Latest posts for the thread "What was your worst experience at an international airport? "

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

July 2001, flying from Havana to Cancun on a flight that was scheduled at 6a. It's already hard enough *leaving* Cuba given all the military checkpoints you go through to make sure you're not a local trying to defect on a fake passport (like one of Castro's daughters). Get through all the checks only to sit for 2 hours with no word about why our flight hasn't boarded. We finally get word that they're 'fixing' something. Another two hours pass and we realize that they're working on the plane on the tarmac below the window. That is, they've completely taken apart the engine and have all the parts spread out on the ground. Not comforting! Another 3 hours and Mexicana tells the aiport authority that the only way the plane will be allowed to leave the ground is if Mexicana trained/certified mechanics fix the engine. At this point we're getting the authentic experience that the locals have on not being able to easily leave the island.

So we wait another 2 hours for a trio of mechanics to arrive from Mexico City. 90 minutes later, they've fixed and checked the engine, for a nervous flight over the Caribbean. One of the women in my group demanded that if they were so confident in their work, they should fly with us. Which they did and when the plane made it into the air without a bump, the cabin erupted into "Viva Mexico!" and applause.

MK Taylor

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Several years ago I was seated next to a nanny from Sri Lanka in bulk head seats on a long haul from Amsterdam to Chicago. The family she worked for was sitting in first class, just behind the curtain ahead of us. Her employers were not from Sri Lanka, but another Middle Eastern country. Because both of us were wide awake, bored, and uninterested in the movie, we tried to converse. When I spoke very slowly and deliberately, she would use her limited, halting English to answer. A very kind and sweet lady, I thought.
When we landed in Chicago, I was separated from her and her family at immigration and customs. My brain was foggy from lack of sleep; I'd started my trip in Nairobi. After I claimed my luggage I pushed my cart to an exit; there was an airport official shouting directions at us. The woman was gesturing wildly and continued repeating the same phrase over and over: "Internationaldownhallturnlef! Domesticgorigh!" I had to ask her to repeat the directions, to which she responded irritably by increasing her speed of speech and volume. As a citizen of the United States, just off two consecutive long hauls complete with jet lag and a bit of culture shock, I had trouble understanding this airport official. I felt a pang of sympathy for my seat mate and her family, who would no doubt have much difficulty understanding the directions. What a way to welcome visitors to the United States!

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Two years ago I had to make a connection in Paris (Charles de Gaulle) to Venice. I have to admit, that airport was the worst!
Ok so first off our flight was delayed. 7 hours. The people there were the bitchiest people I have met in my entire life. Being american, the french airport workers were able to tell us apart from everyone else, and made it clear by making rude and tasteless comments about us in french.
So many other things made it a nightmare. While I was going through security, the "staff" was sitting there smoking (under a NO SMOKING sign!) looking away from the screen rather than checking for illegal weapons on the monitor.
I also remember there being piss on the floor, and hearing that once a part of the airport collapsed, killing at least five people.
I also remember an announcement coming on as I was about to board the plane saying "Ladies and Gentlemen, there was -er- an incident. We need -er- everyone to evacuate the building immediately" Meanwhile, rain was pouring down outside and everyone seemed to go on doing their jobs, and there was no visible problem anywhere.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Esling — GMT

Khartoum, Sudan. Almost no boarding control once the doors to the airport are opened. People rush to the stairways and push, punch and shove to get on, even though they hold valid boarding passes. Once on board many Muslims will demand that no one be able to sit next to their wife even though there are three seats and he and his wife have only two tickets. Mass confusion, unwashed passengers, anger everywhere. Once in Cairo things are much better but make no mistake, you are still in a predominently Muslim country and non-Muslims are not given the best of treatment.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

wildlemon747 — GMT

Not nearly as painful as other previous posts but the intensity of traffic at Dallas International airport called for my plane to taxi around the airport for such a long time we had to go refuel before take-off.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

So I was flying out to Columbus, OH for my brother's wedding and I only had one bag that I did not check at Loan International and all was smooth and ok. I can't say the same thing about the check in for the flight back for Port Columbus though. I was asked to check my bag, so without making a scene, I inquired why. At this point I was met by securety immediately and asked to step aside, at which point I was all but strip searched. This was one of the most helpless moments of my life. We live in such a fascist police state and no one seems to care or have the want to do anything about it. We will soon have H.R. 1955 go though into law and all United States citizens will officially lose all their freedoms we take for granted. All the Ammendments will have to be written to read as follows for example: !st Ammendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances "in accordence with H.R. 1955". This will have to be added to all ammendments. Please read about it and decide for yourself. When you read H.R. 1955, please define the word "force" as it is intended in this bill to mean something different then "violence". Good luck... and hope god has mercy on all our souls.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Noyceguy — GMT

