SkyExplorerYYZ

I am only doing the first segment of the flight (BCN-MXP) and I am a bit confused about how passport control will work? I will be staying in the EU so I do not technically need to exit the EU in BCN, but I assume the flight leaves from the non schengen area? Does that mean I will need to re-enter the EU in MXP? Have any of you done that segment only recently?

SilverChris

There's an interesting setup for this flight. They use a swing gate (if you can call it that) which serves both Schengen and non-Schengen. If you're only going to MXP, you board through the Schengen level, whereas those going all the way board from the non-Schengen zone upstairs (IIRC).

SkyExplorerYYZ

Ah, interesting. Thanks!

Sadly a bit of a short flight (albeit unique), but I'll never pass an opportunity to fly SQ!

williamluk

So if I am taking this flight from BCN to SIN, am I going to clear passport control at BCN or MXP (& vice versa)? The last time I took the FCO-CPH-SIN flight (discontinued) I have to clear Schengen exit passport control at CPH.

George K

Have done this very recently. BCN splits Shenghen and non-Shenghen travellers so if your ticket is to MXP, you'll enter the Shenghen area and board from there. Non-Shenghen passengers board from a different level. In fact, if you look at the boards, you'll see two entries of the same flight. One BCN-SIN and one BCN-MXP (obviously with the same flight number and departure times). The only difference is the gate. If Shenghen passengers are assigned, say, gate A18, then non-Shenghen are sent to D18 (which is after passport control) so there's never any mixing of the two groups.

If you're taking the BCN-SIN route, you clear passport control at BCN. You don't get off at MXP (at least, no SIN passengers had to disembark when I did it last month), but you need to wait till the new passengers (and crew) join the flight.

williamluk

Thanks for the info. So how about the return leg? Did you also clear passport control at BCN? Isnt it kinda difficult to distinguish between Schengen and non Schengen passengers on the same flight?

George K

MXP-BCN? There is no official (as in border police) passport control as you enter the Shenghen zone, but, this route demands a passport to be checked at the gate. So if you've checked in online, they will call you to go to the gate so they can do a passport check there and issue you with a paper boarding pass. You'll need to show both at BCN at disembarkation, as the arrivals passengers are split in two groups - one that boarded at MXP (and eligible to enter the Shenghen zone) and those who boarded at SIN (who need to be sent to the international arrivals level). There are people checking boarding passes and passports immediately after the jetty so that no-one ends up at the wrong place.

zip10001

BCN-MXP-SIN on SQ? Never heard of that route, that's an interesting one

SkyExplorerYYZ

That seems like a lot of work for an additional 90minutes segment.

Yes! I would probably have taken the train BCN to MXP if it were not for the novelty of it.

Dozbez

I believe it’s a relatively new route after SIA cancelled their SIN-BCN route.

bpk6h

Actually SIN-MXP-BCN goes back to the mid-2000s although without 5th freedom rights back then. Later SQ introduced SIN-BCN-GRU for several years and I believe for a brief period there was SIN-BCN only but just a couple times weekly. Only recently did SQ secure 5th freedom rights on MXP-BCN.

Dozbez

I guess “relatively new” is subjective from what I had read, it was originally a Singapore to São Paulo flight with a stopover in Barcelona, up to about 7 years ago.. at which point they cancelled the São Paulo leg and added a stop in Milan.. but I also read another article that the “5th freedom route” had been operating only from Jan 2022 but maybe that’s a post-covid revival after having that route cancelled.. anyway, it’s an interesting bit of aviation history 😜 for me anyway, since I’m a yearly traveller to Milan and really enjoyed this route 👍🏻

bpk6h

SIN-MXP-BCN was originally launched in 2006:
https://web.archive.org/web/20080619...se/NE_1706.jsp
And SIN-BCN-GRU was launched in 2011:
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/s...12Jan2011-1215

So for a while BCN was served daily (3x nonstop and 4x via MXP). After SQ cancelled GRU, a nonstop to BCN was maintained for a couple years although I don't recall frequency.

Enjoy your trip to MXP !

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SkyExplorerYYZ

In the past you couldn't get off in MXP but you could get on there. However that changed a few years ago and you can now fortunately fly any single segment.

Coincidentally, it looks like the BCN-SIN direct flight you mentioned is coming back, at least partially. It has not flown since 2020 to my knowledge, but SQ387/388 are flying a few days a week times a week in July and August 2023.

Dozbez

I’m curious if the seats on the BCN-MXP leg that get vacated at MXP are then available for the pax boarding at MXP to SIN.. I know the pax who are flying all the way from BCN to SIN stay on the plane (at least they do on the way from Sin-MXP) so do those seats get vacated, cleaned and restocked while other pax are sitting in the cabin ? Or are they not available at all on the first leg if they’re booked on the onward flight? Curious…