Connecting flights at Barcelona Airport - Tips and advice

[Alan Pearce]

In August I am flying with Emirates to Barcelona, and then to SdC with Vueling. My stopover is only 1 hr 45 mins, and without having any knowledge of the airport at Barcelona and how big it is, I am a little concerned that this may not be enough time to make my connection. I presume I will have to collect my luggage from the carousel, which takes some time, and then find the Vueling counter and book in on my flight. Any thoughts from those who have experience of Barcelona airport?

Thanks in advance

Alan

 

[C clearly]

Is your flight from Barcelona to Santiago on the same ticket as the rest of your journey, or is it on a separate ticket?

 

[Vacajoe]

…to Barcelona from WHERE?!??

 

[SabsP]

…to Barcelona from WHERE?!??

From NSW, Australia is my strong guess if you notice the details from @Alan Pearce.

 

[Alan Pearce]

Is your flight from Barcelona to Santiago on the same ticket as the rest of your journey, or is it on a separate ticket?

It is on the same ticket.

 

[Vacajoe]

Less than two hours to go through immigration and customs in Barcelona? And change terminals from International to Domestic? Probably not going to happen.

 

[ranthr]

It is on the same ticket.

Do you have to take out hour luggage? When the flights are on the same ticket, I guess they can send the luggage to Santiago?

 

[Vacajoe]

Usually you must go through customs and immigration at the first airport you reach in a new country.

 

[Alan Pearce]

Do you have to take out hour luggage? When the flights are on the same ticket, I guess they can send the luggage to Santiago?

You make a good point. My travel agent is away until Monday and I will confirm with her then if the one ticket will get my luggage all the way. If that were so I would feelmore comfortable.

When I purchased the ticket the stopover was an hour longer, at 2 hours 45 minutes. It only took them one week to alter it.

 

[Kathar1na]

My travel agent is away until Monday and I will confirm with her then if the one ticket will get my luggage all the way.

Please let us know. I had assumed that Santiago is a domestic airport but I've learnt in the meantime that they are an "international Union airport". That may change the picture.

PS: I have deleted my two earlier comments. While what I wrote about EU borders and Schengen borders and persons and goods travelling or being transported across borders is correct, it does not apply the checked baggage. They are a special kind of goods as I understand now.

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

If you are entering the EU Schengen region at Barcelona, you will go through passport control before you can go to your connecting flight. Often, if all your flights are on the same ticket and with the same carrier, your checked-in bags will be sent all the way to final destination. Check this with your booking agent. My experience making a connection through Barcelona was not positive. I was on Vueling flight from Nice, changing in Barcelona for their flight to Manchester. I had 3 hours between connections, BUT the flight from Nice was delayed almost 2 hours. My flight landed at one end of the airport and the new flight was at a gate at the other end of the airport. Thankfully my luggage was checked through and I only had my backpack as carryon. I had to go through passport control and UK security check before I could go to my gate, and the line was long. I asked people if I could go ahead of the line. Then I had to literally run through the entire airport to get to my gate. I arrived as the boarding process was finishing and was the last to board. So, if your plane lands on time and passport control is not busy, you will be fine. If your flight has a problem, be prepared to get in some extra training for your camino!!!

 

[Heinrich Rautenbach]

In August I am flying with Emirates to Barcelona, and then to SdC with Vueling. My stopover is only 1 hr 45 mins, and without having any knowledge of the airport at Barcelona and how big it is, I am a little concerned that this may not be enough time to make my connection. I presume I will have to collect my luggage from the carousel, which takes some time, and then find the Vueling counter and book in on my flight. Any thoughts from those who have experience of Barcelona airport?

Thanks in advance

Alan

Alan

Since both airlines make use of terminal 1 (I only did some cursory checks), I think you stand a very good chance to make your connecting flight. Since there are +/- 5 flights a day to SdC, Vueling should be able to get you on the next flight out, unless you are booked on the last flight, then you will flown the next day, having been put up in a nearby hotel. Your ticket is sold to you with the assumption that there will be enough time for you to make your transit. There will be a transit desk which will guide you through the quickest route, even if your luggage is not booked through to your next destination and maybe you need to get to terminal 2.

I usually try to take this type of travel in my stride and allow each and every challenge to offer what it may. I certainly try to make the next flight, but If it is time to have an adventure, then so be it. You will not be left stranded and worst case, you will arrive a day later.

If you are only doing this trip for the Camino and you plan to carry your own backpack, then consider not checking your luggage.

Whatever you decide, Buen Camino!

 

[Turga]

When I purchased the ticket the stopover was an hour longer, at 2 hours 45 minutes. It only took them one week to alter it.

I assume it was Vuling that changed the schedule(?) I don't want to add to uncertainty, but Vueling is notorious for doing that, sometimes with very short notice. Make sure you stay informed - a lot can happen before August.

 

[lindam]

Terminal 2 (T2) at Barcelona's airport has only just recently re-opened after being closed for more than 6 months. If, per chance, you need to change terminals while at Barcelona's airport, there are frequent free shuttle buses between the two. The journey takes about 20 minutes and all that is involved is finding the outdoor platform and waiting for the next bus. It will be important for you to confirm at which terminal your flight is arriving as well as at which terminal your next flight is scheduled to depart.

 

[Albertagirl]

I do not know the details of your flight, but I can say this. When I flew from Calgary to Auckland, my backpack did not make the flight to Auckland from Vancouver, where I changed planes. When I discovered that it had not arrived in Auckland, I asked if it would arrive the next day, as I had a day planned in Auckland, then an onward booking and connecting arrangements after that. It turned out that the next day was the only day of the week when there was no Vancouver to Auckland flight. Fortunately for me, a family member in Auckland was a hiker and willing to loan me his backpacking gear. I bought some basic clothing and continued on. When I returned to Auckland a month later, there was my backpack at the airport and the baggage control gave me a small amount of money to cover my clothing costs. So I had my personal gear and chosen clothing for my last week in New Zealand. Since your flights are on the same ticket, your booked baggage is likely to arrive in Santiago. If there is a second flight from Barcelona to Santiago the same day, your plans may not be too disturbed, as you can pick it up at the airport later in the day and go on. What my experience in Auckland has taught me is that I have only taken carry-on baggage ever since.

 

[peregrina2000]

Usually you must go through customs and immigration at the first airport you reach in a new country.

I know this is what happens when you arrive in the US, and it may also be the system in some other countries, but this is just not the way it happens in Spain. You do not pick up your luggage and recheck it at your port of entry. Checked luggage goes all the way through to your final destination in Spain, so long as it is one ticket. The few exceptions to that rule are stated on the Iberia website.

I think that this thread is confusing and unhelpful. So I’m going to close it, with the hope that @Alan Pearce has gotten the clarity he needs.

1. If his bag is checked all the way to SCQ he will not need to pick it up and re-check it in Barcelona.

2. Since his flight is all on one ticket, if he misses his connection, the airlines will have to re-route him. No need to panic.

3. Whether he will actually make the connection depends on time of arrival in Barcelona, length of lines in immigration, and the distance from the arrival gate to the departure gate. Some say it’s unlikely, others say it’s possible, but no one knows, so the best advice IMO is just to try to make it without killing yourself, knowing that if you don’t make it, you will be taken care of.