I flew to St. Augustine, Florida on Skybus airlines because of the rock bottom price. It was $140 round trip from Columbus, Christmas week. The airport in St. Augustine was a joke. Shaped like a kwanzet hut, the entire airport had been constructed in one month. There were two gates. Both gates led to the same airplane, but at either end. The flights were delayed but no announcements were made, and the kiosk displayed that the flights were on time, even an hour after the flights were supposed to have left. The luggage pick up area was a concrete slab cordoned off with yellow caution tape! The rental car desk was tiny, and all 3 agents for the various companies stood side by side. There were only about ten or less seats for us there. None of the food on the plane was free, and we were not allowed to bring any of our own food on board.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

This past New Years Eve, my family and I flew out to Whistler, Canada for the holidays. As we were waiting for out luggages when we got back home after the trip, (we live in Los Angeles), this loud beeping sound went off and no one cared to turn it off. LAX workers came and went and didn't bother to turn off the annoying sound. When I had my brother ask the security guard to turn it off, she stared coldly at my brother's face and said "If I could turn it off, I would have already done so by now."
This isn't the only LAX horror story. LAX really needs to get it's act together and make it a more comfortable place for travelers.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Rennaman — GMT

Some years back, a few months after I had undergone bypass surgery, I found myself flying into St. Louis. As we tried to land, the pilot was on short final, and kept throttling up and down, making me and several others nervous. After doing this several times, he hit the fuel and went around. His explanation was that another plane had not cleared the runway. When I got to the terminal desk, they (TWA) told me that my connecting plane was about to leave. I was told I could "run" across the terminal to try and catch it, but they would neither hold it nor help me. (Three of them were standing around jawboning.) I cashed in my ticked and drove the rest of the way. I almost jumped for joy when TWA was no more, but still wanted each and every one of their former employees to have to wear a sign around his or her neck saying "I was one of the idiots that worked for TWA." Unfair? Yes, but where is the accountability for poor service?

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Since living overseas since 1977, I can say without a doubt my worst experiences are @ all the US ports of entry. My worst experience always is returning to the US. Our customs people suck @ the highest level. I have never been treated this bad entreing any foreign country I have been to (19 so far) It is always a pleasure to return to home country and be treated like S---,
and after 9/11 it has only been worse (include the buffoons called TSA)
Ciao.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

try asking for directions at Dallas airport!

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Heathrow was the worst and most crowded. Had to be bussed across to another terminal(wrong side of the road for the first time, that is scary when you aren't used to it) and then put up with rude personell at gates. That would be bad enough if you weren't already worn out from a nonstop flight from Chicago. Next stop was Frankfort,Germany with security guys everywhere with assualt rifles. Felt like we were in a war zone. Think i'll just stay home in the U.S., at least it doesn't feel like a police state.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

One of the worst experiences I had was at the Lagos International Airport in Nigeria. This experience was over 10 years ago but still very vivid in memory while I also understand that not much as changed. My ordeal started with the usual booking for my return flight from Nigeria to Paris - Charles De Gaulle. What seemed to be a routine day leaving my corporate living compound I ended finding myself arriving to an airport where some distress was apparent. Impatient people, line formations that would resemble a gathering of cattle as they are moved from one field to another and a prominent police and military presence was obvious! I did not think anything about it as I had become somewhat impervious to violence and disorder after being in Nigeria for 4 years. Apart from the usual delays and over booking as well as the several security check points where bribing was a normal protocol to the police and military gendarmes, I proceeded to the embarkation process. Needless to say this time around was less than normal.... First the plane did not make it to the terminal so we had to walk from the terminal to almost, what seemed to be the runway. This process not usual in Africa was terrifying as we had to jog around planes moving around the gate areas while trying to assure that one would not find himself directly behind an airplane for the obvious reason. However the most disturbing experience from this entire ordeal had to be in trying to get on the plane itself. Again one was confronted to a pack of cattle or even perhaps a pack of wolves trying to embark on the plane. People were fist fighting, throwing each other off the stairs leading to the planes entrance, tossing carry-on bags, pushing, and screaming. Violence erupted like I had seldom seen, even in Nigeria, simply to make it aboard the flight. I was somewhat lucky as I made it into the plane following closely the crew members from Air France who were as much as I was completely taken by the situation. When the plane appeared to be reasonably full the door was closed irrespective of the traditional headcount. Several people had to sit near the stern of the plane or where ever stability could be found as there were more passengers than seats available. The shocking revelation of this dramatic exit from Nigeria was seen and felt when people on board the plane were cleaning up bloody fists, nose and attending to cuts and bruises while changing from the traditional attire to a more European attire. The sole explanation that was given for this eventful flight day was that we were approaching Ramadan and that many people wanted to leave the country for this month long period....

