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If you fly Delta, beware and give yourself extra time to walk long distances at this airport. Delta counter is at one end of the airport and the gates are at the other end. Once you clear security, don't make the mistake of spending so much time shopping at DFS stores. You still need to pass through passport control and the queue can be lengthy at times. Just a heed of warning based on our recent experience.
We arrived to the suggested 3 hours early for an international flight, not knowing how lines would be at check in and security. Our check in didn't open for another 40 minutes, which would have been great to be able to sleep in a little later if we would have known. Not knowing the airport, we wanted to stay close...there was very little seating and the only open restaurant we could find was a little coffee shop where you stood at a counter to drink/eat. Global Blue was very quick and efficient at refunding some of our VAT.
Arrived at this airport last night. Went through the arrival process and it was fairly simple. UK and US had a separate line for coming in and getting your passport scanned. It was a 5 minute process overall. We spent more time trying to figure out where to go for uber/ taxi pickups than we did going through passport scanners. I will say, the airport didn't have much going on. Seemed pretty basic overall.
We came through on a Wednesday at 9 am. Fairly crowded. It still took less than 5 minutes to go through the general TSA line. I would have been very disappointed if we would have paid the extra to go through the fast track line. Which is 9€ each, for anyone who wants it. Lots of stores for shopping and restaurants available. Plenty of seating options. I didn't see a lot of charging options.
Large International airport, fairly easy to find check in area and customs then your boarding gate. Check in area ran v-e-r-y painfully slowly very early this morning despite a minimal line of people at the time. Patience is a virtue! Surprisingly very few chairs in our Delta boarding area... twenty of fewer seats all filled. Overall a huge airport with plenty of options for food and drink and duty free last minute shopping.
Flying in and out of Milan this airport did the job, was fairly modern and facilities were in decent shape, though it didn't particularly stand out in terms of amenities and services. Service feels like it could be hit or miss. Arrivals - this is a no frills experience. After my flight taxied to the gate, it's a straight shot down several walkways to customs and the exit. The line for customs was pretty long for EU and associated countries, seems like they had any countries not needing a visa all in the same line, it took about 20-25 min to get thru. Once thru, it's directly to luggage pickup and out to the transportation area, minimal shops and services. Departures - it seems like this terminal handles most international departures to non-Schengen countries, there about 25 check-in counters and you need to check the departures listings to identify which check in counter and terminal wing A or B your flight is assigned. Once thru check-in and/or luggage drop off, follow signs to the gates. If you want get food/drinks there's a couple spots on the ground (1st for non-Europeans) floor check-in level and then prior to security there's a small food court on the upper floor. In general there's not a whole lot of dining options maybe a handful of places in each terminal wing after customs. I had a kinda meh experience going thru security because my boarding pass wouldn't scan. I used my phone and the physical paper print out and neither worked. When I asked an airport associate that I saw helping other customers with the same issue go thru, he directed me to his colleagues at the help desk, who said my boarding pass showed I'd already entered security, which made no sense bc I was clearly there at the checkpoint and not thru yet. He asked me a few times (like 3) if I had status on the flight which I happened to have though tbh I'm not sure what relevance this had since I imagine type of situation must happen to other passengers as well. He then scanned my boarding pass at his computer and said it was fine and motioned for me to scan it directly at the checkpoint scanner again, which I did a few more times to no avail. I had to get the attention of the same associates again and they told me a couple more times it should work while I scanned in futility for them to finally come over and notice that it wasn't letting me thru. Something must've kicked in bc after they tried again at their computer and gave it back to me to try again it finally worked. I just found the situation strange bc when another passenger (white/male) had the same issue prior to me they just popped the side door open and let him thru. Security line itself went pretty quickly, once thru there's a main duty free shopping area which was sizable, though looked to be the single DF spot in this terminal. After this area go right for A gates and left for B gates. After this is customs, which took about 10-15 min to get thru the line. Then there are more high end retail stores, some food/drink options as well as a handful of lounges if you follow the signs. Good thing I got there about 2.5-3hrs hours in advance of departure bc the whole process prob took around 45-50 minutes which was longer than I'd anticipated. To be fair I also thought it'd be much faster so I took my time in the beginning.
