BCN passport control delays
May 10, 2017, 8:50 am
#121
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 469
Passport contoll entering BCN today was crazy. If you were not a EU e-passport holder the queues looked welll over an hour possibly more.
Took us avout 20mins with uk e-passport but then out luggage belt had the previous two flights of luggage on and around it. Took a while again the place was chaos. Glad I saw post about departures I had not thought about that anyone had any experience with BCN priority security recently as we are flying club Europe.
Took us avout 20mins with uk e-passport but then out luggage belt had the previous two flights of luggage on and around it. Took a while again the place was chaos. Glad I saw post about departures I had not thought about that anyone had any experience with BCN priority security recently as we are flying club Europe.
Yesterday we arrived at the airport at 16.30 for the 19.00 departure and were sitting in the lounge 20 mins after arriving and that was after checking in bags too. It must be very hit and miss with timings!
May 11, 2017, 1:49 pm
#122
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 812
There is also a travel advisory on ba.com warning of 'extra immigration checks' when travelling to/from Italy this month because of the G7 Summit: https://www.britishairways.com/trave...b?p_faqid=5742
Interestingly, according to BA's advice, 'if possible travel with your passport rather than an EU National ID Card'.
As I mentioned earlier in post 82, due to the new EU Regulation requiring systemic checks of all EU citizens' passport/ID card against relevant databases when entering/leaving Schengen, border crossing points in Italy and Greece would be particularly affected (as Italian paper booklet ID cards and Greek ID cards aren't machine-readable). BLQ, FCO and NAP have e-passport gates (so at these airports, using an e-passport could potentially mean a shorter queue). However, at airports without e-passport gates, I don't think (in theory) EU citizens would be delayed by presenting their machine-readable national ID card rather than their passport as both documents can be scanned by the border officer with the same ease.
Interestingly, according to BA's advice, 'if possible travel with your passport rather than an EU National ID Card'.
As I mentioned earlier in post 82, due to the new EU Regulation requiring systemic checks of all EU citizens' passport/ID card against relevant databases when entering/leaving Schengen, border crossing points in Italy and Greece would be particularly affected (as Italian paper booklet ID cards and Greek ID cards aren't machine-readable). BLQ, FCO and NAP have e-passport gates (so at these airports, using an e-passport could potentially mean a shorter queue). However, at airports without e-passport gates, I don't think (in theory) EU citizens would be delayed by presenting their machine-readable national ID card rather than their passport as both documents can be scanned by the border officer with the same ease.
May 11, 2017, 1:53 pm
#123
Join Date: Mar 2003
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I believe the mornings are the worst when you have all the US flights departing.
May 11, 2017, 1:58 pm
#124
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May 12, 2017, 6:10 am
#125
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Stratford upon Avon
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Was not as bad as we feared we sailed through fast track and the normal line look quite quiet too. As we got hear a little early managed to get a little power nap on a day bed in the VIP lounge. Rest of lounge fairly busy but it was virtually empty.
May 16, 2017, 6:03 am
#127
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Scots girl in London
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 257
absolutely no issue yesterday, no queue at passport control, sailed straight through. security (no fast track) took 5mins, passport control took about 30secs. i had read about the issues here, so had arrived at the airport very early - there was no need!
May 16, 2017, 7:22 am
#128
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London
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"No need" is potentially very misleading as BA now send a text alert the day before departure from BCN asking you to "please ensure you are at passport control at least 90 minutes before departure".
May 16, 2017, 7:26 am
#129
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Stratford upon Avon
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Posts: 204
just to say I had seen information about the text alerts from BA on here so I asked them directly as I had no such alert and they were not aware that they had been sending out any alerts.
May 16, 2017, 7:34 am
#130
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Scots girl in London
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 257
i am sure other travellers are able to determine their own travel timings based on the variety of information in this thread and will not feel mislead by my personal experience, which was all the more surprising given I expected the many attendees of the Spanish GP to have been leaving BCN yesterday. No so, apparently.
May 16, 2017, 9:50 am
#131
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May 18, 2017, 3:58 am
#133
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Arrived yesterday morning and the non EU queue was literally hundreds deep. The EU queue was minimal but the scanners were playing up, but 5 minutes and I was through. Heeding the BA SMS message, I arrived early and was through in 20 seconds....YMMV.
Just wondering which line we will have to be in post Brexit....
Just wondering which line we will have to be in post Brexit....
May 18, 2017, 5:13 am
#134
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Arrived yesterday morning and the non EU queue was literally hundreds deep. The EU queue was minimal but the scanners were playing up, but 5 minutes and I was through. Heeding the BA SMS message, I arrived early and was through in 20 seconds....YMMV.
Just wondering which line we will have to be in post Brexit....
Just wondering which line we will have to be in post Brexit....
May 18, 2017, 5:40 am
#135
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Oxfordshire, UK
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as if the unwillingness of Barcelona's authorities to deal with their notorious pickpockets and muggers, endemic for years, wasnt enough to put tourists off. Another blight on a beautiful city.