Arguably I am sure that several readers had worst experiences but in a country like Nigeria many would think that this type of situation could occur in a National airport like Warry or Port Harcourt but surely not at Lagos’s International airport.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

My worst experience was flying out of phoenix sky harbor and the Nashville TN airports security personel actually slapped my hands away from my bags in both places. At the Phoenix one i had put my luggage down where they xray the bags and i reached to push down the extended handle and the man slapped my hand away. Then in Nashville going through security to the gate they were checking my backpack and the woman was finished with it and my shoes so i started to put my shoes in the backpack and she also slapped my hands away. It has also been my experience coming into the US from overseas that the immigration personel are very rude and abrupt and I'm an american citizen. I can't imagine how they must treat our overseas visitors.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

farvik — GMT

unfortunately it was in India. It is sad to say being an indian citizen that I had my worst experience in mumbia airport. I flew with my 2 children from chicago on british airways to india. On the way back at the airport the british aiways agent said that one of my daughters ticket was not valid as it had an error in the name. I was not allowed to fly and non ofthe agents were helpful until I bought a new ticket for her, even though I had a valid ticket for her and had flown on that very same ticket from chicago to Mumbai. I was very very disspointed in the officials rude behaviour and british airways service to their customers.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Dulles International in Washington DC - Wheel Chair bound traveler had to wait hours for transportation across terminal. Missed connecting flight as a result. Constant promises that assistance would arrive in a few minutes. Help did not materialize in anything remotely approaching a timely manner. Airport personnel were consistently rude, uncooperative, and disrespectful (rolling of eyes when asked for help). No apologies when their incompetence resulted in missing flight, not even lame excuses. They just don't care. Other travelers I have talked with who have used this airport universally agree about the general disregard airport staff has for the customers.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

They're all terrible.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Well I fly several times a year and credit efficiency and thoughtful cutomer service touches and plusses in an airport experience. LAX tries hard but it always seems to be under construction. Little San Diego Internatonal Airport (Lindbergh Field) has a spectacular setting along San Diego Bay and some nice touches like a Cell Phone Waiting Lot, designated parking for hybrid cars, grassy pet relief areas, free WiFi, a large USO center, and monthly live music perfomances. Oh, they also have what some are calling the first-ever employee blog for a public airport in the U.S.: www.ambassablog.com -- which is where I learned about some of the unique features mentioned above.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Sao Paulo, Brazil by far! Arrive at the airport four and half hours before the flight time and nearly miss the flight! How does that happen? This is how -- The security line is a proverbial mile long, preference is given to Brazilians, out of six x-ray machines have only two functional (first one only for Brazilians the second one for all others), all announcements only in Portugese, then a similar line for immigration with same rules!

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Miami, need I say more?

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

I got delayed for 8 hours in O'hare!!! wow that was boring!! The only reason why we were delayed was because one of the bathrooms on the plane was broken!! We were going to san francisco so they thought they should fix it since we were having such a somewhat long trip. But 8 hours?? man that was crazy!!

My worst experience at an international airport?

patrickinbigd — GMT

Hands down, my worst international airport experience occurred when my luggage was lost at the Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris.

Not once, but TWICE! That's right. Two separate trips. One year apart. Same result.

Needless to say CDG is now synonymous with The Burmuda Triangle in our house and we will no longer fly to - or through - CDG.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

The worst.......flying in to St Marten in the Caribbean......it's a very very short runway and so scary....and the planes touch down right next to hotels and a frontage road where folks try and hang to the cyclone fence.......you can actually almost get airborne while holding onto the fence........if you get to close one could really get badly burned from the jet engines. And then taking off is really more scary after you've been there for a while and watched the craziness of the whole scene. They actually have a bar where you can watch the planes come and go........after a few cocktails watch the drunks hang on to the fence and get blasted by the giant jet engines.........it's quuite a scene to experience!!

