Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport — Local services in Burlington

SHAMBLES ! If I could choose no stars trust me I would .

Arrived from Heathrow at 8pm local time. New BA direct service to CVG Cincinnati 9 hours. Small terminal, quickly through customs, no other plane. So far so good.

Then …waited 45 minutes for baggage! No phones allowed and no sitting on the carousel (but no chairs) and no bathroom inside baggage hall. Children lying on the floor and the elderly propping up walls.

Leaving the baggage hall EVERYONE had to RECHECK all checked baggage. EVERYONE (why??). Next a slow shuffle in a single line (all 250 of us) in a much smaller hall to personal Security (why??) where all coats, shoes and hand luggage were checked AGAIN …AND … no liquids above the minimum, so anyone who bought larger liquid items in Heathrow duty free were confiscated (where does that all end up?).

Full body scan, hands above head for everyone. Still no bathroom in this area either. Staff who kept shouting ‘no liquids above legal requirement, you know the rules.. ‘ (errrr …no we don’t, no one told us, never done this before … and hello …we’re exiting the building not arriving).

So 2 1/2 hours later, a 9 hour flight, a 5 hour time difference (now 3.30am body clock), shattered, standing bewildered in a line, clutching shoes, desperate for the loo trying to understand what in gods name we are all doing there and oddly enough unwilling to ask the less than friendly staff because, well, we all know how that would end.

To finally make it through only to realize (yes you’ve guessed it) we had to stand and wait for the bags AGAIN !

I’m led to believe this is not a new service. So what is it ? You don’t trust UK security procedures ? Or the logic behind duty free is a mystery? Not happy. Make my day and vote him in again.

NB. Received a reply from CN Airport explaining that the reason everyone has to go through security again is because there is no direct exit from arrivals so everyone has to go through departure (if that makes sense). This needs to be...

Traveler beware: NEVER EVER TRY TO CHANGE A TICKET AT THIS AIRPORT. The airline representatives are contractors, not direct employees of the airlines. I was almost extorted by one such contractor of United Airlines - and a manager, at that - who tried sweet talking me into giving him hundreds of dollars in cash so he could change my ticket due to a cancellation. There was supposedly a flight with a connection that was leaving in one hour. He insisted I had to pay cash and that he could not take my credit card; instead, he would supposedly use his credit card because "that would be faster. Trust me." After reading other reviews, I'm so glad I didn't "trust" that manager. "Trust" in these contractors in situations seems to leave travelers stranded without a connecting flight and bereft of the luggage they came with in the first place. Oh, and this leads me to add: Yes, the manager tried to get me to leave my luggage with him as well. Thankfully, I've traveled and worked enough overseas that I know a huckster when I see one, and sadly they are lurking even in some of the reddest parts of a developed, civilized country like the US. If you've experienced a frustration like this at this airport, know you are not alone! Other reviews definitely show there's something fishy at this airport, so you'd be best served booking a flight from Dayton or Columbus. If you're reluctant to drive the extra 1-2.5 hours, just ask yourself what your peace of mind and safety, along with any valuables you may be bringing on your flight, are worth. And if you go further than I did on your journey from this airport, I would encourage you to record, write down names, and...

I'm glad CVG is my "home " airport. It's easy to get in and out of. TSA lines never out of control busy. You can either walk, do the moving walkways or take rail to Terminals. Terminals have appropriate seating and wide walkways. Terminals each have good food selections. Each terminal has a Starbucks. There is also one right before the TSA lines (that one is permanently closed) Edit to add: I really like the food court seating area in the "B" Terminal which is the Delta concourse . Some high top seating with plug ins for gadgets. I prefer the seating by the windows with fairly comfortable chairs and outlets for electronics. Kinda away from the rest of the seating. Nice little kids play area too. The "A" terminal has a nice sit down restaurant and a Blaze Pizza. The terminals are a short 5-7 minute walk from one another, with moving sidewalks even faster. So you can terminal hop if you'd like to broaden your restaurant choices. "B" terminal has an Outback, Vino Volo, Chick Fil A, McD's etc. EDIT 5-10-18: TSA lines were the longest I've ever seen. HOWEVER, still got through the line in 15 minutes. They are super efficient. EDIT 2023: ALOT has changed in the last 5 years. B Terminal no longer has McDonald's or Gold Star. It now has a Wendy's and a Skyline Chili and a Earl of Sandwich. "A" Terminal has a Frischs and a Blaze Pizza as well as other restaurants. I was here on a Saturday afternoon a few weeks after New Years and it was...