Earliest flight out of Barcelona

[snowball's mom]

For those who have debarked in Barcelona, what is the earliest flight we can make after our cruise? We will be arriving at 7 am on a Sunday (the Carnival Magic, June 2011). Thanks!

[ab0si]

It'll take a taxi less than 30 minutes to get to the airport. I have no idea how soon you can get off the ship. If we pretend you will be off the and have your luggage by 8 a.m. and you have a car waiting for you, that makes it 8:30 at the airport. Your carrier probably recommends being at the airport 3 hours prior to a flight to the U.S. and 2 hours prior if connecting within the Schengen zone. So, that makes it an 11:30 a.m. flight.

 

Of course you can probably make an earlier one as the 2 and 3 hour guidelines have a fair amount of slack in them for delays waiting in this and that line. Bear in mind, though, that if you miss your flight, the carrier has no obligation to put you on a later flight or one the next day or the next week. You could find yourself needing to buy a brand new ticket. So, it's your choice how much risk you want to take.

[Keith1010]

I would first check with the cruise line to see what the earliest time they recommend.

 

The drive to the airport is about 30 minutes depending on traffic.

 

If it is an international flight allow 2 hours for check in.

 

I tend to pad the time a bit because sometimes things go wrong and ships arrive later than expected or take extra time to clear.

 

Keith

[Lou33]

Bear in mind, though, that if you miss your flight, the carrier has no obligation to put you on a later flight or one the next day or the next week. You could find yourself needing to buy a brand new ticket. So, it's your choice how much risk you want to take.

 

??? I have missed flights on several occasions, this happens all the time. I would be on standby for a later flight. Either with my airline or they would put me on a different airline, space available. Eventually, they will get you home. I have *never* heard of someone needing to buy a brand new ticket? I can't imagine an airline would leave somebody stranded?!?

[rglbjl]

I am looking at the same situation for next June. The return flights haven't been posted yet, but if they are the same as May/early June of 2010, the latest flights are 10:45 and 11:00.

 

What is it like getting through customs in Barcelona? If it is generally easy to get through, then making those flights should be ok. Assuming the ship docks on time.

[6rugrats]

??? I have missed flights on several occasions, this happens all the time. I would be on standby for a later flight. Either with my airline or they would put me on a different airline, space available. Eventually, they will get you home. I have *never* heard of someone needing to buy a brand new ticket? I can't imagine an airline would leave somebody stranded?!?

Are you stating that when it was your fault that you missed a flight, the airline paid to place you on another airline's flight? Or are you saying you missed a connection, due to a problem that was the fault of the airline? If so, these are two different issues.

 

The airline wouldn't be leaving the passenger "stranded". It would be the passenger's own fault. If you don't show up for your flight, and haven't notified the airline, you've lost the value of your ticket.

[riffatsea]

AGREE, If you miss a plane because YOU are late getting to the airport the airline is NOT obligated to put you on the next plane.

IF you miss a plane because the previous leg on your trip was delayed that is a completely different story! It would be the airline's fault and THEY would have to put you on another plane.

I am not sure what you mean when you say " the latest flights are......"

Do you mean last flight at night??

The poster wants to know the earliest flight they can make.

I would rather be safe than sorry so I'd always book a flight after 11AM at the earliest.

[Keith1010]

I am looking at the same situation for next June. The return flights haven't been posted yet, but if they are the same as May/early June of 2010, the latest flights are 10:45 and 11:00.

 

What is it like getting through customs in Barcelona? If it is generally easy to get through, then making those flights should be ok. Assuming the ship docks on time.

 

I'll give you the same advice. Ask the cruise line what the earliest time you should make your reservations for. At the same time always understand that sometimes things don't go as planned.

 

Keith

[bedazzling]

For those who have debarked in Barcelona' date=' what is the earliest flight we can make after our cruise? We will be arriving at 7 am on a Sunday (the Carnival Magic, June 2011). Thanks![/quote']

 

I am on the Constellation and was trying to find a reasonable flight...LOL I don't think there is such a thing, Celebrity told me not to take a flight before 10:00 and I think that would be cutting close. You have to be sure everything happens like clockwork.

 

What do you think of a fare of $900 NY to Barcelona 1 stop going; non stop going home?

[snowball's mom]

Sounds pretty good to me. Flights out of Denver are starting at over $1300 - nothing is direct.

[riffatsea]

From NYC there are non stop flights to Barcelona on Delta.

I have one and paid $960 from San Diego to JFK and then non stop to Barcelona.

[wannabetraveler]

I also have an early flight..10:45am. I booked a transfer from the cruise line for $60 for two. In order to book this, one can not have a flight earlier than 10:00 am. There were no later flights for us, unless we wanted to do an overnight. Good luck. I paid $904 for the flight and I booked this late Nov. There is one stop. Kathy

[tomko2]

We had a 9:50 flight out of Barcelona however it was going to Frankfurt so considered Domestic. We were off the ship and at the airport by 8:00.

Our fallback was a later flight so we were not too worried.