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

I have flown to almost every major airport in the US, as well as some outside of the states. and I have been flying to these airports since I was two. I've had flights canceled, luggage lost, shoot, I've even been on a plane that hit a deer during take off, but the worst experience I have ever had was flying into or out of the U.S. Army airfield on FOB Speicher, outside of Tikrit, Iraq.

Obviously no commercial flights fly in there, but the military flights are the absolute worst. Sometimes one hundred soldiers will be crammed into a C-130, hip to hip, sitting sideways to the direction of travel. Take off from Kuwait is just like any other take off I've been through, gradual increase in altitude, level out once at flying altitude. But the landings are so much worse in a combat zone. The pilot circles the FOB decreasing altitude while staying in the confines of the fence around the base. Once they are close enough, the bird gets pushed into a steep dive, everything that isn't strapped down goes to the back of the plane. At the bottom, the pilot pulls out of the dive with such force that it feels like your brain just went into your feet. Then the plan hits, not lands, hits the runway and you feel like an egg dropped out of a second story window.

Take off is about the same thing, just reversed. The pilot opens the throttle all the way, and doesn't release the brake until you think the plane is going to shake itself apart. There is no gradual altitude increase, the plane stays on the ground until it is at the end of the runway. Once there, it's nose up...hard. So hard, that I thought I was riding in the space shuttle during lift off. The plane stays that way almost until crusing altitude when it starts to level off. During all the bouncing around and sudden changes in direction, only one of two things is holding you in your seat; a flimsy lap belt or the squeze from so many people being shoved together.

So say what you want about flight delays, or problems with the security. I'll take those over a C-130 any day.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

saint2001ron — GMT

The Qatar Experience in Doha

Short of a positive accident, nothing could have been much worse than this trip. First of all, the first leg from KIX (Osaka Japan) to Doha, Quatar, began at 11:45 pm, QR 821. The flight lasted 11 hours and forty-five minutes. Nothing surprising about that and everyone knows how hard a long flight is. The other strange thing is it arrived at 4 am. This is bad because I had to wait about seven hours till the connecting flight to Milan. I thought the Doha airport would be a ghost town but no, everything was quite busy and open, Tax Free shops, souvenir shops and four restaurants. One below and there in a row upstairs at a food courts. Nothing gourmet, but adequate. And no bar.

Then strange things happened. I went to the Connections desk and he authorized the connecting boarding card for the 12:45 flight to Milan. He also gave me a voucher for breakfast. I said thanks and the voucher said Quatar Airlines was pleased to give it to us and it would supply us with breakfast. Unfortunately, it did not say which restaurant. So I check the Starbucks like place downstairs and they sent me upstairs. I went two the middle restaurant upstairs in the row of places, and then sent me to the one on the right and I finally saw the small sign they had. She said the service would start in 15 minutes at six. So I sat and waited and at six a line of about fifty people suddenly formed and she started serving them a large microwave chicken sandwich with their choice of drink. I was not going to wait is such a line, so went a side and watch to see if the line would diminished, and it did in about forty-five minutes. So I got in line of about five people and breakfast had become two triangles of crusted white bread with a slice of cheese and a square of fried eggs all scrambled together. I had the eggs with salt and paper and a few bites of sandwich. The problem I saw was a good number of people did not understand the system, especially the Japanese girls, and many probably never got it. Suppose Qatar give that voucher because people will be waiting for hours and not have the local currency, the rial.

Well, I read and killed time looking at the stuff for sale and sometime in the morning I noticed the coming flight was listed as delayed, but the departure time remained the same followed with “est 20:30." I assumed "est" meant estimated as in ETA. And kept that way till noon, boarding time. The sign and gate 11 read the next flight would be to Doha. No one was there till around 12:10 and I asked they guy, and he said the flight would not leave till eight-thirty in the evening. I was shocked telling him we already have been waiting about seven hours. He said go to the Transfers desk and get a voucher for a hotel. Why had this not been posted? There was no announcement on the airport paging system? I say many people coming to Gate 11 to look at the board and wonder what happened to the Milan flight, and there was no one there to ask. Well, I went to the Transfer desk and he introduced me to a guy I had to wait for, and a woman came by a bit after with the vouchers and took me to immigration and outside I met the guy to take me to the Mercure Hotel in downtown Doha. In waiting for more people to show, I met Renata, a lovely Melbourne clothes designer in her late twenties who was going to Milan, too and a Minalese man who was good company. In total, only five of us went to the hotel. I guess all the others just sat around in the boring airport. We were told of a large group of Italians who did now know what was going on and would staying in the airport till the evening site.

