Barcelona El Prat Airport review by K Lamb

12 March 2008   Customer Rating :

Arrived by taxi and had to walk the full length of the terminal to the BA check in desk. Check in was easy and quick, and although as other people have said we all beeped through the detectors, it didn't take long to be on our way through the departures area. Lots of shopping choices but it is very expensive. Overall a nice airport though some may find it too vast.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Jim Scott

7 February 2008   Customer Rating :

Used Barcelona for a return flight BCN-LGW-BCN. Outward uneventful and efficient. The relative chaos I had observed in the security checks on an early evening flight about 2 months ago was not in evidence this time. However as a non-Schenegen flight on easyJet we were in terminal A [I think; certainly the one furthest from the city centre] this time as opposed to B last time.Inbound flight landed around 22:00,on time. The process of inspecting passports, collecting luggage and leaving the terminal was all effortless and very rapid. One final comment. Rising prices in Spain in general and in Spanish airports in particular are a given. I was however quite surprised to see ads for parking at LGW on my way back which quoted prices way below BCN. On arrival back in Spain,we paid €64 for the period mentioned above. When I compared prices with the BAA website for the equivalent time- scale at LGW this coming week, the quote for booking in advance and for a slightly distant from the terminal location was £24.80 which I translate at a rate of €1.33/£ as very roughly €33.00. Quite a difference!

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by J Segal

26 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Traveled in and out of BCN this past week. Services were nice, but must agree that the security (both arrival and departure) were odd. Very minimal at entry, and casual at exit. Never matced ID with ticket-in fact never looked at my ID.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Jim Scott

23 November 2007   Customer Rating :

We recently travelled out and back on a Clickair flight to Berlin. As a result we used terminal B rather than terminal C which we are more used to using with easyJet. Also we travelled out in early evening for a 17:00 flight as opposed to one much nearer 22:00 with easyJet. The differences were glaring and negative. The queues for security on departure in B were both long and slow. Much much worse security itself seemed no more than a formality. A tedious formality. But a pointless one too. I would estimate that about 65% of the passengers were setting off the security alarms on the body scanning equipment. As a result the checks were pure farce with hassled operatives unable to respond to the constant pinging of alarm bells and the whole process becoming pointless. Not very impressive given the rationale which underpins such checks. On a more mundane level, the decision to locate the trays for small items to pass through the scanners only a few feet before arrival at the scanners guaranteed the most inefficient approach possible to the machines. To be fair to Tegel, about which I have yet to form a clear opinion, the security checks there knocked Barcelona into a cocked hat. On the positive side, baggage return on arrival in BCN was very speedy at 20 minutes from touchdown, but this is as it should be at 22:30 with a fairly empty airport.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Henry Tib

16 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived at Barcelona El Prat airport mid evening, Immigration an easy flow through and there was no customs check. Buses are easily located outside the terminal to Barcelona and we were able to alight at a stop near to our hotel.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by C McCafferty

9 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrival with Easyjet was hassle free, although as I had hand luggage only I was spared a long wait for luggage (although previously I haven't had to wait more than 20-30 minutes). Out through 'Terminal A' I was on the Aerobus within 20 minutes of landing. Departing was more stressful - the airport was packed to the rafters with departing travellers, I was forced to trek from the security line beside the BA desks to a new channel upstairs midway between Terminals A and B which was thronged with people (although the queue moved relatively quickly) and once airside there were people everywhere - the general impression was that the place was full to capacity, and then some. That aside the terminal itself is well supplied with shops, airy and spacious (if a little hot) and there are some perfectly acceptable food and drink options. I think the place copes as well as it can with the massive demand from visitors, but it is often a stressful experience - Barcelona is very much a victim of its own success in this sense.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Jim Scott

3 November 2007   Customer Rating :

We use this airport regularly and it is generally fine. Check-in desks with easyJet are generally plentiful and quick. Likewise BA though on a price basis we haven't used them that much recently. There is not that much seating space downstairs where check-in is located but this is hardly a unique problem. All lounges are located on the 1st floor and you proceed up a set of escalators and pass through security at once on the top floor before emerging to a wide, spacious series of lounge areas. Flights to the UK are invariable located to the extreme right, the non-Schengen area, with a passport check being conducted in the wide corridor as you go there.[One tip on arrival. Should your path into the terminal take you via the 1st floor which is I think the case for all flights arriving at an airbridge/finger, it is important to note from the screens which terminal, A,B or C your bags are going to, as going down to the wrong section can cause hassle when you try to rectify the mistake.] On arrival the passport control booths are labelled as either "EU" or "non-EU" but the distinction is not enforced, at least in terms of allowing the former to emerge through the latter booths. When we last arrived on Sunday 28th October near 22:00 the time from touchdown to receiving bags was 22 minutes which is as it should be at this time of night. At other times waits for baggage have been inordinate. But the same can be true in London.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Paul Jacobsen

