Our Review of Goa Airport (GOI)
Our Review of Goa Airport (GOI)
At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.
In this Guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.
Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.
Summary of the reviews
Goa Dabolim Airport (GOI) receives mixed reviews from travelers. While some appreciate its convenience and connection to Goa, many others express concerns about various aspects of the airport experience. Common complaints revolve around congestion, limited facilities, taxi services, and cleanliness.
Key Positive Points
- Convenient Location: Close proximity to popular tourist destinations in Goa.
- Efficient Immigration (Sometimes): Some reviewers mention quick immigration processes, especially during off-peak hours.
- New Terminal (Generally): The newer terminal is seen as an improvement over older facilities.
Key Negative Points
- Congestion and Crowds: Overcrowding is a frequent complaint, especially during peak tourist seasons and holidays.
- Taxi/Transportation Issues: Many reviewers report issues with taxi drivers, including overcharging, scams, and refusal to use meters.
- Limited Facilities: Complaints about a lack of seating, limited food options (especially for vegetarians), and the quality/price of food and drinks.
- Cleanliness: Concerns are often raised about the cleanliness of restrooms and the overall airport environment.
- Wi-Fi: The limited free Wi-Fi (30 minutes) and its inconsistent performance are often criticized.
- Baggage Handling: Some reviewers have reported slow baggage claim times.
- Lack of Organization: Some reviewers mention poor signage and a general lack of clear direction within the airport.
- Noise: Several reviewers mention the excessive noise inside the terminal.
- Security queues: There are often security queues and not enough staff to manage passengers going through.
Specific Issues from AirlineQuality.com Reviews:
- "Worst Airport" complaints: Several reviews use strong language to describe negative experiences.
- Problems with touts/scams: Consistent warnings about being vigilant and cautious with taxi drivers outside the prepaid taxi area.
- Specific examples of price gouging: Reviews mention examples of taxi drivers demanding excessive fares.
Overall Rating:
Given the balance of positive and negative feedback, I’d give Goa Dabolim Airport a rating of:
2.8 out of 5 stars
Justification:
- While the airport serves a vital function in connecting tourists to Goa, the persistent issues with congestion, transportation, cleanliness, and facilities significantly detract from the overall passenger experience.
- The positive aspects, such as the convenient location, are overshadowed by the more frequent and serious complaints.
Recommendations for Improvement:
Based on the reviews, key areas for improvement include:
- Transportation Regulation: Stricter regulation of taxi services to prevent scams and overcharging.
- Improved Facilities: Increase seating capacity, expand food options, and improve restroom cleanliness.
- Congestion Management: Implement strategies to reduce overcrowding during peak hours.
- Clearer Signage: Improve signage and wayfinding within the airport.
- Enhanced Wi-Fi: Provide more generous and reliable free Wi-Fi access.
Pros and Cons of Goa Airport (GOI)
PROs
Location: Goa Airport is located near Dabolim, 4 kilometers from Vasco de Gama and 30 kilometers from the state capital, Panaji, making it easily accessible to Goa’s renowned tourist spots and beach resorts.
Tourism Gateway: The airport is the principal entrance point for travelers visiting Goa, a popular tourism destination noted for its beaches, nightlife, and cultural history.
Modern Facilities: The airport offers modern amenities such as duty-free stores, cafes, and lounges, which improves the entire passenger experience.
International and Domestic Connectivity: Goa Airport has a solid mix of local and international flights, linking tourists to major Indian towns and foreign locations, particularly during the tourism season.
CONS
Capacity Issues: Goa Airport can become overcrowded during peak tourist seasons, leading to longer wait times for check-in, security, and baggage claim, which may frustrate travelers.
Transportation Delays: During busy travel hours, taxis and public transportation may face delays, making it difficult for travelers to arrive on time.
Variable Service Quality: Service quality could vary, especially during peak periods, resulting in variable passenger experiences in terms of assistance.
Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)
Terminals: Goa Airport has a brand new terminal, also known as NITB Terminal. It’s a modern and integrated terminal to attend the growing passenger traffic, handling both domestic and international services.
Transport to and from Goa: Taxis, app-based ride services, and local buses provide convenient transportation to and from the airport. While transportation choices are typically dependable, be cautious during busy tourist seasons when traffic might be heavy. Taxis provide easy access to hotels and resorts.
Check-in Areas: The Goa airport check-in areas are located in the ground floor of the terminal levels, along with arrivals and baggage claim areas.
Amenities and Facilities: The Goa airport terminal has modern amenities such as duty-free stores, cafes, and restaurants, giving you plenty of alternatives for shopping and dining before your trip.
Family-Friendly Services: Goa Airport is accommodating for families, offering child-friendly amenities such as play areas and nursing rooms, ensuring comfort for travelers with young children.
Additional tips: Be prepared for potential crowds during peak seasons, but overall, the airport offers a convenient gateway to explore the beautiful state of Goa.
How we calculate On Time Performance
On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.
We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.
Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.
The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:
- On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
- Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
- Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
- Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
- Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation
Some Stats
Airlines with more flight operations (last 3 months)
64% (Total flights analyzed: 3833)
21% (Total flights analyzed: 1248)
13% (Total flights analyzed: 810)
1% (Total flights analyzed: 54)
1% (Total flights analyzed: 51)
Airlines with best on-time performance at Goa Airport (last 3 months)
Considering all airlines:
87% (Total flights analyzed: 54)
82% (Total flights analyzed: 810)
79% (Total flights analyzed: 3833)
75% (Total flights analyzed: 51)
72% (Total flights analyzed: 1248)
Considering only airlines with more than 10 flights/week:
82% (Total flights analyzed: 810)
79% (Total flights analyzed: 3833)
72% (Total flights analyzed: 1248)
Routes with more flights from Goa Airport (last month)