The voucher included a single room, lunch (fantastic smorgasbord with every think you could imagine, fit for a gormet) with refreshments, and transportation. Again, the lack of information left 95 percent of the passengers wandering around the small airport. Well we enjoyed our lunch, Renata took in the pool, I took a shower and washed up and we were all brought back to the airport at 6:00 and had to go through the whole process of checking in, checking bags, passport control etc. When we checked in, the woman said there was a further delay of an extra hour, no explanations did we ever get for the delays.

Phew. I arrived in Milan at 3 am and my friend there had to be up all night to get me

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Kabul International Airport (KIA) < Sums it up!!!

This is the pimple on the armpit of airports. They were showing some signs of improving, thru foreign hand-outs, when I last left. The main airline, Arianna, AKA Scarianna is the Bankrupt-Government sponsored airline of the Country. If the pieces of aircraft flapping with duct-tape doesn't make you nauseas during the violent, mountain-skirting decent, then the food will.

KAM Air is a very insignificant upgrade from the aforementioned. The flight crew seem to have some Ukrainian training. The planes are somewhat cleaner.

As of my last flight out, last fall, an airline that was making waves was Pamir Air. I never had the pleasure.

KIA is the type of place were corruption is a way to make a living. The airport police and ticket staff are always ready to move you further in line for a secretly placed bill. Passport control is just about the full-scale riot that boarding is.

When I arrived a few years ago, the kids attempted to carry my bags got into a scrap. An Afghan Airport Policeman did intervene by slapping the teens senseless.

But in the Afghan's defense, this is a war-torn nation. Oppressed by the Russians and the Taliban Regime. What is Heathrow's excuse?

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Last year I travelled through Sharjah. Usually, there is a X ray scanning machine, which my luggage shall go through before check-in. However, as I was in a hurry I forget to go through that machine and went without checked. At the plane only, I remember that the luggage was unchecked. What a security lapse? Same types of things have been experienced by lot of people. Another worse thing in Sharjah is that the long line of passengers to enter the airport terminal for check-in. The line on thursdays is 1/2 km long. It will take one hour to enter the terminal for check-in. Imagine with kids standing in one hour. This is worse than flight delays.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Buffalo is the worst airport.Security is the worst in the U.S.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

wmoshref — GMT

As I was cleared by the immigration officer in New Delhi airport, I picked my laugage on my way to costume, I was asked to give them $500.00 just because I was traveling from a rich country. When I refused the searched every bag, pocket, and I was chrged costume duty even on the suit I was wearing, I was put in a cell until 7:00 am from 12:00 am until I agreed to deposit more $1200.00 in cash, officially to check out of the airport.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

I can't say it was the worse experience, just somewhat humorous. It was at the old Bangkok airport, Don Muang, which had the Royal Thai Air Force golf course down the middle between the two runways. I got the chance to play a round of golf there which was not overly fun since it was stifling hot and large commercial airplanes were taking off within 100 meters on each side of the course. I happen to shank one of my tee shots off the course over near a runway. As my caddie went to find the ball (she would not have been paid if she lost it), a Thai Airways 747 was landing. The wingtip went over her head. When I went to take a picture of our group, I was repremanded by an Air Force general who was playing in the group behind us. He said it was a state security violation to take photos on the course. However when I asked he take a photo with us, all was fine.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

George Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas is not a picnic. Lines are usually long and it takes forever to get through security checkpoints. Trying to locate your baggage is a nightmare.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

tinahillinston — GMT

I work at one of the busiest airports of the United States, I have to admit our customer service is not that great, basically because of the tremendous amount of people we get in a daily basis; but we try to maintain a high level of security while we provide a fair amount of customer service.
Last month, I had to fly to Dominican Republic via Punta Borinquen Airport and that airport is full of people with no common sense. The airline personnel was rude and the airport security personnel had no common sense.

