Palma de Majorca Airport

We travelled via Palma Airport in Sept 06 and both ways it was clean efficient and friendly. It is enormous and seems well designed to cope with the number of folk who travel to Majorca each year. The shops airside had prices much lower than Majorca or UK.

We found it to be a very clean efficient airport - obviously noticably busier in May then in the winter months. I can imagine it must be heaving in July/August. Depending on where your aircraft lands you are probably in for a long walk although there are moving walkways to assist. There are plenty of toilets - in fact it seems that every gate has them. There also seems to be plenty of seating especially at the gates. Food quite expensive but then airport food always is. All in all - a good and pleasant airport.

PMI is a nice airport. It is very large so I imagine it can cope when busy although I have seen it only in two Januarys. Spain's new smoking laws are relatively effective thus quite properly limiting the impact of the filthy habit in the terminal although the restrictions are not well observed by arriving passengers. The toilets were many and very clean. Food outlets seem limited. I rarely complain about airport or airline food but I have to say that the alleged Gourmet cheese and ham sandwich for which I paid 4.60 euro was quite one of the most hideous I have ever had.

Airport was efficient both as an arriving and departing passenger. The airport public areas and toilets very clean and the eating facilities and shops did not charge the 'rip off' prices usually associated with airports. The signs provided for passenger guidance were satisfactory although perhaps better guidance could had been provided to assist departing passengers to locate their correct check in desk - I found mine by pure good fortune. All staff with whom I came into contact with were polite.

I was reasonably impressed with the modern image it presented though comments about 'long walks' are well justified - leave plenty of time to make it to the departure gates on time! One drawback was the 'security' arrangements. We all appreciate the need for heightened vigilance in these troubled times but the demeanour of the security staff appeared a tad arrogant ...and inconsistent to boot. By comparison I felt the security 'scrutiny' at Heathrow was more subtle courteous and far more effective.

I have just travelled back from Palma airport. It was disgusting. We were told that the cleaners had gone on strike. There were bins overflowing half eaten sandwiches on the floor etc. I was expecting to see rats and other vermin but did not. You could not sit on the chairs for rubbish. If the airport was in such a state (and this was 10:30am) I would have thought the food outlets would have closed but they were still serving food. (If you wanted to sit down the tables were next to a large pile of rubbish). Not a good experience at all.

The airport is wonderful clean and spacious the staff are very friendly and helpful. Although on the downside the catering facilities are not up to a high standard but the shops are ok. There were also bird droppings near the baggage collection part of the airport which didn't look to nice but the overall journey was brilliant and we would certainly travel from Palma airport again as the customer service was remarkable and most of the staff working in the airport were more than willing to help.

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!