Curaçao International Airport — Attraction in Curaçao

Curaçao Airport Review: Disorganized and Indifferent to Travelers

My experience at Curaçao Airport was a frustrating and chaotic end to an otherwise wonderful trip. The lack of organization, poor communication, and indifference from staff made the experience unnecessarily stressful.

After a flight cancellation the day before, the next morning was even more chaotic. During check-in and bag drop, staff struggled to manage the large crowd, shuffling passengers with luggage from one line to another without clear direction. When I suggested they reorganize the counters for better efficiency, my advice was dismissed. Eventually, they moved around 40 people to another line, but this only caused more confusion and delays.

I asked if priority could be given to passengers with tight connections, but the staff brushed me off, saying, “No, they will just delay the flights. It happens all the time.” This response was incredibly frustrating. Do they not realize that many travelers rely on those connections to get home? The attitude felt careless and dismissive of the impact on passengers.

The bottleneck continued at security, where the lines were excessively long due to an insufficient number of kiosks and scanners. The process was slow and confusing, with only four ticket scanners and a mix of automated passport kiosks and agents. It’s clear that the airport is not equipped to handle its current volume of travelers efficiently.

Once through security, we discovered our gate had changed. Then, our flight was delayed an additional two hours for plane cleaning because catering items had been left onboard overnight and spoiled. This was something that should have been addressed long before boarding. Instead, we sat on the plane for another hour waiting for water and ice to be loaded while at least ten staff members stood outside chatting.

The delays caused many passengers to miss their connecting flights in Miami, forcing them to stay overnight. For an island so dependent on tourism, the airport’s operations felt disorganized and indifferent to travelers’ needs.

While Curaçao itself was beautiful, the airport experience left a sour taste. Until they improve their communication, efficiency, and customer care, I would hesitate to recommend traveling through this airport. It’s a shame to see such a wonderful destination undermined by such a poorly...

I am writing to express my frustration regarding an unacceptable experience with Avis at Curaçao Airport on January 14, 2025, at approximately 3 PM.

Upon arrival, despite the line being relatively short, the process of picking up my rental car was inexplicably slow. The representative at the counter took an inordinate amount of time to process my rental, which was frustrating but manageable compared to what followed.

The car I was given was completely unsafe and unfit for driving. The steering barely functioned, the lights were not working, and the turning signal did not work . These issues not only posed a serious risk to my safety but also made the car illegal to drive. When I returned to the desk to report the issue, I was shocked by the response I received.

The woman at the counter dismissed my concerns, stating that I had to use the car despite its dangerous condition. When I pointed out the safety and legal risks, she claimed there were no other cars available, even though I could see three car keys clearly behind her. Her refusal to provide a proper replacement felt dishonest and indifferent to my safety.

When I requested a refund, she said I would not get my $500 deposit back, which felt entirely unreasonable and unethical. Only after I raised my voice and alerted other travelers to the situation did she take action. A security officer at the airport intervened, and only then did she call her manager to finally provide me with a replacement vehicle.

This was one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever encountered. The way I was treated was dismissive, unprofessional, and frankly dangerous. It is unacceptable for Avis to rent out unsafe vehicles and then fail to provide proper assistance or accountability when issues arise.

I strongly urge Avis to address this matter promptly. I expect an explanation for how such unsafe vehicles were allowed to be rented out and how customer concerns were so poorly.

Based on this incident, I cannot see myself renting...

I'm traveling via this airport once per week. The airport is currently undergoing renovations, but not necessarily improving. The new parking system from Skidata, high quality, even has number plate recognition. But the airport has chosen to allow cash payments only. No debit or credit cards accepted at all. What would this international airport need all this cash for? After check-in (handled by the airline, all goes fine) the immigration / border control facilities are fairly limited. Waiting times of 25+ minutes are no exception. Last Wednesday, only 1 officer was at his desk and only 1 E-gate was working. A full Boeing 747 was departing to Amsterdam and an Airbus A320 to New York, having all passengers passing through these 2 immigration lines. Very long waiting times and many upset people. Then the security area has multiple security check lines, but only 1 is used. Again, waiting times up to 20 minutes are no exception. There is no priority for business / first class passengers or frequent flyers. Also, the waiting area is not air conditioned, nor does the free airport wi-fi work in there. Bring a book or a newspaper! The security checks are from a lower level then in Europe or the US, so in order to be allowed to catch a connecting flight at another airport, you'll get an additional check at Schiphol, Miami or New York. Last week, security confiscated my 100ml Niveau deodorant spray. I have traveled over 25 times with that exact same deo spray from Curacao and 100ml should be allowed, but suddenly they started seizing it because it is flammable. I discovered right after the security check that I still had a backup Nivea spray in my luggage, so I reported it to Airport staff. They told me it was totally fine to keep it, 5 minutes after another officer seized my other spray. Very random.

The VIP lounge is currently undergoing renovations. There are no restrooms inside and there is very...