Airport Review, O.R.Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg

This is the main airport of Johannesburg, and both the Domestic and International Terminals are in the same airport complex about 300m apart. Due to this you can easily get your domestic connections without having to exit the airport.

It is best advised to have at least 2 hours of time between the arrival time of your incoming plane and the departure time of your outgoing plane. This is because you will need at least 30 minutes to complete immigration and baggage claim and 30 mins, 15 mins to go to the domestic terminal and 30 mins to complete check in and security. You also need to leave a 45 minute buffer, so please do not take connecting flights which do not have at least a 2 hour gap in-between – if you do it will be very likely that you miss the connections.

I do not know if this is true but I have taken off and landed into Johannesburg’s O.R.Tambo International Airport, and every time we were descending or ascending from the airport we had real bad turbulence. Real Bad as in horrible, almost making me puke – so please brace yourself before the landing and take off 

The check in / check-out and baggage claim processes are very efficient at O.R.Tambo International Airport. Terminal 1 in the International Terminal and Terminal 2 is the Domestic Terminal. Both the Terminals of the O.R.Tambo International Airport have got a major face lift for the FIFA World Cup. The Immigration Staff is very friendly and welcoming and does not ask you too many questions. Do keep in mind that if you are carrying any Food Items, it is better to declare them upfront to avoid any trouble.

Once you come out of Terminal 1, you are on Level 0 and you will enter a lobby area where there are money changers and ATMs. As I have stated in one of my other articles, it is best to withdraw cash from ATMs through your Indian Bank Account and not through the Money Changers. All the tour guides and taxi pickups are waiting here (in the lobby area) with nameplates.

If you have a domestic connection to catch, then you need to take the elevator and go to Level 2 which is the departures area for domestic flights. It is to be noted that on O.R.Tambo International Airport, Level 0 is the Arrivals area, Level 1 is shopping and restaurants and Level 2 is the departures area. In the domestic section there are about 100+ counters for the airlines – you just need to go to the set of Airline Counters and check in. Do not bother asking anyone or the information counter – as they are not able to understand much and ask you to show the ticket and try to sell you something. After domestic check-in there are only restaurants, so please complete all your shopping on Level 1 before check in.

ATMs are easily available on all Levels. Money changers are also there in abundance. An Internet Café is on level 0 charging ZAR 60 for 30 mins of browsing, the looks are very clean. Loads of restaurants and eating options on Level 1. Raj Indian Restaurant was my favorite and it serves awesome Chicken Biriyani. In the shopping options, Amarula is very cheap and you can but it at the airport, you will get cheaper Vuvuzela’s in the city. It is advisable to buy from a proper store and not from hawkers who are sitting near the check in area.

This is an efficient airport, but frankly I expected better.

Airport Review, Mpumalanga Nelspruit Kruger International Airport

The Kruger-Mpumalanga-Nelspruit International Airport is a beautiful airport on the outskirts of Nelspruit City and about an hour and a half away from the main gates of the Kruger National Park. You will need to take a flight to this airport especially if Kruger National Park is on your itinerary.

It operates approximately 10 flights per day and has only 1 baggage conveyor belt – but the beauty of this airport blows you away. There are no buses to take you from the aircraft to the terminal and you simply need to walk it up. The staff is very friendly and the airport building is maintained very well. The restrooms are very clean and have baby changers as well. Baggage handling can be an issue at items especially if there are several flights landing at about the same time.

As soon as you have picked your baggage and come out you will get the car rentals – taxis are very expensive and charge 5 times as much. It is recommended that you book a car rental before the trip so as not to be forced to pay the cab fare. I would recommend the choosing Thrifty Cabs as they are cheaper compared to Hertz and Avis. Please do not talk to the touts who are trying to convince you to take a cab.

There are 2 ATMs at the exit which support all Credit and Debit Cards – however one of them was out of currency but that would have been a one off issue. There is no area to shop at Kruger Mpumalanga Nelspruit International Airport, other than one shop which sells pictures and wall hangings. I found that very expensive – so not recommended to buy. There are not many restaurants – the Wimpys on the Upper Level is best and the outer gallery has views of the runway which is very beautiful – it is recommended you take the seat outside.

I think this is one of the most scenic airports I have visited and is a welcome change from the hustle bustle of other airports.

Airport Review: Hong Kong international Airport, Hong Kong

The Hong Kong International Airport is the only other International Airport which in my view gives close competition to Changi Airport of Singapore. It is a very beautiful as well as efficient airport. You can get to the airport by Metro or by Taxi (about 40 mins drive from the heart of the city) both of which are equally efficient.

There are 4 departure terminals and as you approach the airport you will see huge billboards stating which airline departs from which terminal. Even if you make a mistake no worries, you can easily walk it up from one terminal to the other and there are signboards indicating the direction. Due to the design of the departure terminal the sheer number of counters allotted to each airline there is no crowding in a ay particular area which adds to the visual experience and the relaxed atmosphere (unlike Mumbai airport which is a case study on creating chaos at airports J). Everybody seems to be going about their work with ease which is reassuring and calming.

There are huge screens which show the status of all the departures from the airport and these screens are there every 30 metres, so all you need to do is check these screens for departure times and gates. There is a may I Help You desk in every terminal where you can seek help if you have any special requirements. Everybody I came across on this airport spoke in English – so the problem you face in Hong Kong city with the cab drivers you will not face in the Airport.

There are duty free shops for books, apparel, food and foreign exchange kiosks before the check in counters which you may want to visit if your wait in the check-in queue is going to be long. After check in you can approach the boarding gates which are common for all terminals (some of them are in a different area which are mainly for domestic departures to China so if you are not taking these flights you need not worry). To reach the boarding gates you may need to take the monorail trains from some terminals.

When you arrive at main boarding gates area, there are variety of things to do while you wait for your flight. If you have a long wait, I suggest you check into the main lounge near Boarding Gate 35. You can pay HKD 500 for 6 hour package which includes a shower, a back massage, unlimited food and non alcoholic drinks, free Internet access, complimentary access to a variety of books and magazines. It is definitely worth the cost (even though Rs.3000 for 6 hours may be a bit difficult on your wallet) and if you are the high flyer types who would like to open your laptop, get some peace and quiet and start working then this is the place to be. Other lounges on the airport do not compare to this one. There are huge boards in different parts of the airport advertising this so you cannot miss the location of this lounge.

If you do not enter this lounge then you can complete all the shopping that you may have missed out in the city, the chocolates on the airport are only marginally cheaper than the ones that you get in the city. You may land some good combo deals if you are lucky. I found the alcohol (especially Bailey’s Irish Cream) much more expensive compared to the Duty Free Rates in India – so do not waste your money on this. The apparel is very expensive and unless you are desperate or really like something a lot I would refrain you from entering these shops.

Between alternate gates there are about 3 plug points where you can recharge your laptop. I think this is the most important tip in this review as if you do not enter the lounges, there is absolutely no other place where you can charge your laptop, mobile phones, so please carry a suitable adaptor and try to get to these points as soon as possible, these charge points are in high demand. This was the only irritant in an otherwise extremely efficient airport. There are some good restaurants towards some of the gates one near ate 54 where I boarded (I forgot the name). The deal was that if you buy anything more than HKD 5 you get free Internet access for half hour. I found this very useful and a great marketing technique – especially if you have a laptop with restrictions (I do as I work in a Bank) and cannot connect to WiFi.

Overall I would rate this Airport second best in the world after Changi in Singapore, at least out of the ones I have visited.