Upon arrival, I wasn't too sure this was the right check-in on Yelp. Upon departure, I learned that it was because Terminal 2 has been getting renovated for over a year now. Thanks goes out to the best taxi driver ever, Ricardo! Anyhow, this isn't my first rodeo with this airport. I first flew in and out of this airport back in 2010. I had no complaints then and now in 2023 I continue to feel the same. For an international airport, it is massive, but it is well organized despite the herds of cattle known as people. If for whatever reason you can't find something, the employees are so ridiculously warm and friendly. Honestly for an airport of this size, it's a legit breeze. I also like the variety of restaurants and shops they have inside. Definitely a good place to get some duty-free shopping done if that's your sort of thing. If you're renting a car, beware in the winter months. Sometimes they forgot to place chains, and if they do, check the size. We had to return ours to wind up in another car. That said, it was an easy fix. Ditto with arriving to this airport. I was going to take the train, but with the sprained ankle, I took a taxi instead and it was heavenly. I got dropped out right in front and had no stress. I do have to say coming 3+ hours early helped. This isn't an airport to rush in. There are so many flights and they even have a section solely for American flights. I kind of wish I flew from Milan to the US, but alas, my ticket was from Milan to Paris to Miami, which made everything complicated because I nearly missed my connecting flight, but that's not the airport's fault. That is EasyJet's fault... meh.
OMG... this airport is a nightmare... the lines are insane... and Delta is hidden behind another line behind all the airlines in the front. Then your gate is at the opposite end of the airport. Like seriously. Worse part is... if you need to do your tax with the custom officers... OMFG. Lines out the door. And there's no rhyme or reasons as to which goes first. No one helps you... like no one. MXP is about 50mins away from city center of Milan... so be sure to give yourself 3 hours here! Here's my tip for my fellow shoppers: have a friend stand in the Custom line. Divide and Conquer. You head to the Global Blue or Planet counters... get the receipt to say you need custom stamp. Then trade places with your friend; this way you're not at the back (waaayyy back at the end). I don't know why you need the Global Blue machine receipt just to say you need a custom stamp... any who... This is the most efficient way for you to NOT lose time, and sanity. This airport gives me nightmare still... it's the most inefficient, unfriendly airport... I've ever been to. Glad I checked it off my travel list... and not looking to go back, unless I'm invited to some fashion week. lol
6 days ago
Not terrible, as far as international airports go. You get all the things you expect: duty free shopping, an overly-ambitious cloud of perfume and cologne sprays, lost tourists, loud noises, chaos. Nothing different. There are two things that really took me by surprise: a) the size of the terminal. I am very glad we decided to check out of the hotel a bit earlier than was strictly necessary, because we had to hoof it to Delta's side of things, which was much farther away than we'd expected; and 2) the extreme mismatch between the sheer size of the terminal and the size of the waiting areas at the gates. By the time we got the gate, every seat - and I do mean *every seat* was taken by a human body. People were sitting on the floor or on their luggage, pressed against a wall. People were standing in front of the one store that fronted the gate, and people were blocking aisles inside the store (clearly waiting for the flight), which I'll never understand. The staff that we did end up interacting with was friendly enough, though when it came time for boarding, it was more chaos. The loudspeaker didn't work so well, so nobody could really hear what the agent was saying. And once it became clear that they were going to start letting us line up to board, it was like the good old Southwest Airlines days, where everybody made a beeline to the queue like they didn't have tickets with their assigned seats labeled. Anyway, it was fine for what it was. We did the tourist thing and got our duty-free shopping in, which was a fast and easy experience - once we settled on the items. We did get turned around once, trying to exit the duty free area, but thank goodness I saw the signs were leading us away from where I thought we needed to go. Got some good steps in that morning, at the very least... read more
For being one of the great fashion and culture centers of the World you' would think their airport Malprnsa would be dope... but is run down and tired Not great areas to wait unless you have lounge access So so shopping an dinning For the city that gave us, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, dolce and Gabbana, and many many others this airport is a sad disappointment read more
Nice clean airport terminal. Lots of shops and restaurants. Bathrooms are clean. While you are waiting for your flight, pick up a last minute gift for yourself or someone special. Or indulge in your last gelato before flying back home. Calories don't count on vacation, right?? read more
If you fly Delta, beware and give yourself extra time to walk long distances at this airport. Delta counter is at one end of the airport and the gates are at the other end. Once you clear security, don't make the mistake of spending so much time shopping at DFS stores. You still need to pass through passport control and the queue can be lengthy at times. Just a heed of warning based on our recent experience. read more
