Sofia Airport, What a Calamity (Other airports...)

Member Name: Vivien

Product:	Other airports...
Date:	05/07/00 (90 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheep duty free

Disadvantages: so chaotic and unfriendly

I had to use Sofia Airport as part of a ski holiday to Borrovets, On arrival baggage claim was easy enough, but immigration was very unfriendly, as we were channled through ugly booths and snarled at by the dowdy officials.

Coming home however, the trouble started.

There was riots in Sofia that night and threats of an all out strike or even a civil uprising, we were rushed off the bus past armed guards into the airport.
The airport itself looked as if it had had a grand past, with massive stone murals and chandeliers. The foyer seemed to be full of bulgarians in long fur coats and fur hats, and there were loads of dogs all waiting to be boxed in to there plastic cages.

We checked in and were told there were no facilities for seat allocation, and then were channled through immigration again. When reaching the hand luggage x-ray area there were two seperate departure lounges, we told them we were flying to manchester and were pointed in the direction. The lounge was very small, with few facillities but a cheep duty free shop.
After a short while we noticed that every one who was british had southern accents, so we thought we were in the wrong lounge, we asked a security man who confirmed we were ok, we checked again later, and again they said we were right, still unsure we asked a swiss air hostess, who immediatley said we were in the wrong lounge.
We sneaked out, passed the x ray machines, and into the other lounnge. It was bedlam in there, with only about 15 chairs for several flights. It was winter, yet there were ants on the floor. With about a 2 hour delay for the flight people had already started to cue up at the exit door. It was just organized chaos, and an expierience I will not wish to repeat.

Summary: