for a nap, it tipped over and crashed to the floor, waking the other passengers and nearly throwing me to the floor. I instead opted to nap in a chair in the lounge. I had such high hopes for Zurich and the Swiss Air business class lounge. I'll be doing my best to avoid this airport and lounge to the best of my ability in the future.

✅ Trip Verified | Oh, the airport is wonderful! Clean and built with the most expensive materials. Designed Swiss sobriety. With an attempt to make you smile (sound of cows in the train tunnel... so funny). Full of luxury goods shops. But now: you are not in your prime youth and no longer a marathon (or even 800 meters) athlete. And so far you have never requested assistance because you just don't need it (still walking 18 holes for a game of golf and scuba diving regularly). You carry a hand luggage (without wheels). You have one hour to connect to your long haul connecting flight but the Swiss flight that flew you in was 30 minutes late. Your flight docks at the last dock or so of terminal D and you have to reach terminal A for the next flight over the continents. No trolley for your hand luggage (or what you would have bought in expensive shops would they have been open and would you have had time) and no travelator. The loudspeaker is screaming your name in the empty airport. You reach the plane sweating like a marathon runner, make the remark to the cabin chief who smiles at you and answers "Sir, this is a small airport" .. is it really that small? What kind of review does that deserve? Zurich was completely redone a few years ago (for such an infrastructure) at very high cost to Swiss tax payers in order to host Lufthansa acquired Swissair after its disaster and to the detriment of the international Geneva city and her airport. Still, it is so customer unfriendly and so arrogant.

✅ Trip Verified | A very cold austere airport that does nothing to endear you. A total lack of duty free and hardly a single shop. The prices in the tiny "duty free" area are a joke. It is not duty free and more like regular retail in EC countries. Signage is totally lacking when you get off the plane from LHR. There were no directions as to where we were supposed to go. The Swiss business lounge in terminal E is very poor indeed. We actually left without eating or drinking. The food meets a complete makeover.