We arrived to the suggested 3 hours early for an international flight, not knowing how lines would be at check in and security. Our check in didn't open for another 40 minutes, which would have been great to be able to sleep in a little later if we would have known. Not knowing the airport, we wanted to stay close...there was very little seating and the only open restaurant we could find was a little coffee shop where you stood at a counter to drink/eat. Global Blue was very quick and efficient at refunding some of our VAT. read more
2 years ago
Arrived at this airport last night. Went through the arrival process and it was fairly simple. UK and US had a separate line for coming in and getting your passport scanned. It was a 5 minute process overall. We spent more time trying to figure out where to go for uber/ taxi pickups than we did going through passport scanners. I will say, the airport didn't have much going on. Seemed pretty basic overall. read more
1 year ago
We came through on a Wednesday at 9 am. Fairly crowded. It still took less than 5 minutes to go through the general TSA line. I would have been very disappointed if we would have paid the extra to go through the fast track line. Which is 9€ each, for anyone who wants it. Lots of stores for shopping and restaurants available. Plenty of seating options. I didn't see a lot of charging options. read more
3 years ago
Large International airport, fairly easy to find check in area and customs then your boarding gate. Check in area ran v-e-r-y painfully slowly very early this morning despite a minimal line of people at the time. Patience is a virtue! Surprisingly very few chairs in our Delta boarding area... twenty of fewer seats all filled. Overall a huge airport with plenty of options for food and drink and duty free last minute shopping. read more
Flying in and out of Milan this airport did the job, was fairly modern and facilities were in decent shape, though it didn't particularly stand out in terms of amenities and services. Service feels like it could be hit or miss. Arrivals - this is a no frills experience. After my flight taxied to the gate, it's a straight shot down several walkways to customs and the exit. The line for customs was pretty long for EU and associated countries, seems like they had any countries not needing a visa all in the same line, it took about 20-25 min to get thru. Once thru, it's directly to luggage pickup and out to the transportation area, minimal shops and services. Departures - it seems like this terminal handles most international departures to non-Schengen countries, there about 25 check-in counters and you need to check the departures listings to identify which check in counter and terminal wing A or B your flight is assigned. Once thru check-in and/or luggage drop off, follow signs to the gates. If you want get food/drinks there's a couple spots on the ground (1st for non-Europeans) floor check-in level and then prior to security there's a small food court on the upper floor. In general there's not a whole lot of dining options maybe a handful of places in each terminal wing after customs. I had a kinda meh experience going thru security because my boarding pass wouldn't scan. I used my phone and the physical paper print out and neither worked. When I asked an airport associate that I saw helping other customers with the same issue go thru, he directed me to his colleagues at the help desk, who said my boarding pass showed I'd already entered security, which made no sense bc I was clearly there at the checkpoint and not thru yet. He asked me a few times (like 3) if I had status on the flight which I happened to have though tbh I'm not sure what relevance this had since I imagine type of situation must happen to other passengers as well. He then scanned my boarding pass at his computer and said it was fine and motioned for me to scan it directly at the checkpoint scanner again, which I did a few more times to no avail. I had to get the attention of the same associates again and they told me a couple more times it should work while I scanned in futility for them to finally come over and notice that it wasn't letting me thru. Something must've kicked in bc after they tried again at their computer and gave it back to me to try again it finally worked. I just found the situation strange bc when another passenger (white/male) had the same issue prior to me they just popped the side door open and let him thru. Security line itself went pretty quickly, once thru there's a main duty free shopping area which was sizable, though looked to be the single DF spot in this terminal. After this area go right for A gates and left for B gates. After this is customs, which took about 10-15 min to get thru the line. Then there are more high end retail stores, some food/drink options as well as a handful of lounges if you follow the signs. Good thing I got there about 2.5-3hrs hours in advance of departure bc the whole process prob took around 45-50 minutes which was longer than I'd anticipated. To be fair I also thought it'd be much faster so I took my time in the beginning. read more
Love the openness of the airport, the selection of high fashion stores and the allure of Milan. The airport is fairly clean and draws the fashionista in you. It is interesting to see all the high end brands outside the duty free zone AND people still shopping and buying from them. read more
