Years in the making (as I'm sure they all are) the new terminal officially opened this week in Barcelona. Called Terminal 1 for some reason, the old terminals A, B and C are now referred to collectively as Terminal 2.
I had to run an errand at BCN today so decided to take some photos and share some observations with all of you who are waiting with baited breath.
First off - it's big. Really big. And quite beautiful. High, swoopy ceilings, tons of natural light, and big open spaces are a complete contrast to the existing terminals. I've put some photos below, but they really don't do any justice to the scale or drama of that enormous, wing-shaped roof.
Second - it's a PITA to get to. Even though the new terminal is practically a stone's throw away from the old one, arriving to the new terminal by car added about seven minutes to my trip. When your usual drive to the airport involves hard brakes for radar, 170km/h stretches, and lots of swearing combined with praying that you make it, those seven minutes are going to be problematic.
Third - it's very well thought-out, for the most part. There are lots of public seating areas, including adjacent to places where people are forced to wait, like the customs exit. Some of the seating areas are extremely nice, with hardwood floors and proper armchairs - I have a photo of part of a food court that could pass for a nice lounge. Things are accessible and mostly easy to find.
Fourth - good food and retail options! Right as you enter the terminal there's a huge Lizarran tapas bar. Upstairs near security there's a QuQu (another pretty-good tapas chain) and a Pans & Company. No McDonald's in sight.
There is also the usual selection of of clothing stores, and two branded luggage stores (don't remember the brands but got the impression they were high-end from the fixtures and snoot level). One thing I liked is the addition of a mini market outside security selling the usual range of chemical-y snacks and drinks, plus fresh fruit, drug store items, a large underwear selection(!) and a periodicals selection as big as I've seen in some mall bookstores. The best part, though was the thing every airport needs: a chocolatier. Note this is just outside security as I didn't go through, and most of the spaces are still under construction. Also - plenty of ATMs around the terminal, with both (Spanish) ATM mafia represented.
Fifth - security is very well-done. Lots of stations, short queues, and thoughtfully-provided seating near both the entrances and exits. Security at BCN has always been about the most hassle-free experience I've ever had in an airport, and this bodes well for that continuing.
Sixth - lots and lots of check-in counters. The whole check-in area really reminded me of SIN. Star Alliance carriers are already operating, with lots of queues for bag drop and premiux pax.
Seventh - it's empty. It felt like a ghost town. Most of the monitors were blank. There were plenty of parking spaces right by the entrance. I guess that will change with time as more carriers move over. Still, I have a hard time imagining this place getting badly crowded anytime soon.
Eighth, a few complaints - The bathrooms are small, cramped, and poorly-lit, just like in the old terminal. Even today with few people in the terminal, the mens room was a pain to get in and out of thanks to narrow doorways and passages. Also, the parking garages have a pretty serious flaw, unless I missed something. The garages have a central, circular ramp that's just barely wider than the width of a car. Were someone to have a breakdown I can see hundreds of people stacking up behind them while trying to leave the seven floors above. And finally, signage. There's plenty of it, but in classic Spanish fashion it's not always terribly helpful. Case in point, signs showing the way to parking/exit are distributed throughout the terminal but once you actually get to the front door, the signs just say exit and you walk outside into a big plaza with nowhere to go. The actual way to the parking spaces is doubled back over your left shoulder. I walked outside and wound up standing there like a dummy along with at least a dozen other people asking where the parking lot was. Same situation with actually getting to the terminal - the freeway exit for Terminal 1 actually takes you back on to the highway going the other direction, where you must take the exit for an industrial park. All the way to this point, the signs say "TERMINAL 1" in huge letters. The actual exit you must take, though, says "Viladecans" with a small airplane symbol. On the other hand, leaving the airport is much more straightforward, with clearly marked signs. Also, all the hookers are gone.
So all in all, it's a beautiful new terminal and as much as I have loved flying into and out of the old one for the last six years I'm looking forward to my first flight from T1 in about a week and a half.
It's worth pointing out that T1 went into operation without a single significant problem (lost taxi drivers, one café ran out of food).
And now some photos:
The Basque tapas bar right at the entrance, before you go up to the departure level.
Crappy iPhone pic of the checkin area.
Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, and Cookies. That's my kind of airport shop!
Public seating areas with proper, upholstered seating and soft lighting. Better than the *Gold lounge in some airports I could mention.
Not much going on today.
The mini market - really quite nice.
Seating in one of the cafés. That's leather, and they're comfortable.
Here's a short video showing the grand opening this week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbbakTFNuzg
And another that has some pretty good views of outside as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8K7Snobj2M
Departed today
What's next?
