FARO AIRPORT - treatment by staff

simonec · Post by **simonec** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 1:57 pm

What a let down to a great holiday ! Will certainly think twice about visiting the area surrounding FARO again. ! Do the staff there not realise that we ARE actually the customers !

After moving around all the miserable looking staff and being charged inflated ( RIP OFF) prices for everything that we bought we were then made to feel that we were being offered a favour by customs staff .

I had on my possession 5 items of liquid below 30ml including- a mini lip gloss , mini deodrant, minute perfume bottle. I held these in my hand and showed them to the staff @ customs as we were going through. I was told in abrupt manor that I could not take them as I did not have a clear bag. When I asked where I could get one from I was advised that I would have to go back out and purchase one from the chemist .

When I questioned this as to go back out would have been a big inconvenience seeing as the Portugese seem to slow things down on purpose @ their airport ( that is another matter) I was advised that I could take 2 items through - what difference did it make ! Why cant they supply the clear bags like we good old Brits do in the UK ?? It wasnt just the incident it was the manorism of the people ( or lack of it) .

They will be charging us next for the privielege of having our passports checked !!

roy4eyes · Post by **roy4eyes** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:06 pm

We always find the Faro Airport staff friendly and courteous - much more so than the jobsworths at Heathrow and Gatwick.
The latter insisted on me removing my shoes when I was on crutches following knee surgery in spite of the fact there was nowhere to sit down - only a helpful BA lady who saw what was happening and brought over a wheelchair resolved the problem. Next the (non-English) tyrant at security insisted that the binoculars round my neck were a second piece of handbaggage and must be put in the hold !! or stuffed into an already full laptop case.
The rules regarding liquids are clear - albeit utterly stupid and useless - and the last few times we have travelled from U.K. airports we have had to buy the clear plastic bags.
Airport prices all over the world are a rip-off - apart from Portimao airport where a caneca is still only 1.80

.
Don't let this put you off and look forward to your next visit to our beautiful part of the world

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:43 pm

I am sorry but the rules on liquids are clearly advertised well before you get to customs, also if you have travelled out from the UK you know what the rules are, why should it be any different in Faro, these rules are for every ones safety and I do not mind having to comply with them as should everyone else.

The staff have always been very friendly and nice to us at Faro, I wouldn't like their job having tourists who think they know better coming through with everything they are not allowed to take and then stand and argue about it.

Sorry but these rules really have been in force now for a long enough that they shouldn't come as a surprise anymore.

tomgibson · Post by **tomgibson** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:18 pm

Couldn't agree more Lesley Jean. We should all know the rules by now. I am sure that airport staff must get thoroughly fed up with people who seem to think these rules don't apply to them.

Most fo us agree that these rules are pretty stupid in the grand scheme of things and if you don't agree with them then we all know what we an do.

Tom

bruce · Post by **bruce** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:18 pm

How strange my husband and I commented on how courteous the check in assistant, security and immigration were at Faro in comparison with the miseries at Manchester airport. The people at passport control in Man were off hand and rude.
Personally I can manage without perfume, lip gloss etc for a couple of hours it's my hubby that gets upset about it - rules are rules

Ellie · Post by **Ellie** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:47 pm

I landed at Faro last September only to find that someone had made off with my bag by mistake..
I was feeling wretched as I was alone but on telling the girls at lost property I couldn't have asked for nicer kinder treatment. They really went out of their way to help me, giving me a seat...even making phonecalls for me to a mobile which was left on label on the owners rightful baggage.
Within a couple of hours I had my own bag back..and when I thanked the girls for being so kind & helpful, they seemed surprised.

In my years of travelling back & forth to CVO Ive never encountered anyone being short with me..in fact I usually have a laugh when checking in my bag on return home

redwinegirl · Post by **redwinegirl** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:22 pm

Never encounted anything but politeness at Faro airport. Last year my dad had some "oversized" baggage and I'd already proceeded through security. They "Outsized" baggage area actually needed to verify that I was there as somehow my name was on the goods. I explained to security who opened up all these specially gateways for me to return to the check in. Then as soon as I was done they let me back through security without queuing. All smiles.

If you require unprofessionalism - try Manchester

maddi · Post by **maddi** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:31 pm

Hey Simone

Sorry you had such a bad experience and I am sure all the examples of opposing treatment are not people suggesting for one minute that you didn't have a crap time and poor customer service.

I am pretty certain most of us on here can give opposing examples of an experience we have had at many airports, in many restaurants, even about living in the same town even.

Hopefully you come back to the Algarve or the far west of southern Spain (also served by Faro these days) and next time have a much better airport experience.

Maddi

Jackie O · Post by **Jackie O** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:40 pm

The foods crap too.

Canada · Post by **Canada** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:22 pm

Do we really go th the airport to eat? No - if we eat at all it's because we are overly hungry and anything tastes good.

e-richard · Post by **e-richard** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:44 pm

Unless you have a 4 hour delay and have no choice

But must echo other posters, prices are stupid, but staff generally very courteous in all areas.

simonec · Post by **simonec** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 4:38 pm

Would just like to add that do not normally carry any liquids - mini ones bought especially as we had to be out of a room a long time before flight and had to freshen up in courtesy room after suitcases sealed .

ROTCIV · Post by **ROTCIV** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 6:08 pm

well ... rules are rules they are very well explained before you check in, and airports are a rip off worldwide. i rather have this rules and know it's safe to fly, than being blown up in mid air.

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:34 am

The great thing about on-line check in, is that, delays not withstanding, you can arrive at the airport about an hour befor your flight, and more or less go straight to your departure lounge.

Airports, especially these days, are unpleasent rip off joints, especially Heathrow. I dont know about T5 but the rest of Heathrow is awful, I went through T2 and T3 recently.

Gatwick is a bit better, but not much, just has the advantage of being 15 minutes from home!

The shops and restaurants REALLY piss me off. There is no real duty free shopping anymore, and many shops, even though "Tax ,ie VAT, Free", are more expensive than your local High Street, and you still have to show your boarding card for the priviledge of buying their overpriced stuff.

Airport shopping only suceeds because because many of us, especially our best beloveds go grazing in these overpriced honeytraps as a means of filling the 2 or more ours of tedium between check in and flight!

But we will be back at Gatwick Thursday.....but thanks to on-line check in I will whip Julia through the shopping area en-route to the departure gate before she can issue those dreaded words...."Can we just look in....?"

Mind you....she will get her revenge....with those other dreaded words..."Algarve Shopping!"

Gary/Gaynor · Post by **Gary/Gaynor** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:07 am

Bruce

I think once you get that holiday feeling spending in the duty free does not matter well Gaynor never seems to miss the oppurtunity !! We go from Rotterdam which is a nice ickle airport and in the good old days you could even pour your own pint. I hate big airports Schiphol is massive but at least coming from Holland we dont do passport control at Faro. So to ease the pain I will buy you and your better half a drink at Rachaels and Sergios and maybe Sunday we can go and watch Russia v Germany down in the square. Me Im a Pompey boy so am in cloud heaven Wembley was a fantastic day but the 4 tickets cost me a fortune !!

See u in CVO

Gary