Upon arrival, I wasn't too sure this was the right check-in on Yelp. Upon departure, I learned that it was because Terminal 2 has been getting renovated for over a year now. Thanks goes out to the best taxi driver ever, Ricardo! Anyhow, this isn't my first rodeo with this airport. I first flew in and out of this airport back in 2010. I had no complaints then and now in 2023 I continue to feel the same. For an international airport, it is massive, but it is well organized despite the herds of cattle known as people. If for whatever reason you can't find something, the employees are so ridiculously warm and friendly. Honestly for an airport of this size, it's a legit breeze. I also like the variety of restaurants and shops they have inside. Definitely a good place to get some duty-free shopping done if that's your sort of thing. If you're renting a car, beware in the winter months. Sometimes they forgot to place chains, and if they do, check the size. We had to return ours to wind up in another car. That said, it was an easy fix. Ditto with arriving to this airport. I was going to take the train, but with the sprained ankle, I took a taxi instead and it was heavenly. I got dropped out right in front and had no stress. I do have to say coming 3+ hours early helped. This isn't an airport to rush in. There are so many flights and they even have a section solely for American flights. I kind of wish I flew from Milan to the US, but alas, my ticket was from Milan to Paris to Miami, which made everything complicated because I nearly missed my connecting flight, but that's not the airport's fault. That is EasyJet's fault... meh. read more
OMG... this airport is a nightmare... the lines are insane... and Delta is hidden behind another line behind all the airlines in the front. Then your gate is at the opposite end of the airport. Like seriously. Worse part is... if you need to do your tax with the custom officers... OMFG. Lines out the door. And there's no rhyme or reasons as to which goes first. No one helps you... like no one. MXP is about 50mins away from city center of Milan... so be sure to give yourself 3 hours here! Here's my tip for my fellow shoppers: have a friend stand in the Custom line. Divide and Conquer. You head to the Global Blue or Planet counters... get the receipt to say you need custom stamp. Then trade places with your friend; this way you're not at the back (waaayyy back at the end). I don't know why you need the Global Blue machine receipt just to say you need a custom stamp... any who... This is the most efficient way for you to NOT lose time, and sanity. This airport gives me nightmare still... it's the most inefficient, unfriendly airport... I've ever been to. Glad I checked it off my travel list... and not looking to go back, unless I'm invited to some fashion week. lol read more
9 months ago
2 years ago
Great airport, plenty of shops and food establishments. Expect to walk ! Friendly staff . Car rental convenient to terminal. read more
3 years ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
We flew into and out of Milan Malpensa, which is close to Lake Como (45 minutes to an hour away). WiFi is supposedly free here, but they want too much personal info and the right to share (sell) your data. They had limited food options, and poorly marked restrooms to add to the austere environment. In general, we were disappointed with both the Milan airport and Milan Centrale train station facilities and food options. Memo to Milan Airport and Central Train Station: Hey, you're in Italy for crying out loud, and are supposed to have some of the best food in the world! Add some decent dining options! read more
Luxury Shopping Experience at Malpensa! The jewel in the airport's crown, this new shopping gallery, is located in the departures area of Terminal 1. The most notable international luxury brands include Bulgari, Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Etro, Gucci, Hermès, Montblanc, Salvatore Ferragamo, Bottega Veneta, Tod's, Moncler, Damiani, Hugo Boss, Furla, Moreschi, Pinko, Piquadro, Swatch and many others. The area also houses some great restaurants, bars and a well stock duty free area with a great elections of Italian specialties for last minute gift ideas. Safe travels! read more
When they say you should arrive at least 3 hours before an international flight, they were thinking of Milan Malpensa - Terminal 1. Milan Malpensa - Terminal 1 is located 50+ kilometers from Milan central train station. 90 euro ($108) fixed taxi fare. And no direct express train, which goes to Cadorna, instead. I knew we were in trouble from the start, as online self check in to print boarding passes not allowed. And no self check in kiosks to print boarding passes either. All passengers must stand in one of two dozen check in lines, by airline, to get a boarding pass. Even if you have no luggage to check in. You have to wait behind all the passengers with luggage to check in. Preliminary passport check by airline personnel. Fortunately at least half a dozen different desks to check in for Delta, with personnel fluent in English. Good thing I wasn't in the China airlines check in line for Shanghai, or Beijing. They had lines that would dwarf Disneyland's longest lines, probably due to the shortage of airport personnel fluent in Mandarin. Free wifi says the sign, but you are required to register, answering all these questions online, and then getting the access code through