www.screenersconfessions.com

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Dublin's airport is definitely the worst airport I have had the misfortune to land in. I had a connecting flight this summer 2006 to Madrid, Spain (I came from North Carolina) that was cut close so I had to rush to the gate. It was impossible. There are just massive amounts of people everywhere going every which way, the most people I have ever seen in my life in an airport. Besides that there are absolutely NO signs to direct people where to go and the people who work at the airport are non existent so I couldn't even ask for help. I ended up asking someone who was walking randomly but he was in a rush and was not helpful and he shouldn't have to help me he doesn't work there. I managed to find where to go only because I spotted some passengers on my original flight and followed them through maze after maze. I, luckily, made my connecting flight with about five minutes to spare. I just hope I never have to go there again. It was chaos all around. There is no organization at that airport and what is worse is that there is no information center to ask questions or to receive help. Honestly, if there was one I wouldn't be able to find it in that mess.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Ouseel — GMT

I have been and used the Attaturk Istanbul airport, Turkey, for the last 4 years (since 2003). Having familiarised myself with the airport, it is the worst airport I have used, especially if you're changing a plane from the domestic to international terminal. The staffs aren’t friendly, the airport security is confusing and time wasting, not to mention rude. The elevator systems are terrible. As soon as you leave the airport doors you face the taxi mayhem, with security screaming, taxis going crazy. It is the most inconvenient airport I have been to. By the time you get to your airport, the exhaustion feels like having been in a war zone.

This is unfortunate, particularly when Turkey is pursuing a membership card to the EU. My second worst airport experience was at the Damascus International Airport, Syria. But that's another story.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Bernie Lantz — GMT

My worst experience was a few years ago at Seattle’s SeaTac Airport. I was on a 30-minute flight from Victoria, BC and we landed behind two or three fully loaded wide bodies from Asia. The Bataan Death March had nothing on our march through US customs. Three hours later I finally emerged into the light of day and swore that I would never again use Seattle as a port of entry. If I needed to go from Victoria to Seattle I would rent a car or I would make connections through Toronto. There was just something about a three hour customs process after a 30-minute flight.

Re: Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

it's not just the airport. miami sucks in general. people are rude. the official language is spanish, so you should bring an electronic translator.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Miami Is the pits when arriving from an International flight. No clear written directions , no one that speaks english to ask.very crowded and my lougage keeps getting lost when returning from Transatlantic flights.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

ceebeearabia — GMT

Travelling the African Continent can be trying, especially in Lagos and Luanda. Lagos is a reverse evacuation. Utter chaos from the arrival to exit of the airport area. Baggage is an unknown and the chances of getting it are the same.
The worst experience was Luanda, Angola. Firstly you exit the bus to the arrivals hall and there is no organization whatsoever. Even if you fly in First you are stuck in the long lines in you don't know the protocol. Must have a WHO card for vacs if not you can buy one for 100USD without a problem but must wait an hour to complete. No problem the bags still are not on the belt. The main nightmare are the mosquitoes(With malaria) buzzing around the lines of arrivees. Terrible when departing, a short visit to a currency interogation room asking for just about anything, supposed to be for local currency????
I will return!!

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

My worst trip was when American Express stranded me in China with no money in an area where American credit cards are worthless. (I was nearly killed and it made international news). I eventually made it out of the mainland of China to Beijing but by that time I had a broken bone in my foot and could hardly walk. The staff at the airport kept asking me if I wanted help and when I would say “yes and a wheel chair please”, they would lead me around in circles until we were in a secluded area and then they would start demanding that I gave tips to them and everyone around them. I mean demanding as in robbing me. I might also add that they were wearing airport security badges and name tags. When I gave up on anyone ever helping at the Beijing airport and just tried to walk to where I thought I had to go to get out, people would literally walk up and start trying to pry my luggage from my hand so they could take it and force me to pay tips to get it back. I had to pull my luggage back from them while broken bones in my badly swollen foot where crunching the whole while. I couldn’t make it 100 feet with out having to repeat the whole ordeal. By the time I made it out I had been robbed twice, stood and walked on broken bones for 3 hours and never did see a wheel chair or anyone who would offer me any actual help.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

I nominate London's Heathrow airport as the world's "worst airport that doesn't have an excuse for being so bad". Seriously, it makes sense that an airport in Sierra Leone or Mogadishu would be a mess: filled with corrupt 'officials' and armed thugs, have late flights, etc... Bad, but not surprising.

