The Worst Major Airport in Europe

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 59 total)

  • Anonymous
    Guest

    Frankenfurter
    Participant

    Sitting in Frankfurt A Terminal and was thinking that Frankfurt has to be the most unpleasant passenger experience in Europe. Secruity unbelievably slow – I thought the Germans were meant to be efficient? – with those stupid T5 plastic buckets you HAVE to put things in and then a very long thin terminal with zero interesting things. The lounges are only Gold card as as my company has cut back on Business I cannot make the cut. It is a bit like a slow painful death waiting for my connection


    TominScotland
    Participant

    Yes, Frankfurt is unpleasent, especially the rude folk on security. Both the LH Business and Gold Lounges are way behind the competition. But can anything really beat the bussing at CDG for misery? Mind you, transfering between terminals at LGW is no cakewalk…..

    All of them make me really appreciate AMS for what it is – the simplest, best run airport (not terminal for those of you who will fly in to defend T5) in Europe.


    Potakas
    Participant

    Actually i wanted to ask the posters if there is any option for buying any lounge pass at Frankfurt’s terminal 1. The access there is only for Gold *alliance’s members?

    Regards

    Potakas


    Bucksnet
    Participant

    Frankfurt has got a 4 star rating on Skytrax. Is it really that bad?


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    As many BT forum posters will tell you, Skytrax is about as unreliable as you can get in terms of an independent rating.

    It is a paid-for service, funded by the airlines and affiliated travel companies themselves and is in no way independent, or to be relied upon for impartiality.


    Senator
    Participant

    My gripe with FRA include the experience landing far out at the A-pier, then needing to catch a B747-400 from C16… That is honestly a real walk… The silly walk below tarmac from A to B is rubbish since you end up waiting ages for a lift between levels. As a none-smoker, I dread the smell from the smoking booths.

    I concur with the Righ Hon Gentleman in Scotland that the FTL/Bus lounges in FRA are dreadful. The SEN lounges are good. I like the new SEN lounge at C12-16….. once you get there. The B SEN lounge is not good, but the one across A26 is nice unless packed.

    I would take FRA over CDG any day.. Parts of LHR T1 are dreadful, like the long walk to catch BD to DUB when parked far out….

    Personally I think changing terminals at LHR is among the worst experience in Europe. I believe you need 120min connection from T3 Int’l to T1 domestic.


    Potakas
    Participant

    It seems i messed up.. i booked a fly to my parents and they will go through Frankfurt and they will have to change terminals there…( i should had pay the 50 pounds difference with BA…).

    I would like to purchase for them a lounge pass for terminal 1 and with a quick search i found out that only the Admiral Club (AA) could provide you one for $50.

    If someone know, i would like to ask if the lounge is accessible for passengers traveling to the EU.

    Regards,

    Potakas

    ————————-EDIT————————

    I saw that they will probably fly from 1A and the AA’s lounge is at 1C, can they go from 1A to 1C?


    BlackTower
    Participant

    Priority Pass lists 2 lounges at Frankurt in terms 1 and 2
    Luckily am star gold. 20 years since I spent much time there

    Lhr 1/3 are bad at the moment. Quite like the buses at Cdg actually


    MarkCymru
    Participant

    Frankfurt has problems and CDG is a bit too big to be manageable but I would take both any day over Heathrow. Unpleasant, officious, inefficient staff combined with ever-changing procedures make it uniquely unpleasant. £22 to get there by train and £5 to use the slow and unpredictable hotel buses adds to the insult (from recollection the equivalent rail fare in Paris is about £6 although, admittedly, less slick and more crowded). As for the T5 design that forces you past 700 yards over-priced boutiques before you can get to a lounge ….


    FlyingChinaman
    Participant

    To All,

    I agree with many of you that CDG takes the crown for the worst MAJOR airport in Europe. I loathe it each time I had to use it. LHR and Frankfurt come close and Amsterdam is the most user friendly airport (Changi is based on the blue-print of Schiphol but further enchanced by the Singapore airport authority).

    The strange thing is Luthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt is unique even by Asian standard and this is the ONLY ternimal tin Europe that offers an exceptional travel experience to the previleaged few and I am loving it each time I use it. But this terminal does not count as it is not mainstream.


    DisgustedofSwieqi
    Participant

    LHR is the worst for me, for the reasons outlined by MarkCymru.

    Only this week, I had to take the ‘walk of shame’ out of security, to mail a small tool to myself.

    However, this ‘dangerous item’ was completely in compliance with the items allowed in the cabin, source the BAA website.

    A case of a poorly trained supervisor, being awkward.

    I take circa 100 flights per year, which is a significant number and encounter more attitude and problems at LHR, than anywhere else.

    If I have not allowed plenty of time for my flight, I would have lost a 30€ item for no reason.


    JJ51435
    Participant

    I do not know FRA but I hate CDG.

    Terminal one is the oldest and smells of piss and tobacco. And this is where most US carriers – except Delta – and XL Airways w/ fly into and out.

    The newer terminals are too big and dark w/ awful traffic outside (why is everyone allowed to park outside when in the US, you are whistled at, ticketed or towed right away?).

    As for taxiing, it is endless from one end of the airport to your terminal (it usually feels like backtracking) and the bussing is appalling.

    Legal connecting times are not possible on AF or worse on other carriers and pax always seem to miss their connecting flights at CDG. Allow at least 3hrs for a safe connecting time there.


    PatJordan
    Participant

    My wife and I had the misfortune to fly from CDG during the air traffic controller strike in July.

    There were long queues at passport control, only half the booths manned, and when we eventually got to the booth, the guy supposedly checking passports was too busy with his mobile phone to do more than glance at our documents!

    Paris is a lovely city, marred by an inefficient airline hub. If I lived in England I’d definitely use Eurostar instead of flying there.


    samuel95
    Participant

    Actually, I have found CDG passport control staff to be amongst the friendliest of Europe airports when I went there in February 2010. The staff looked at our family’s passports (Hong Kong) and then welcomed us with a “ni hao” in Mandarin. They also like to play around with children in a good way. Those were excellent touches.

    The worst is definitely Sheremetyevo (Terminal F), tired and overworked Aeroflot staff manning only two out of five transit desks when there are 100 passengers waiting in a big crowd. The security staff shout at you in Russian to take off your shoes or something while customer service – well there isn’t any.

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