Zurich Airport

✅ Trip Verified | Extremely disappointing experience! My family and I were taking our connecting flight to Toronto. Arrived at Swiss Air departure gate E26 after having already gone through a passport control in the same airport while transiting from the other flight. At the gate very few seats exist. Hundreds of people are lined up parallel and away from gate E26 for (at that time) unknown reason. While going to the washroom I noticed they were actually lining up to some improvised booth in the middle of the hallway with a hand-written sign that read "Passport Control". I and my family stayed put knowing we already had our passports checked before and assuming these folks are probably taking some charter flight. We barely ever heard any announcements from the PA system which was extremely muffled and easily overcome by the screaming of the tens of children and phones playing national media. When Swiss E26 gate started boarding they all ran to line-up to so we barely caught our places toward the end of the line. After a long wait when we were getting closer to the gate, some airport staff came and looked at our boarding passes and told us we have to go to the mysterious mid-hallway "Passport Control" improvised booth. We had to wait there in another line losing our place in the boarding lineup only to have some illegible blue stamp applied to the boarding pass, then had to go back and line up last passengers in the initial gate boarding line. When I complained about the chaotic boarding experience, the person from the improvised "Passport Control" booth could only find the excuse that there had been some announcement made through the mumbly PA system (I was tempted to ask him if he himself could hear that). He then offered to usher me through the alternate entrance for first class passengers, which I declined telling him I don't need any favor, but I expect professional organization at boarding and passenger care. Anyway my family was already back 100 meters in the regular boarding lineup (a behavior definitely more correct and disciplined than this Swiss airport staff). I have been flying for more than 40 years with various companies, to and from various big airports but this experience was a first. I'll make sure my future flights do not include Zurich or Swiss.

Not Verified | Little delay even for a UK passport holder on arrival on Sunday or departure on Saturday. Luggage delivery was a bit slow however. Check-in area 3 is an advantage for those travelling by train. Overall satisfactory

Not Verified | 4 people at ‘All Passports’ control. This means very lengthy delays getting through as they seem to take an age with certain people. We missed our trains. Half our group had EU passports so no problem for them but they had to wait for the other half (non-EU but Swiss residents) for an hour. Total joke Zürich Airport. Surely this is not your first rodeo.

✅ Trip Verified | Information staff were extremely rude. Why are there two terminals and no information on which to use? Apparently you’re meant to just know they’re connected and it doesn’t matter, like no other airport I’ve been to or have have the pleasure of a Swiss lady yell at you. Maybe don’t call them separate terminals or list the terminal for flights when gates are known. Seemly no water fountains, but plenty of plastic bottles to buy for a high price.

Not Verified | In Summary: the ground team cannot cope with unexpected weather conditions. Steer clear of travelling through or to Zürich during bad weather. Due to bad weather in Zürich, Swissport were inundated with a large amount of luggage and manage to misplace a large number of suitcases, including mine. A short transit turned into an overnight stay without any suitable clothing (it was -1 degrees Celsius and I was dressed for 15 degrees Celsius) I was told to “face the facts” that I would not get my suitcase on that evening. I was then told that my suitcase was in Barcelona, even though my AirTag reported that my suitcase was at the airport. On travelling back to my final destination. The ground staff promised that my suitcase would be on the same flight that I was travelling on. No surprise but my suitcase did not leave Zúrich and actually it took a week for the suitcase to arrive in my country.

Not Verified | Appalling passport control experience: at peak time (18.30) only one counter open for non-EU/CH passengers; queued for an hour, missed my train. Why only one solitary counter open? Doesn’t Switzerland value or respect the visitors bringing revenue into the country? Shocking absence of efficiency - airline landing times are hardly a surprise.

✅ Trip Verified | A simple transfer is not an easy experience. Forget about Swiss precision. Nonsense after nonsense. We flew with Swiss Air from India to Brussels with a transfer in Zurich. The first flight from Mumbai was delayed, so after spending over 10 hours on the plane, we hoped for a smooth transfer. And here in the corridor, just like that, three policemen were waiting, checking tickets and passports of several hundred tired people. Many people counted on an efficient transfer (1.20 hours for us), so the unexpected inspection, with all its slowness and rudeness, started to cause frustration and nervousness. But that was only a beginning. After the policemen, the security was checked as it is always done before the flight. I have never been checked after a flight before. Only two lines for checking were available for several hundred people. Passengers were checked very thoroughly and turned back, regardless of their discomfort after a long flight and the lack of an available toilet. The fact that many passengers were just passing through at this airport did not play any role for the staff and, as I know, many people missed their transfers. When I asked if the flight to Brussels would be delayed because we were being held too long, I heard a short 'no'. After reaching the plane in sprint style, we were graciously allowed to board, but there were passengers (from another flight) who were 90 seconds late and this is where Swiss precision worked: they were not allowed to board. It is not the end. Our plane didn't leave as planed but was considerably delayed because they were looking for some suitcases. Maybe ours because they didn't reach Brussels. The last time I had such a circus was in the 1990s, when I was flying through Turkey to the Balkans and my luggage constantly landed in Moscow. I haven't seen such nonsense in a long time. In addition, the rudeness and haughtiness of the Swiss. Therefore, I definitely do not recommend Zurich airport or Swiss Air when it comes to large transports. They better stay a local airport because they have neither the skills nor the infrastructure to handle flights with large numbers of passengers.

✅ Trip Verified | Airport is great but the whole security and passport control desk situation is horrendous, never experienced anything like it. Staff are rude managing the queues. Vast majority of people late for the flights.

✅ Trip Verified | We stayed overnight in Zurich between flights, involving an evening arrival, airport hotel and early morning departure. Our experience of an overnight stay in Zurich was much more positive than our similar experience in Frankfurt a month ago. Exit from aircraft went smoothly, with short walks from gates to airport exit. Signage throughout the airport was clear, and included both abundant fingerposts and an airport plan. As passengers arriving tired in the evening, we especially appreciated not having to hunt for the hotel shuttle bay. Departure process the next morning similarly went smoothly. Security screening went quickly, and was helped by friendly security staff. One negative: food outlets near the gates are sparse and expensive.

✅ Trip Verified | The staff is very welcoming and competent, but the distances between international gates maybe too long. 4 items need urgently to be improved - the reception of passengers in transit and/or waiting for boarding : unless you travel on business class, you'll hardly find decent chairs to sit and wait sometimes for several hours. How can it be in such a strong traffic airport? Lack of free spots to charge devices : as we use more more devices event to use boarding passes, etc, how can you manage if your device needs to be charged. Free WIFi : OK, but without limits of duration would be bes. Cleanliness att 7.00 AM, papers and stains on the soil, not to be expected here.