1 November 2007   Customer Rating :

On the positive side both passport and security checks were quick and well organized, with enough opened lanes. On the 1st floor of Terminal B, just above the Arrivals area, the restaurant Buffet Catalunya offers a tasty buffet with hot and cold dishes for around 20 euro. The room looks rather sterile, but it is a heaven of peace amidst the overcrowded terminal. On the negative side BCN suffers from a lack of reliable signage. Upon arrival it was very difficult to locate the Tourist Information desk. Furthermore I happened to find the local city bus only by chance. To go in the city please note that the local bus no. 46 (to Plaza Espanya) is slightly cheaper than the Aerobus (to Plaza Catalunya via Plaza Espanya). Upon departure it was also hard to find the right check-in counters. The whole terminal was overcrowded, hot and suffered from bad air-conditioning: how would it feel like in the midst of high-summer temperatures?

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Dave Jaros

9 October 2007   Customer Rating :

Arrived on Oct3 from PRG to Terminal A, fast immigration and while not having checked baggage, out in 15 mins. If heading for the city train, head for the Terminal B, as this is not well signposted in the T-A. Departing on Oct6 midday, rather strong passenger stream and queues in the both Terminals B and A. Check-in counters displayed on screens not complete (and well ahead) so check out the lighting screen at the top for complete listings. The space in ground floor is very limited, especially in peak times. Encountered some local drunk and confused teenagers who obviously missed another plane to the same destination. Fortunately, the agent refused them and kept the queue going on. Another bad point to the pre-security check (boarding pass), as the security is just up the stairs and this may become rather dangerous when masses try to move up in a lines. Also beware that after security, there are no post boxes so leave your postcards etc. in the public area. Immigration check somehow comic - EU passport line moved much slower than the "all passports". I argued quite visibly so the officer left me pass by without any check. The gate 55 suddenly started boarding without any PA notice some 10 ahead schedule. Not even the last call was announced by voice so that one could easily miss its flight (what almost happened to few fellow passengers). Very limited duty free and two bars in the M5 pier, facilities neither polished nor dirty, but very unpleasant dry air con. When avoiding peak times, its a passable airport with low taxes. But otherwise you get the Spanish hassle in full force.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by W Cresswell

20 September 2007   Customer Rating :

Whilst the airport buildings are pleasant enough the passenger and baggage handling are somewhat chaotic. On arrival a wait of nearly an hour for bags to appear. On departure, arrived at terminal 'A' two and a half hours before the flight to find total chaos with the queues from the check-in desks on both sides of the terminal merging in the centre, with indicator boards giving incorrect information. After a two hour wait passengers with flights departing within the next few minutes were 'fast tracked', fine but unfortunately the security channels in terminal 'A' happened to be closed, requiring a rush to terminal 'B' and then back to 'A' airside to eventually board. Comments from the aircrew indicate that these events are not uncommon at BCN. Eventually arrived in the UK with one bag missing, not surprising considering the chaos at BCN. Hope that the new airport currently under construction will improve matters.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by K Ross

15 August 2007   Customer Rating :

Just flown in and out of Barcelona with Transavia and Vueling respectively. We had the unfortunate experience of arriving on 'Black Saturday', when half the holidaymakers pass through this airport. What that meant in practice was an hour long wait for luggage, a long fight through a narrow and extremely crowded terminal to the car hire desks, then an hour queue there to pick up the car. Outbound was better, although the terminal was just as busy. Once airside, things calmed down and I must say that the departure lounges are spacious with more than adequate facilities. One other point to note. We had long wait at the airport and decided to go into the city to pass the time. I'd advise anybody to use either a taxi (cheap) or airport bus for this. We decided to go by train and after a long walk to the station we were surprised to find that the service runs only half-hourly (and not always on time). This leads to a large build up of passengers on a narrow platform waiting for the train, which then turns up a disgorges a train load of people and luggage onto this already jam-packed platform. Chaos ensues and tempers are strained in the heat. I can't believe that the airport, city authorities and rail network can't get together to ensure a more regular service, say once every 10 minutes. Overall, a decent airport to use outside the summer months I'd imagine, but probably one to avoided during the July/August chaos.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Andrew Bennett

