bj27

Apologize if this is the wrong forum... Not exactly sure where a question like this would go, but I ended up choosing this forum because my friend is flying AA. Please move if incorrect, and sorry!

Anyways, my friend is flying AA JFK-BCN and landing in BCN at 7:10am. Unfortunately, the earliest I can meet her is 2:05pm on that day (the only flight from Granada GRX to Barcelona BCN).

She is flying in Y (ouch!), but do you guys know of any lounges or anywhere she could rest after her flight while waiting for me to get in?

I'm assuming she can't buy a pass to the IB lounge which AA uses at BCN. I know there are contract lounges by AENA (Spanish airport authority), but I believe those are all airside.

Any options for her? I'm assuming she'll have to clear customs after her inbound flight.

The other option is I could fly in the night before and spend the night at an airport hotel and meet her early when she gets in, though not sure of the best option.

Thanks so much for your help!

JDiver

I can't recall any such lounge for arriving / post-customs lounge at Barcelona (my last arrival was in May). If there is any information it could be in the Iberia forum, possibly the appropriate destination forum or AENA website.

skunker

I went through BCN twice this year. As you say, all the lounges are contract and are airside. Once she lands she will clear immigration and customs and will exit to the arrivals hall.

If she is adventurous she can take the inter-terminal bus over to the train station (or bus) and go into town for a few hours.

http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/.../Arrivals.html

bj27

That appears to be what I am finding... She said she is okay to wait for me to arrive at BCN, though she doesn't speak Spanish/Catalan and I feel bad having her wait ~6-7 hours!

I'm assuming BCN customs/immigration is painless for US Citizens (from what I am reading in other threads).... Basically just collect baggage and walk through. Is that correct from your experience?

bj27

That's another option we were looking into. She was thinking she might just meet me at the hotel (probably staying at the Hilton Barcelona on Avenida Diagonal, not the Hilton on the beach), though while I can add her name to the reservation to check in, I'm unsure of how that would work.

Plus being HH Gold we both were thinking they might not give her an upgrade or normal perks if she is the one checking in without me.

Alternatively, I was also thinking about booking her a room at the BCN Business Centre, though a 6-hour day usage block runs 69euros and you can't even check-in until 10:00am!

JJeffrey

This is a no brainer...if you're staying in BCN and have a hotel booked, tell your friend to take a taxi there and you'll meet her when you get in. No reason to waste money on anything else or have her sit around the airport for 7 hrs.

Most Hiltons in Europe are very good about letting you check-in early if there's room, especially as a Gold. The status benefits you'll get will be based off the name/account on the reservation, not on who arrives at the hotel first. Call the Hilton ahead of time and give them her name.

Even if she can't get in the room right away, she can still relax in the lobby, restaurants, local cafes, etc. All of which beat the airport.

Sant

I flew last month and it was that painless. I don't believe I was asked any questions when I showed my passport. Leaving the baggage claim was non-eventful as well.

sunnikrish2

I had the same itinerary (JFK-BCN) last year and was staying at the Hilton Avenida Diagonal - but they did not have a room for me till 10:00 am. I am HH gold, as well. But the lobby was nice enough place to wait.

bj27

I think you might be right in that this is the best option out of all of them. While my friend is a pretty seasoned traveler, I'm not sure of her travels abroad. My only reservations are the language barrier and perhaps getting oriented. Getting around a new city by yourself, I imagine can be daunting stepping off a 20+ hour journey (she's starting in SEA).

Also perhaps the hotel giving her trouble, as the Hilton in Madrid gave my parents a little trouble when they tried to check-in without me, as I was arriving on a later flight.

Thanks for the input. That is what I am finding in Europe.

Great! Thank you. Did you find the Hilton to be a little far away for touristy activities or was it fine? To my understanding it's a little less central than other options, as it's more in a business/commercial district.

catmndu

I stayed at this Hilton last year. It's a bit removed from the central core but there is a subway stop just a few blocks away. I took a taxi from/to the airport and my lack of Spanish was not a problem.

JDiver

Well, kind of.

Passengers arriving from Schengen countries will in essence be arriving as domestic passengers; those arriving from non-Schengen airports will process immigration for an EU visa / entry, recover baggage and usually choose green (nothing to declare) or red (goods to declare) channels.

The Hilton Diagonal Mar is accessible to the light rail system a long block away. The property has a rooftop executive lounge and a lobby lounge. There is a mall with shopping, restaurants and supermarket across the street.

I'd be sure my companion's name is in the booking record to attempt early room access. As a registered guest, they're no longer wondering who this person is; with a credit card in your HHonors record, even better. Email bcndm.gm <at>hilton.com and let them know - best.

carlosdca

The best thing is for you to fly the night before and get a hotel, IMO. If check out time is noon, your friend can use the room to shower, take a nap and just decompress. I always say a real bed beats any lounge in the world.

There are a handful of very decent hotels around the airport for less than 100 euros. Check out BAH Barcelona Airport Hotel, Plaza Volaterķa, 3, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat, Spain, for example.

But does the hotel need be at the airport? Why not in the city? You can get to the airport by bus transfer, train or cab to go meet your friend up.

george 3

I stayed in this hotel the first time in BCN. This is a hotel that with changes you can get to using the RENFE train from BCN to Sants Estacio station, then the metro (dark green line) to Maria Cristina station. The hotel is on the other side of the street (Diagonal) and back about a block and a half. If she has a ton of luggage, better to take car service. It's in a busy office district, but you can walk or bus to plenty of things to keep her busy. If she is Hilton elite, they have a great lounge, and great tapas before going out to eat (did some say Barceloneta?) here's the flyertalk forum for the hotel which can give you information about the location. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...barcelona.html

george 3

I stayed at the Diagonal Mar which is in the northeast near a convention center and the Diagonal Mall about two years ago. And I remember the lite rail, although the metro station was a block away that we found more convenient. Then there is the one on Diagonal, but more in the office district area about two blocks from the Maria Cristina Green (dark) line station. I found it easy to confuse the two - the one on Diagonal is now referred to I believe as the Hilton Barcelona.

skunker

Which i believe is where the OP is staying. I used google maps and there isn't an easy (i.e. nonstop) public transit option. She would have to make a change.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=B...classic&dg=brw