What is surprising, however, is to arrive in the capital of the British Empire -- some might argue, the most civilized place on earth -- only to encounter the disorganized, hamster-cage conglomeration of buildings they call Heathrow 'airport'. If I were British, I would be ashamed. I've been through Heathrow many times, and it never ceases to amaze me how bad it is. Lord help you if you have a tight connection between flights and have to change terminals:
1. You will have to wait in a long line to go through security even though you never left the secure area.
2. You will always have to pass through an area that is under construction.
3. The route will be different each time you pass through the airport.
4. You will probably have to ride a bus.
5. You will have to go down at least one hallway that looks like a backstage passage rather than a main thoroughfare.
6. There will be no way to check your flight status until well after it is too late.
7. Everybody you deal with will have multiple large tattoos no matter how refined they might, otherwise, look (still can't understand that aspect of British culture).
8. You will miss you connecting flight.

If this were in Paraguay or Mongolia, it would be forgivable, but London?!?!

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

I arrived at Kennedy airport in New York from London and was hearded into an extremely cramped passport control area where people kept cutting ahead of others and it took near fistfight threats by irate legitimate "in-liners" to halt line-cutters and the whole process took hours to get through. It was understaffed both at the checkpoint and as far as supervision of waiting passengers...and so packed that at one point a guy started freaking out due to claustrophobia!

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

My husband and I were in our late 50s, stranded at Newark International Airport, because the crew did not turn up for our plane, for 12 hours. After taking a break outside, we inadvertently began our progress up the "wrong" security aisle - they all looked closed - and were screamed at by a security guard who came rushing at us and gave us absolute hell for being where we were. There were no other people around and it was almost midnight by this time and we'd been traveling all day, our plane was about to leave, but he ordered us to go back and return up the "correct" aisle (which looked no different from the rest). We plan to avoid Newark for the rest of our lives!

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

The customs and immigration staff at Tan Son Nhut Airport in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is notorious for bribery. In order to get through customs and immigration smoothly, you need to slip some money in your passport as you hand it to them. The worst case is being an overseas Vietnamese like myself. This is when they really get you. Usually, a couple Dollars, Pounds, Euros, or whatever currency you have should do the trick. If you don't give them money, they will give you a hard time. I heard a man was held at customs to check for a bomb in his toothpaste by squeezing all of it out because he didn't give a bribe. Be prepared to spend some money at the airport to make your experience less stressful.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

ANY airport in the USA, I am a British citizen, and I travel extensively, a lot of my travel makes me go thru the USA. I cannot beleive how obnoxious the security staff are. They know that they can do JUST what they like, and that you can do nothing. Even the paperwork that you fill in on the plane before you arrive makes you waive ANY rights you may have had, or guess what, you dont get in. I have had officers search my company hard drives and external drives for child pornography, jsut because I flew in from central america or thailand, I have been made to wait for up to 5 hours in a room without explanantion, then just let go with NO apology for the lost flight, or any advice on where to go next. And the worst thing of all is that even in transit, I am forced to enter the USA, how stupid. If I was a terrorist, and pretending to transit, why I could just walk out of the airport and never be seen again. Seriousely, I think the USA has the highest count of unhelpful immigration and security personel I have come across ANYWHERE in the world. If I could, I would NEVER travel thru or too the USA if I did not have to. Unfortunately I have to and it makes my stress levels spike.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Kinshasa Ndjili, no question. You're landing in a country with no effective government, and where so-called government agents (eg, immigration officials) don't actually work under the authority of anyone but themselves. Their only way to get a sufficient salary is to extract bribes, and trust me, there'll be a fee for everything from getting your bags back to getting the heck out of there. Bring a stack of $20's, 'cause you'll need them. And the taxi ride to the city is $50, not $100 as they'll try to convince you.

Arrival at the airport for your departure to other Congolese destinations is hell on earth. You're immediately accosted by the "protocol" officers, who see it as their job to assist you through the gauntlet, in exchange for a fee. If you hand them your passport, you won't get it back without paying. Then it's into the chaotic terminal to check-in, through immigration (where you'll be paying a bribe) and the baggage check, all done by hand and you'll pay another bribe, and into the unairconditioned sauna that is the waiting room for domestic flights. The only way you know when your flight is leaving is when a flight attendant marches through the chaos yelling a destination name. If it's yours, you join the mad crush to the door, which leads you to your airplane, which isn't allowed to fly in any other country, where you'll most likely be seated wtih someone else's child in your lap. I've flown all over the world and extensively in Africa and have never had so miserable an experience.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