17 October 2006   Customer Rating : n/a

I had to make a very quick change here last week (50 minutes scheduled), en route from Alicante to Malpensa with Iberia. To my amazement, my luggage arrive in Milan with me! So well done the baggage handlers at Barcelona - and an altogether pleasant experience, albeit short, in this airport.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Angela Lyons

12 August 2006

The airport is nice with plenty of light and there are plenty of shops. The entire airport is now smoke free. Due to the increased traffic this airport has experienced in the past 3 years, check in can be a long process and gate areas can be sometimes crowded. Airport staff do their job but do not expect any extra help even if you are willing to pay. Security is very efficient and they will not give you a hard time like they do in the US. Taxi service to the city is plenty available and costs about 25 euros.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Andrija Matic

10 June 2006

Flying to/from BCN was a pleasant experience. The terminal building is bright and spacious, check in efficient, security/passport control quick, walking distances acceptable, waiting at baggage claim was short, great shopping opportunities with plenty of restaurants, bars and rest areas as well as designated places for smokers. My flight was delayed for two and a half hours which have passed quickly as I strolled around shopping and had a snack. On the other hand, airport staff in food and beverage areas basically does not speak any english which can be pretty inconvenient.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by A Greethurst

13 February 2006

BCN have just virtually doubled their parking fees for people wishing to park for more than a day. Whilst they can say this is only bringing it into line with other International airports they don't actually provide any long term facilities either on Airport or Off. As a result I'm finding other ways to travel and/or park and consequently they get less money from me now than they did before. I hope other people do the same.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by M Bolivar

24 October 2005

I have used it a few times as connection airport, and a few others as destination. Spacious check-in area, a bit crowded during the mornings, specially Iberia and Spanair desks. Fast police control, maybe because I'm spanish. Good pre-boarding and shopping areas. Baggage claim is not so good. Always slow and last time I used BCN I got my suitcase broken over the belt conveyor, with all my clothes spread over it, not funny at all. Only one delayed flight out of 5 for me.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Matthew Eden

13 September 2005

Long walks to baggage reclaim and slow delivery of baggage to carousels aside, Barcelona is a delightful airport to use. The terminals are spacious, have a good selection of shops, restaurants and cafes, and staff are friendly. Gates are easy to find, and security checks are quick and efficient.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by William Agius

4 August 2005

We recently passed through Barcelona. I always like the airport because its so spacious and bright. The distances from the aircraft to the curbside are really short, which makes it easy to pass through the airport. Recently though, they built a new runway, parallel to the existing one. It's quite far away and has made the taxy time from landing to reaching the parking position a lot longer.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Derek Gollan

29 May 2005

No help available for elderly passengers who have to wrestle baggage off carousel. Email to Airport's administration brought response that help i.e. porter service was not available. On arrival was amazed to see many green jacketed airport employees in baggage area delivering trolleys but refused to assist even after 10 euro note offered. Why a modern airport like this can be so indifferent to needs of senior travelers is a disgrace. Contrast this with JFK where porters available in Customs area and signs on their carts adverting their service. BCN suggests delivering airlines provide help but both E8 inbound from VCE and later in AGP JK said they couldn't help.This is a government run operation and as Spain relies heavily on tourist revenues Madrid should get after the department that runs the country's airports.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Alan Wan

25 January 2005

I have flown from this airport twice. Overall I think its a pleasant airport with plenty of room, decent shops to window shop and average choice of eating facilities. However when flying through on the 17 January I was unimpressed with the security. When I went through the metal detector it sounded. The security guard touched my ankles... and that was it!

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by J Romero

1 November 2004

I'm a Barcelona resident and I'm not so happy when I compare it to other airports - baggage delivery is always incredible slow and the area appointed to it is small and cramped. On the transit area you need coins for carts-something foreign visitors sometimes don't have handy. Finally the train service is not so good, only every 30min and ends quite early for late arrivals, and the car rental facilities are very unsatisfactory. All in all, it's very nice in appearance and the building of another huge terminal in between the existing and the brand new runway will improve services and number of connections, same as with the TGV link in 2007.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Peter McEvoy

