I am landing in Barcelona (via US Airways) at 8:45am and have a connecting flight to Nice (via Vueling) at 10:35am. I am assuming that I will need to go through Customs in Barcelona, collect my bags, re-check bags, and head to my flight which will be located in the same T1 terminal. Can anyone provide information about the BCN airport, whether this will be a difficult process, and if this is too tight of a schedule - assuming all goes according to plan. Thank you.
Posted by
Tucson
4181 posts
You might find this link to the Barcelona Airport helpful: http://www.aeropuertobarcelona-elprat.com/ingl/index.html. Be sure to explore the drop down lists under "The Airport." I found this by Googling BCN airport. If you do that, you may find other, better info to help you. This sort of interactive map might also be a help: http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/Satellite?Language=EN_GB&ca=BCN&pagename=cartografia&ps=t. I hope the link works.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2777 posts
I am assuming this is "non protected" connection (in other words you bought one ticket on US air to BCN and one ticket on Vueling to Nice?)
If so, yes it it too short of a time period. From the vueling website
10.1Check-in deadline
Passengers must arrive at the airport in sufficient time with respect to the scheduled departure of their flight in order to complete all official formalities and, where applicable, check in their luggage. The check-in desks open two hours before, *and close 40 minutes** before, scheduled departure (even if the flight is delayed), except at the following airports:
Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and St. Petersburg (LED): 45 minutes before departure.
Tel Aviv Ben Gurion (TLV), Algiers (ALG), Oran (ORN) and Beirut (BEY): 60 minutes before departure.
Barcelona to Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion (TLV): 60 minutes before departure.
Madrid (MAD) to Bucharest (OTP): 60 minutes before departure.
Paris Orly (ORY) to Casablanca (CMN): 60 minutes before departure.
After this period, no luggage shall be accepted and no boarding passes issued. Once the check-in deadline has passed, the Carrier is entitled to transfer the seats pertaining to Passengers with a booking and no advanced boarding pass who have failed to identify themselves at the corresponding check-in desk or at any other place specified by the Carrier within the check-in deadline to Passengers on the waiting list pending acceptance.*
So basically you have to be checked in at Vueling by 9;55 AM. (And that's Checked in, not racing to the counter) So you have left yourself 1 hour and 10 minutes to get through immigration, collect your bag, find Vueling and recheck. And if you miss the flight all Vueling has to do is shurg.
My rule of thumb on non-protected is 4 hours minimum and a FULL understanding how much plan B will cost.