[SuiteTraveler]

The Barcelona Airport is ALWAYS crowded. Expect to stand in the check-in line anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and then you still have to go through another line at security. If you are going on American Airlines and headed for the states, they will actually take you aside and put you through yet another layer of security in the gate area. You have to have a stamp to board your flight. Be sure to get to the airport at least 2 hours in advance of your flight if not earlier.

[Keith1010]

We had a 9:50 flight out of Barcelona however it was going to Frankfurt so considered Domestic. We were off the ship and at the airport by 8:00.

Our fallback was a later flight so we were not too worried.

 

When you say your fallback was a later flight how would that have worked? Did you have a reservation on the fallback flight? If not, how did you know there were available seats?

[HeinBloed]

For those who have debarked in Barcelona' date=' what is the earliest flight we can make after our cruise? We will be arriving at 7 am on a Sunday (the Carnival Magic, June 2011). Thanks![/quote']

 

Check your updated itinarary:

 

All Carnival sailings should arrive 05.00 hrs in Barcelona.

 

So you can be from the ship at 07.00 hrs and be at the airport around 07.30 hrs.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[marylizcat]

??? I have missed flights on several occasions, this happens all the time. I would be on standby for a later flight. Either with my airline or they would put me on a different airline, space available. Eventually, they will get you home. I have *never* heard of someone needing to buy a brand new ticket? I can't imagine an airline would leave somebody stranded?!?

 

You would indeed have to buy a new ticket. We missed our BA flight from Munich once due to terrible traffic jams and had to buy new tickets. I imagine this applies to the cheapest tickets. If you were flying for business, you might well have the category of ticket where changes are allowed. This is unlikely to apply to people booking flights for cruises.

[HeinBloed]

You would indeed have to buy a new ticket. We missed our BA flight from Munich once due to terrible traffic jams and had to buy new tickets. I imagine this applies to the cheapest tickets. If you were flying for business, you might well have the category of ticket where changes are allowed. This is unlikely to apply to people booking flights for cruises.

 

Check your INDIVIDUAL fare rule.

 

Each ticket, booking class and airline has different fare rules.

 

Some expires when you do not show up and you need to buy a new one, but some also have rules for rebookings against fee.

 

So check your fare rule carefully.

 

Many airlines do let you go on goodwill subject to availability and quality of your story you are telling them...

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[hubofhockey]

Carnival saved its passengers a big headache by moving disembarcation from 7 am to 5 am. BCN airport can be a mess. I wasn't crazy about that cattle car of a bus that we had to take from the gate to the plane. As airports go, it is low on my list.

[HeinBloed]

Carnival saved its passengers a big headache by moving disembarcation from 7 am to 5 am. BCN airport can be a mess. I wasn't crazy about that cattle car of a bus that we had to take from the gate to the plane. As airports go, it is low on my list.

 

Arrival moved to 05.00 hrs.

 

Debarkation maybe stays with 07.00 hrs.

 

Barcelona which Terminal???

 

There are three terminals - and due to architecture the older can be a mess.

 

But the new one is totally well organised.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[chipmaster]

My 2cents from when we arrived at 5am was that between 6 and 7am the disembarkation and taxi lines looked to be a good 20' long. There was a huge stream of taxis but the process and the number of people left for long waiting.

 

Ships usually should be on schedule as they likely are taking another load of passengers on at noon for an evening sailing, even with that I'd want an hour buffer. 7a arrival, 8am worst case, 9am off the boat, 9:30 catch the taxi, 10am airport. I'd say nothing before 12 would be my comfort level!

 

Seems a pity to arrive and not see Barcelona unless this is also your embarkation port. We choose to do a next day pm flight and had wonderful 1/2 day exploring Barcelona.

 

For those who have debarked in Barcelona' date=' what is the earliest flight we can make after our cruise? We will be arriving at 7 am on a Sunday (the Carnival Magic, June 2011). Thanks![/quote']

[HeinBloed]

My 2cents from when we arrived at 5am was that between 6 and 7am the disembarkation and taxi lines looked to be a good 20' long. There was a huge stream of taxis but the process and the number of people left for long waiting.

 

Ships usually should be on schedule as they likely are taking another load of passengers on at noon for an evening sailing, even with that I'd want an hour buffer. 7a arrival, 8am worst case, 9am off the boat, 9:30 catch the taxi,

 

Just pre-book a taxi and it's waiting for you in front of the terminal with your name:

 

 

No waiting time for the price of an e-mail...

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[marylizcat]

What is the email address you used to pre-book a taxi at Barcelona port?

[HeinBloed]

What is the email address you used to pre-book a taxi at Barcelona port?

 

The first time we booked via this website:

 

http://confortaxi.com/index-english.html

 

So you get standard taxi rates (as per meter) plus radio-call surcharge.

 

But now I am doing it as follows:

 

When we are on the way to the airport and we like the driver and car we have a sheet of paper prepared showing our

 

Name

Name of the Ship

Date and Time of pick-up

 

and it works.

 

Meanwhile we have his phone number and call him on his cell phone.

 

So we must not pay the radio-call fee either...

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[marylizcat]

Thanks Heinblod. I guess the problem then is trying to guess what time you will want to be picked up, since apparently it can be extremely slow getting through passport control at the port.