12 September 2004

Overall, a very impressive airport with quite friendly staff, but a few minor problems that could do with sorting out. When we landed, our flight from Dublin did not appear on the monitors indicating at what belt we could reclaim our bags. Luckily, it was the belt nearest us so someone spotted their luggage and we all proceeded there. On the return journey, I noticed this same flight from Dublin did not appear on the arrivals monitor either. Delivery of baggage was quick however. Taxis were in plentiful supply and I was soon on my way into Barcelona. On return, I was checked in extremely efficiently and quickly by Iberia, and I then proceeded to look around the terminal. One thing I did notice was that the food offering was minimal, something repeated in the departure lounge. The shopping facilities were excellent though, and security was quick and friendly. There was plenty of space and the lounge was bright and airy. On boarding the aircraft however, we were treated to the unfriendliest goodbye i have ever had leaving a country. Just as were about to step on the aircraft (after showing boarding cards) an "immigration" officer checked our passports. A family in front of me had all their documentation re- checked and sent off to an office for inspection with no word of apology or explanation to them. My passport was then inspected.. the front cover... the back cover... the photo page (for about two minutes) each page inside, and all while I was looked up and down in a manner I would only expect from a drunk looking for a fight. I really felt like i was being looked on like a piece of dirt and it was not a nice way of treating people leaving your country. Especially as I was returning to my home country and not entering spain.. what was the need? At the very least, this guy was an equal opportunites and egalitarian sort as he treated everyone with the same level of Rudness: an American passport holder who seemed to consider himself above being inspected was just as discourteously checked. It should be said that this was not the airport authority's fault, but they could encourage a nicer attitude on the part of Immigration officials.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Ryan Chao

26 March 2004

I love this airport. Airy departure lounge and glass wall. Clean and efficient. I have never used the airbridge either arrival or departure (both international and domestic) I guess there is gate shortage. My international flights are wide-body crafts. Still had to board it by bus. It's only annoying part.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by G Doyle

2 March 2004

There is a real confusing problem as to which terminal your plane leaves from. There are no advance warnings so you need to check at the info desk when you arrive. I recently missed my plane because we went to the wrong terminal and the screens were not updated. By the time we realised something was going wrong we were too late to get on our plane as it was overbooked.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Dennis Sare

28 January 2004

El Prat is great to go through but not to hang around in. It probably has the worst catering facilities of any European airport. Poor staff with poor attitudes working in a depressing environment. If travelling by EasyJet forget any catering facilities and take your own.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by John Miller

9 January 2004

Barcelona is by far the nicest airport in Spain, but it still lags behind some of the more thoughtfully designed airports in the rest of Europe. The terminal buildings can be rather cluttered, and now that traffic is segregated by airline alliance rather than destination it is difficult to know from which terminal one will be flying in advance. The shops are certainly pleasant but I increasingly feel that the airport is selling out to commercial pressures, and that the massive advertising spaces in the airside area detract from what is otherwise a clean light building.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by A. Callahan

22 September 2003

Recently travelled through BCN and was very impressed. The airport is modern, has excellent facilities and is expanding rapidly. The only problem I had was that the shops close so early. My return flight left at 2250h (not the only one) but all the shops closed at 2100h!

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by V Martínez

28 July 2003

One of the most beautiful airports in Europe. It has a very pleasant vip and non vip lounges whith a relaxing atmosphere. The airport have a pretty brown marble walls that makes Barcelona a luxury airport. The mall that is in the departure zone, have a good variety of shops, bars and another kind of services.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Andrew Wilkinson

13 June 2003

BCN does indeed have a fine shopping mall (by most European airport standards). However, on my visit I found the staff uninformative and not very helpful when I enquired about a delayed (and eventually cancelled) flight. In addition the airport lacks non-smoking areas and this is particularly unpleasant if you are forced to wait several hours for a delayed flight. BCN needs to move with the times in this respect and provide non smoking areas.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by R Pietersz

25 March 2003

This Airport is one of my favourites in Europe, clean, nice shops nice bars and restaurants. Arrival and check in area are not the best parts of the airport. But once you are in the departure hall it is very enjoyable.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Adam Stolarczyk

24 February 2003

My experience with El Prat Airport is very good. Friendly staff, a lot of shops (however with not very good prices) and nice atmosphere.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by A Albrecht

20 November 2002

My second time at Barcelona airport was another unpleasant experience. The staff were very unfriendly and not at all cooperative. On the other side, the airport has a nice shopping mall.

Barcelona El Prat Airport review by Luigi Vallero

18 September 2002

A very nice marble-walled terminal, a mile long shopping arcade and lots of European destinations served from this airport make BCN one of my favourites in Europe. Despite its size, and the sometimes long walks involved in reaching your gate, I find it is always a pleasure using BCN. The check-in area is quite compact, and once you've passed through police controls you can leisurely stroll along the main terminal building that offers a very wide array of shops, with reasonably priced items. Connection to the city's main railway station is granted by an efficient rail service, but if you're in a hurry a taxi ride will not be that expensive. All in all a very nice place for waiting the departure of your flight.