14/07/2017 00:00
If you are catching a flight from Palma airport, arrive three hours earlier than your departure time because of the long queues at passport control. This is the conclusion I have come to after talking to a large number of readers who have been caught up in the scandalous lack of police at the airport. The blame can be firmly attached to the interior ministry in Madrid. It should ensure that there are the necessary resources available at the airport, especially during the peak summer months. One reader told me yesterday that he had queued for about two hours at Palma airport, while the whole process was completed within a matter of minutes at Edinburgh airport.
7 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
My wife got through passport for departure. But said the Q for arrivals was 5 deep and all way back to Burger King (inside airport) term A This will stop many ever returning to Mallorca again .. when I arrived 2 weeks ago it was back to 2nd esclater and 5 deep. Took me 45 mins and guess today will be 2 hrs plus !!!! Please let everyone know
I've been travelling regularly to and from Mallorca to UK for almost 8 years. Schengen has been present for that period but it has only been since April the problems have occurred. I see the same visual checks being made on my passport by the border control, usually with the passport not leaving my hands if the correct page is presented. The automated machines are a joke, they're usually closed, however the one time I've seen them open I joined the line to use them and after had to be manually checked by border security as it failed! Yet another line to join! Palma airport also need to impose an orderly queuing system to avoid queue jumpers which cause frustration, anger and sometimes violence! Viva Espana!!!
Tourist tax increase and airport chaos.... are they trying to kill off Mallorca tourism? I have just put booking my holiday on hold until I see what the tourist tax is.
Britain is a democracy, and Britain's politicians opted out of Schengen, you can't really say that it isn't the fault of British people, they effectively chose it via the political system. ....The Irish Repubic is also not part of Schengen.
Well,that's Majorca of my list of places to spend a holiday.
Passports having to be checked on departure as well as arrival is due to the new Schengen border code which came into effect on April 7. It's not a Spanish or Mallorcan thing! However I agree that the lack of border police is entirely the fault of the Spanish Interior Ministry who did not prepare beforehand for this new legislation, and still haven't!And it doesn't only "affect the British". It affects people of any nationality coming from the UK (including returning Spaniards) and anyone coming from any other non-Schengen country.But don't they have automated passport machines at Palma airport? I ask because I haven't travelled outside Schengen for a long time!
I had thought of travelling via Germany, as there are no passport checks on arrival. Then, I thought, its THREE hours in UK before departure. Another THREE hours leaving Palma. An hour at least arriving in Stansted. So, my seven day holiday, is reduced to five days, travelling and passport queues using up two days. SO I DECIDED NOT TO GO TO MALLORCA.