Re: Re: Developments in Cork

More from today’s olim Cork Examiner on the new terminal building at Cork Airport. I annot figure out why Academy St. is so obsessed with the subject:

02 October 2006

Airport experience leaves a lot to be desired — and improved

I RECENTLY used the new terminal at Cork International airport and this is a brief summary of our experience. In isolation, most of the following would have been acceptable.

First, the departure display board indicated a specific check-in desk for our flight to Tenerife but the said desk displayed Nice as the destination. I went to the check-in person, enquired as to what destination she was checking in and she said Tenerife. I pointed out that the display over the counter indicated Nice and she said she would have it corrected.

The queue for this flight had extended to the bookshop and had split in two directions. A member of staff tried to form a single queue by asking people who was there first.

Passengers for other flights had to divert through the bookshop to get through the crowd. Things got so crowded that the shop assistant asked passengers to move away from the newspaper stand as his customers were unable to find it.

Then, at the food hall upstairs, only one till was open. Customers in the queue were complaining and one woman asked why there was only one till open when there were three staff waiting to make tea/coffee. The girl operating the till did not understand the question, as she did not speak English.

In addition, the design of the counter along which you slide the tray with food and drink ends about six feet before the till, to allow for a passageway for staff.

So you have to lift the tray, walk for about three feet, and replace it back on the counter again at the till. This is unacceptable for a newly designed terminal.

At the bar in departures, no ice was available for our drinks.

On our arrival back from holiday at the airport, there were insufficient trolleys for the number of passengers. I asked an airport staff member where I could get a trolley and I was told they were “being collected at the moment”.

I eventually got a trolley, which was an obvious cast-off from Aer Rianta at Dublin Airport as it bore a sticker to that effect.

I informed the Aer Rianta member of staff at the information desk about the delay in trying to get a trolley and her response was: “We have had four flights arriving at the same time.”

As a member of our party was disabled (which would slow down the process of us getting settled into the car) I also enquired from the same information desk staff member whether a cashier was on duty at the exit (as the time between paying inside and paying at the exit may have exceeded the time allowed). I was told there was.

We proceeded to the exit to find there was no cashier and nor was there a response from the assistance call bell. A queue of cars had formed behind us at this stage as only one of the two exits was in use.

I had to phone Cork Airport from my mobile to get assistance. When the car-park attendant arrived, he said one of our party would have to return to the multi-storey car park with him to pay the fee.

During our walk back, in the rain (almost one full hour after we had landed), he told me only 400 trolleys were available for the whole airport and that “our hearts are broken from people complaining”.

Can anyone clarify whether Cork Airport really is an international one?

Adrian Moloney
Ennis Road
Gort
Co Galway