your e-mail. But I can't get through to my e-mail, and get rerouted to register! Our Delta airlines flight was delayed 1 hour 40 minutes, due to mechanical issues. Thought we would have time to eat at lots of restaurants such as McDonalds, which sell big macs for 8.3 euros, or $10! We were wrong. Wife said we can't go on, as our gate is not announced on the electronic overhead screens. Eventually the gate was announced, two hours before the flight takes off. We get in the single long line for security, the Italian version of TSA. No pre TSA line here. At least a half dozen entries, with red/green control buttons. Don't have to take off my sandals, but have to put my laptop and all electronic equipment, including cell phones and tablets, along with watches, belts, and metal bracelets in bins, going through screening machines. Take out my transparent quart bags of liquids, but apparently they don't check them. Long walk to passport control. Expedited line for EU country passport holders. All others are SOL and must stand in very long lines. Today is my lucky day, as I walk by, they open up an expedited line for USA citizens. Go right to head of the line. Electronic screening of my passport, facial recognition photo, and then a passport stamping. 19 minute walk, or one mile, to our gates, B-01 says the overhead screen. Good thing my gate was not say B-55, which is like 20 gates farther behind B-01, or I'd still be walking! They need an internal airport train, like at Seattle, Zurich or Atlanta, to the individual gates in this huge airport. Once we reach our gate, women's line out the door for the bathrooms. No seating at our gate B-01. B-02 next door has about 40 seats, all taken by 140 passengers on the flight at that gate. So all 248 passengers on our Boeing 767-400ER have to stand, waiting for boarding. I try one of the electrical outlets, using my EU adopter, to charge my phone. DOA. 9 hour flight to Atlanta, where we have to get through passport control, and catch our connecting flight to San Jose. At least they have AC running, with outside temperatures approaching 100! read more
I've been to many airports in the past. I can't think of anything original to say about Malpensa. There's the usual wait in line to clear customs, getting your luggage and finding your driver to get to your ultimate destination. We did have a luggage screw-up but that was due to the airlines not Malpensa. It's a smaller venue from what I could see. Meh! read more
Malpensa is Milan's largest airport and the one furthest away from downtown Milan. Transport to Centrale station (and too many stations in between) is available on the Malpensa Express and that makes it easy. I was here for a departure on Delta direct from Malpensa (code MXP) to New York. Good signage helped me find the Delta counter, the security gates, the "fast pass" queue and the gates. Free wifi worked okay and the plane boarded with a jetbridge, which are two things that Americans tend to take for granted. Not every European airport has wifi and even the biggest airports like AMS and CDG don't have jetbridges for every aircraft. Decent food options and tons of shopping available. The gate area was a bit crowded. More seating and power outlets would have been good. Overall, an A-OK airport. I think I'll be back at some point, as there are some reasonable connections through MXP to other cities in Europe. [Review 10733 overall, 501 of 2019.] read more
What a hassle at this airport. Walking from the domestic Air Italy to the international Air Italy gate to Miami took 20 minutes of walking, and waiting over an hour at passport control. Everyone was worried they would miss their flight. They need to add more passport control officers so the lines move much quicker. Even after the passport control, I had to go to another security desk near my gate to be drilled with all kinds of questions on my purpose of trip, how long I stayed, etc--what a hassle. If you go through this airport, make sure you have at least 2 hours between flights so that you can handle all this nonsense. read more
2 years ago
This airport is so hugely annoying. I swear it was a 10-minute walk from entering the airport to getting to the Alitalia terminal. The staff that I encountered were friendly and helpful. The line for tax-free took a while so if you do see one in the city go there. Save yourself the time. read more
Compared to most European airports this one is pretty small and very inconvenient from many perspectives. Right off the bat the airport doesn't have enough staffing and there are long queues at check in and security control and passport control. Add to this the 50 minute train or one hour car ride from the city center and the airport becomes very inconvenient for travelers. If this was any other city besides Milan this airport would be forced to closed down but a city like Milan with its attraction and buzz the airport is usually the only entry point for many travelers. We got to MXP via Air Italy from Miami which thankfully was a direct flight and on the way in they loaded us on buses to get to Terminal 1. We were lucky as we didn't get a long line at passport control but that all changed on the outbound journey as we had one of the worse experiences regarding customer service and logistics. Lots of work required to improve this airport or maybe a new airport closer to the city. The Malpensa express is the only thing that helps travelers as it costs €13 to get to Milano Centrale. read more
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