London Hethrow is probably the wordt airport to fly through. One should consider at least three hours between flights in order to be able to cross between terminals and long lines at security points. Screeners and airport workers are rud and make the expiriance a real unpleasent, to say the least. I fly through LHR at four to five times a year just because it is the only connection I have between my destenations. Will avoid this airport any time.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

In the spring of 2002 I traveled to Australia from the US through LAX. Arriving in Sydney and then onto Brisbane was "g'day" and "no worries" all the way: Flights between Sydney and Brisbane every 30-60 minutes. On the return trip, I was treated grandly. My traveling companion was a serious Frequent Flyer and we bypassed a line of at least 100 people to receive very personal service: I was booked in exit-row seating all the way from Sydney to Chicago by a lovely woman who joked, "oh, you owe me big time for this" as she handed me my tickets and boarding passes with a smile.
The return to the US via LAX was another story. Passengers were directed into the bowels of the terminal: Hundreds of people waiting in line. From where I had deplaned, I had been herded to the farthest point away from my arrival gate as was physically possible. My departing flight was leaving RIGHT NEXT TO MY PREVIOUS ARRIVAL and I had spent 3 1/2 hours of my 4 1/2 hour layover walking and standing, standing and walking, all the while being treated like a paroled felon.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

sdhtaran — GMT

It was Christmas eve 2007, we arrived at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria to take the Wizz Air flight to London at 11 o'clock, airport's salon full of people, we checked in on time and went inside gate, screens showing flight with 1 hour delay. Gates full of people, kids crying women sleeping on the floor, we joined the queue in front of the screen showing our flight's number and written: London! After 45 minutes I saw people are running toward a big window showing the band where an aeroplane was landing! Then I saw people from every direction are attacking toward the gate. There are two very rude women standing at the front and pushing people back and shouting some words in Bulgarian! After 30 minutes struggling, there was an announcement in Bulgarian and there we had more attacks toward the queue, I was so confused and scared! Tried to ask a lady next to me that what was going on! But no chance, not a word in English she knew! They started checking in! Thank god! now more pressures from every direction, more crowd! Finally we are at the front; woman saw my ticket pushed me back and repeating no London. No London!!!! Finally I understood, they are taking Germans passengers that have been waiting for 5 hours! Then I came to my sense that we are going to be here for very long time! Few hours passed, no food, no restaurant. Filthy toilets, no seats, we bought 2 packs of crisps and two orange juice, now it is about 6 hours, no sign of any aeroplane, but suddenly there is an Bulgarian announcement and same story began, this time people are attacking to another gate just 2 meter further! And this time some other women are in charge at the gate but same behaviour: shouting and pushing people back! After 45 minutes struggling this time Rome passengers! Oh! For god sake! They give our flight to some other passengers again! I did not understand what was going on! This is nightmare; I could not believe what was happening! Anyway, after sometimes they said food is going to serve!! Thank god, kids are starving! Trays came. What is in the meal? Small pack of cake and 200 ml water for everyone!! They must be joking! After 7 hours??? People are shouting, women crying! Anyway, we finally got into aeroplane, we were told that airplane was the one which went to Germany earlier in the day, and came back to take us to London! How ridiculous is that? We got to London after midnight, it was officially Christmas! I sent so many emails to Wizz Air, which is originally Polish airline, but have not got reply yet!
thanks for reading this,

zara

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

Vancouver Int'l Airport: Extremely unpleasant immigration officials who seem to enjoy baiting Asians. I'm Caucasian and a Canadian citizen who lives in South Korea. Vanvouver's immigration oficials seem to have been recruited from various local biker gangs.

Re: What was your worst experience at an international airport?

Anonymous — GMT

I recently traveled to Beijing with friends. We arrived from New York, passed through immigration, waited a reasonable amount of time for our luggage, and finally with out suitcases and carry ons in hand tried to find customs. We did not see any large signs directing us to customs, so we took a right and passed to the connecting domestic flights area. This didn't seem like customs, however it did seem like an exit. We waltzed out of the secure area through an open door, and into Beijing with out having our bags inspected or handing in our health forms. The security guard welcomed us to do so. After we realized that we had skipped an important step in the entrance process, we decided it would be best not to go back and ask for them to inspect out luggage. This skipped step presented no delays on departure.