Ta-ta Etiuda!

 

The disgusting little airport terminal of Etiuda will close for good in April 2009. Warsaw airport authorities finally gave in and admitted that the terminal was not fit to serve its purpose and that they were fed up of receiving mountains of customer complaints. Easy to admit that now as many of the cheap airlines have now stopped flying to Warsaw and the terminal was probably functioning better than ever with less flights and less crowds to deal with.

Etuida was originally set up as a secondary terminal specifically for low cost carriers flying in and out of the Polish capitol. In the beginning it was seen as a symbol of 'the boom years'- the mass exodus of young Poles going to work abroad, the renewed interest in Poland as a tourist destination and the popularity of low cost airlines all fighting to get in on the developing Polish market. Unfortunately it rapidly became clear that the 'little shack' was simply not up to the job. Huge queues of confused people, irritable ground staff, lack of any facilities, no duty free stores, a distinct lack of seating etc. The fact that many flights left around the same time meant there were regularily thousands of travellers all pushing and shoving into the building, once inside nobody knew which queue to stand in and, of course, there was very rarely anyone to try and help the increasingly hectic situation.

Frequently hordes of travellers would simply be left to stand outside as there was absolutely no chance of entering the stuffed building - think of the 180 Bus at around 5.30pm and multiply that by 100, add huge rucksacks, suitcases stuffed with tinned food and sausages, enormous cardboard boxes tied up with string, screaming babies and shaven headed builders losing the plot and shouting the 'K' word at the top of their voice and you may get some idea of what this place was like. Many foreigners travelling via Etiuda could not believe what they were witnessing and it most certainly left a very bad impression of Polish organisational skills as travellers were leaving the country .

Over the past couple of years many low cost airlines have either withdrawn from flights to and from Warsaw or have simply collapsed - among them Sky Europe, Ryanair and Centralwings. Centralwings being the only low cost carrier which did not have to make its passengers suffer the indignity of departing from Etiuda. Due to its links to the national carrier LOT, Centralwings was allowed to depart and arrive at the main terminal.

Interesting to note that these cheap carriers will now all use the beautiful new terminal although they will be asked to pay higher airport fees and will therefore have to increase ticket prices by an estimated 30PLN. Norwegian airlines are pleased with the proposed move to the main terminal and claim it will even help in targeting business travellers therefore increasing their passenger numbers. On the other hand Wizzair are now threatening to withdraw completely from flights to Warsaw as they do not want to be forced into hiking up their prices because of such a move.

Source: Warsaw Life

Dec.16.2008

add your comments

Maybe I am not flying that much, but I am against closing the Etiuda Airport. I was usually flying with Wizz Air, and I was glad with their service and low prices. Why should I be left with no alternative, with no choice of the prices and airline which I prefer. So what that other airlines will stay in Warsaw, at the Terminal I, where their prices are often higher, and they do not fly to those destinations which I am interested in. I do not like Etiuda myself, its ugly and small, but it was giving me the choice. I undesrtand Wizz Air, thay don't want to lose passengers if they have to increase the prices.

reviewed by visitor from Poland on Jan.08.2009

Thank God Etuida is closing. It was a total joke (and not a funny one). Does this now mean that those of us who travel budget ar granted the honour of being able to use a duty-free shop despite buying a cheap ticket? Does it mean we get to have our own queue and not play rugby scrums with three other flights? Yippee!

reviewed by TREV HILL from United Kingdom on Jan.07.2009

Jack, you snob!

reviewed by Alfie from United Kingdom on Jan.02.2009

I thought Etiuda was fine and a damn good idea, it kept the riff-raff out of the main airport.

reviewed by Jack from United Kingdom on Jan.02.2009

As far as I'm aware it was an estimate of 30PLN onto the cost of an individual ticket but an increase of 100% for what the airline pays the airport authorities for use of the new terminal.

reviewed by Thomson from United Kingdom on Dec.20.2008

Wait we're talking about a 30 PLN increase? Are you sure - I heard it was going to be 100% more....

reviewed by chuckNorris from United States on Dec.18.2008

If Wizzair pull out how am I going to get my regular flights to Scotland cheaply?

reviewed by Colin from United Kingdom on Dec.17.2008

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