Palma de Majorca Airport

If you are elderly or disabled don't bother going to Majorca. Palma Airport's provision for such passengers is grim. Have just travelled back from Palma -at check in I informed the clerk that assistance had been booked for 83 year old father. I was asked whether he required a buggy or a wheelchair (not being informed how important this choice would be) - opted for the buggy. I checked with the person collecting him that he would be taken to the gate - 04 and was assured he would. As it happened we walked to the gate only to find that he wasn't there. I brought this to the attention of the clerks at the gate desk and was told "he will be here". They called the flight everyone started getting on the bus - and he still hadn't arrived. Then we saw him staggering down a flight of stairs totally unaware of where he was going and sit in the nearest available seat (at the opposite end of the hall). I informed the despatcher at the gate desk and she said "but buggies can't travel down stairs"!! My answer isn't repeatable but needless to say the lack of care aforded to elderly or disabled left me absolutely staggered. Why they should think an elderly man who needs a buggy to get through the airport would be able to walk downstairs and another 200 yds or so beats me.

Used PMI for the first time on a week's holiday. Very spacious very long walks (but lots of auto walkways) generally a good feel to the place. On arrival baggage arrived fairly quickly very easy to find hire-car desks (and no queue at mine - Avis) very easy to get out to the hire-car parking - actually the shortest walk of the whole arrival process! Pretty good too I expect for those using transit buses/coaches - everything was right outside the terminal building. Found it straightforward to get away and headed in the right direction by car. When returning again easy to drop off the hire car get a trolley and get into the terminal building. Need to use a lift to get to the Departures level. Check-in quick and easy although we were using Business Class so it should be. A busy Saturday morning but the queues at Security were horrendous - and no fast-track that I could discern. Business lounge virtually empty plenty of drink options limited snacks lacking in atmosphere. A full 15-minute walk to the gate. Overall a good experience.

Palma International is vastly improved from it's early days and the new terminal is wonderful BUT it's a heck of a long walk once you get off the plane - I thought we'd reach the sea before we got to baggage reclaim! Cafe's upstairs are very poorly laid out not much choice and expensive but then aren't most airport cafes! There could be more tables to eat at and certainly could do with several staff to ensure tables are kept clear and clean but other than that I could think of far worse airports to fly into and out of!

I have lived in Palma for the last year or so and used the airport frequently. I agree that this brand-new terminal is spacious and well-designed. The only too often long distance involved in getting to your departure gate is pleasantly shortened though efficient moving walkways. The airport is conveniently located near the city and cabs are plentiful. The bus option is equally convenient and certainly cheaper although it should be noted that buses are not entirely reliable when it comes to getting to/from the airport either early in the morning or late in the evening. Negative aspects include: The blunt inadequacy of the existing catering facilities in the departures area. These are basically limited to two (twin) self-service outlets with a more than limited and certainly overpriced range of products. Tables are scarce and dirty. one often has to remove what others have left before. The only existing restaurant is poorly located at one end of the terminal and consequently often passes unnoticed by the traveller. The standards of cleanliness can be much improved. The otherwise pleasant relaxing open-air area is often found in appalling conditions with rubbish and bird droppings scattered all over the place. The retail facilities are small and unattractive. The perfume bar is normally crowded and rather inconveniently located at one end of the duty-free supermarket selling groceries and other stuff which is rather off-putting during the perfume-shopping experience. Non-smoking regulations are bluntly ignored by both travellers and staff alike. The only two existing passport and security control areas often mean that the traveller faces a rather long queue. The arrivals halls are cold and depressing. The low concrete ceiling creates an oppressive atmosphere. As in many other airports in Spain smokers automatically light their cigarettes the moment they get here when smoking is theoretically not allowed in this area.

I used PMI airport as my destination from Miami in June 2004 and the comments here are accurate. PMI is a large well-designed very modern and almost spotless airport well-designed for handling the more than 19 Million Passengers per year the third-busiest in Spain and placing it in the top 15 airports in Europe. My only complaints are the large and unorganized crowds in front of the security checkpoints (could learn something about crowd-handling from Disney) and for those unwary passengers the baggage carts do not have brakes and there is this steepish incline in an area. I can imagine one letting go even briefly at this point and having your cart rapidly roll away.

This new airport is a very large indeed and some gates are a very long way from the baggage reclaim hence the efficient and long moving walkways. Overall its very clean and efficient with most importantly plenty of space. With the hundreds of holiday charter flights evry day during the season it's necessary to find somewhere quiet to chill out. It's possible here. Check-in is well signposted and relatively speedy and the choice of shops is good. There's a nice open air section in the departure lounge where you can get a quiet last bit of sun before boarding! cabs are plentiful and it's pretty close to Palma centre.

Recent investment appears to have been well spent turning this holiday-oriented airport into a light spacious well-organised and welcoming place that seems well-geared to cope with the large numbers of Spanish domestic and mainly German British and Scandinavian visitors from overseas. PMI is just 6 km from the centre of Palma and a regular bus service (Route 1) provides a cheap alternative to taxis.