This cramped European hub excels in one area

The airport

Barcelona El-Prat Airport

The flight

British Airways flight BA473 from Barcelona to London, departing at 10.05am.

The arrival

The rush-hour taxi ride takes roughly 30 minutes from my hotel, and I arrive 2.5 hours before my flight at around 7.55am. I usually like to give myself more time, but am relieved to find the driver has a lead foot and traffic is flowing well. Some airlines, such as Easyjet and Ryanair (gasp), depart from Terminal 2.

The look

It’s no Gaudi, but Terminal 1 looks inviting on this blue-sky morning, with the sun beaming off its glass facade and curved roof. Inside the main check-in hall, central skylights run the spine of the ceiling, flooding the space with natural light.

News of its €3.2 billion expansion, set to begin in 2030, was not received well by already disgruntled locals when it was announced this year, with protesters gathering in central Barcelona to voice their concerns about overtourism and the potential impact on climate. It includes an extension of one of its runways, and aims to increase capacity from 55 million passengers a year to 70 million by 2033.

Check-in

British Airways is a partner airline of Qantas through the Oneworld alliance and, as a Qantas gold member travelling in economy, I get priority check-in at the Club Lounge queue and can pre-select my seat online using the Qantas app. For anyone else, British Airways has an odd system in that you can select a seat free, but not until 24 hours before check-in, which sounds rather anxiety-inducing for this chronic aisle-seater. Soon I have my boarding pass in hand and am on my way.

Security

Some of the belts are already on siesta. Of the 10 security checkpoints I can see, only six are in operation and there’s a 20-minute wait to funnel passengers through. Large TV screens explain what needs to come out of bags, including laptops. I’m boarding in Gate D, but after scanning the entire hall to no avail, two staff members come to my aid. Weirdly, it’s located upstairs via a dingy corner escalator that I’m surprised anyone has ever been able to find. Passport control is waiting at the top, and while US passports are ushered through the e-gates, a big deal is made about my Australian passport needing to go through the staffed manual immigration counters.

Food + drink

I am in the land of jamon, after all, so the airport shines in the food department. There’s a section dedicated to cured Iberico meats in duty free, as well as casual places to grab a takeaway bocadillo (sandwich), such as La Donatella. For one last gorge on Spanish or Catalan wine and tapas such as bombas (meat-stuffed croquettes), check out La Tromoia and Enrique Tomas.

Retail therapy

One word: jamon. You can also buy premium anchovy stuffed olives and all sorts of vacuum-packed cheeses, including manchego. I also spy cult British make-up brand Charlotte Tilbury cosmetics in Barcelona Duty Free.

Passing time

The airport is heaving when I fly in mid-September, and seas of people are crowding the gates. I’m relieved to have complimentary access to the VIP Sala Lounge in Gate D, as seating in the general hall is limited. This is the unofficial British Airways lounge, although anyone can part with 40 euros ($68) for walk-in access. With its spread of cheese, ham, snacks, wine and beer, it has one of the best food offerings of any lounge I’ve seen.

The verdict

Great food and gourmet souvenirs, but beyond check-in, this airport feels cramped. For a more comfortable experience, part with a bit of cash and pay for lounge access.

Our rating out of five

★★★½

The writer travelled with the assistance of Seabourn Cruises. See seabourn.com