Barcelona Airport

Barcelona Airport is a nice enough building, and easy to navigate around, but it is by far the filthiest airport I have ever used. Security and the actual gate areas are clean enough but every food outlet I looked at was disgusting. The floors were littered with food, paper serviettes and puddles of spilt drink. I couldn't even walk into some of the cafes as I would have had to walk through squashed food and sticky drinks. I had a look around the shops and then revisited the cafes to see if they had been cleaned in the meantime but, no, they hadn't. The mess had just increased. The toilets were also dirty. I didn't use the 'blade' hand dryer as the inside of it was too dirty. It looked as though it had never been cleaned. It's a shame that such a large airport is so poorly looked after. For many, this is their first and last view of Barcelona, an absolutely fantastic city, and it really lets the city down.

Very difficult airport to navigate as signage was poor. The hunt for the lounge took 3 inquiries and 2 missed directions and even when close, there was little indication that we were nearby. The multilevel process required for security and boarding was poorly signed as well.

One of the worst airports I've experienced. Terminal is extremely hot with no air con. Staff are unhelpful, if you can find anyone to speak to. Unable to hear tanoy, no flight information until you get to the gate. Prices are extortionate, large queues for every shop and food outlet and toilets are a disgrace. Not enough seats for passengers and poor signage. Avoid if you can.

Had an early flight at six in the morning with Lufthansa from BCN to FFM and was dropped off at the airport 50 minutes before departure from terminal 1, gate C73. I didn't see any information about a potential fast track for me as Star Alliance Gold customer. But security went on in a rush anyway. The random generator picked me for wipe test. But after five minutes I was through security. Very nice. I had seen that Sala VIP Pau Casals would allow me access for a short breakfast. I knew it would be close to my gate and I found a sign for "VIP". But then I lost track and ended up at the gate. As boarding had not been started I turned back and searched for the lounge and finally found it on the upper level. Grabbed a coffee and some cereals, an orange juice and went back to the gate. Lufthansa had started the regular boarding already but I was able to skip the line with my status. So all in all this experience was very pleasant. Will give it a try again in June when I fly to BCN next time.

Jan 4th 2016. Having flown in from Detroit via Paris without a problem we had to connect in Barcelona for our final flight home to Mallorca. Only 45 minutes between flights and we had to check in being told in USA that was 'normal'. There was no ground staff available and the office was closed and this was 4.15 in the afternoon. My wife and I are both very senior citizens were directed out of the airport to come back in as new passengers (security control etc) and find our way back to where we began exactly 4 boarding gates further away than where we landed. No requested seats available after paying Premium and still no help given. No luggage on arrival after waiting for 45 minutes (without any advice) in Mallorca although this was delivered to our home the next day.

The airport facilities are great and very well signposted. Lots of bright areas and lots of seating facilities. If you can, do bring your sandwiches. Prices are quite extravagant. Everyone friendly enough except at the information desk where, in spite of nobody else waiting, I was given no help at all by a rather rude woman who just refused to help me with connecting with the airport free wifi. Information desk is supposed to help people.

Barcelona airport was a relief compared to my Barcelona visit. I only had to wait a little for secutity and check in, and good restaurants, lots of shops. There also were plenty of seats so I chose one close to the widow and got a great view of planes taking off, landing and taxiing.

Be prepared to queue and queue and queue. 40 minutes + queue to check in. 25 minutes at passport control, which is situated just before you board the flight. Many people missed their flight. Our pilot waited for around 30 of us who were held up at passport control, he took off 15 minutes late. The passport staff held each person for between 30 seconds to one minute each and if you made any comment about missing your flight, you were made to wait even longer. When told people were missing flights he said it was not his problem. Most of the the people at the passport control queue were over 70 years old and they were all leaving Spain, so I have no idea why each one required so much scrutiny. Appalling attitude from the two staff members. Make sure you go directly to you flight as soon as it appears on screen or you could miss your flight.

Security at the airport when told that my 82 yrs old aunt had a pacemaker fitted searched her, pat down. No problem, however she was then directed to a surly security guard who ordered he to take her hand luggage, a small suitcase, from the rollers to a desk located nearby. I tried to intervene, my aunt is very infirm and due to dementia confused and frightened. The guard ignored me sweeping me aside and ordered this frail old lady to lift the case up onto the desk. She struggled to do so with no help being given or allowed. Once there she had to search her handbag for a key and open the case, where upon the guard failed to look into the bag and merely grunted and said go. This treatment left my aunt very upset, confused and angry. The security guard was very brusque and uncaring. A disgrace! This tainted our view of the airport, indeed the sterile, impersonal ambience and staff made it an unpleasant place to be. The airport is vast, no moving footpaths so very long walks are required and there is a distinct lack of customer service staff or clear sign posting.

I would like to tell everyone that Barcelona Airport is absolutely fantastic when providing wheelchair assistance for disabled people. May I personally compliment them and all staff on how they handled my disabled husband in a wheelchair from collection off the plane to transit onto a coach to a ship. Absolutely superb. Sadly, the departure airport viz. Edinburgh Airport was utterly abysmal and I have put in my separate comment about this on this review site.