How pick-up works at Costa Smeralda, what to do if your flight is delayed and how much time you really need.
Olbia Costa Smeralda is the gateway to north-eastern Sardinia and runs at full capacity in summer, with scheduled and charter flights from across Europe. The terminal is compact: it is a short walk from the gate to baggage reclaim.
The tricky moment is not the flight, it is the queue at the desk. At the July and August peaks you can wait an hour in front of the big operators’ counters, often only to be offered insurance and upgrades you did not ask for. With a local company handover is direct: documents, signature, keys.
If your flight is delayed there is no need to panic-call: just make sure the flight number is on your booking. We check it and wait for you, with no charge for the delay. That is why we ask for it when you book — and it is the field most often left empty.
For the return, plan to be at the drop-off desk at least two hours before departure in the summer months. If you collected the car in Olbia but fly out of Alghero or Cagliari that is possible: say so when booking, as the car has to be brought back to its home airport.
A practical tip: fill up before you get back to the airport, not inside it. The nearest petrol stations are along the SS125 and on the Olbia ring road, a few minutes from the terminal.