This is a guide to my best 6 airport travel tips for Mallorca in 2023 to help make travelling through the airports easier.
The blame for long queues at both check-in at airport Departures lies with not only the airlines but also understaffing at the airports. There have been reports too that there have been severe delays at airport security with just not enough staff in place and high volumes of passengers travelling.
Plus on arrival to Mallorca or your destination, many passengers are facing further queues at passport control and then again at the luggage carousel, before potentially meeting yet another queue for getting a taxi or transfer bus.
Travelling to Mallorca at peak holiday times throughout the year has been reported to be potentially problematic.
So here are my airport travel tips that you can follow to help reduce the queues and get you quickly through the airport and onto your flight.
Table of Contents
1. Listen to the advice given by your airline
Many of the airlines are asking that you do not turn up to the airport more than 3 hours before your flight.
Three hours should give you enough time to check in, get through security and get to your departure gate.
Don’t forget that many of the airlines will call out a flight before it closes. So if you are caught in the queue, it will give you a chance to jump to the front to check in.
If you are travelling with an airline that doesn’t do this, then alert any of the customer service team who are controlling the queue that your flight is about to close.
They should allow you to queue jump so you don’t miss your flight!
Passengers turning up any sooner are apparently making the queues even longer meaning traffic flow through the airport grinds to a stand-still.
2. Don’t take check-in luggage
By only taking carry-on luggage with you on holiday, you will avoid waiting at check-in, and then avoid waiting again at the luggage carousel on arrival.
With shortages of airport staff, there have been reports of delays getting the luggage loaded onto the luggage carrousel and well as reports of luggage not even being loaded on the plane, and arriving days later in the destination.
If you arrive at your destination without your luggage, then the airline is obliged to courier your luggage to you. But this could take a couple of days.
This takes me back to the 1980s when there were problems with baggage handlers. I remember arriving in Mallorca, and our cases not making the flight.
So the advice for you is the same as was given to us many years ago.
If you do check-in a suitcase, also take carry-on luggage, and include a few essential items for each passenger in the group travelling with you in your carry-on luggage.
This is the most important of my airport travel tips. So remember to pack in your hand luggage:
- Underwear
- A couple of t-shirts
- A pair of shorts/skirt
- Swimwear
You can pick up toiletries and sunscreen really cheaply in the local supermarkets here.
Taking these few essentials with you will ensure you have clothes to last a few days and you do not lose out on valuable time at the beach or pool as soon as you arrive at your hotel.
3. Going through airport security
Prepare for airport security in advance of arriving at the airport.
Have your liquids already separated out in your hand luggage. You are allowed no more than 100ml in a 100ml labelled bottle and these bottles must fit into a clear 20x20cm clear sealable plastic bag.
Most of the airports have these bags available before you go through but my advice is to just bring your own just in case.
Have your boarding pass at the ready before entering security.
Your passports are only checked at check-in or when entering the departure gate/boarding the plane.
Laptops and tablets must be removed from your luggage and placed on the belt separately.
Also, make sure you remove belts and watches – place these into your hand luggage before you go through.
TOP TIP. Place laptops and tablets LAST onto the conveyor belt. And keep an eye on them as they go through the X-ray machines. Thieves operate in many places.
In fact, keep an eye on your bags throughout your entire journey, from waiting in the departure lounge to aboard your flight.
4. Take something to eat
The increase in passengers will mean longer queues in the airport shops and cafés.
Also, it has been reported that many airlines are running out of food on the flights so I would definitely recommend taking food with you and an empty water bottle.
This is particularly important if you’re travelling with kids and get delayed.
*Note: Since Brexit, passengers are no longer permitted to bring dairy or meat products into Spain from the UK. So this technically means no cheese or meat sandwiches. I have yet to meet anyone to have these items confiscated in the UK at security. But just to make you aware.
Most airports also have free water refill points when you get through security now, so you can fill your water bottle and make sure you and your family stay hydrated on your journey.
5. Arriving at your destination
If you only take hand luggage you will not have additional wait at the luggage carousel however if you are not on a coach transfer you may well meet a long queue at the taxi rank.
Therefore I would 100% advise planning your onward journey from the airport before you arrive.
If you wish to risk the taxi queue (although you may be lucky and there may be no queue), you can read more about getting taxis in Mallorca here.
You can also take the red and yellow TIB public bus to your resort. You can read about using the TIB buses here.
You can also book your own transfers to where you are staying here.
6. Book Fast Track and VIP
The final of my airport travel tips: If you really want to go the extra mile on your holiday, then you can speed up the process of travelling through the airport.
There are options from the airport you are travelling from to book Fast Track through security or VIP assistance.
You can also do the same here in Mallorca on the return journey and you can book Fast Track through security here.
If you travel frequently, I would also recommend getting a Priority Pass for the airports. Click here to find out how an annual membership will allow the use of airport lounges.
I personally have never booked fast-track travelling through Palma airport, so I´m guessing booking this depends on the reports you are reading in the local press.
Travel Tip: If you are travelling with small children and are taking pushchairs or buggies to the departure gates, then you are already being accommodated for free.
Head to the security screening points on each far side and you enter the security area.
You will see these are bigger. These are prioritised for families with larger equipment to fit through screening and you should get through a little quicker too.
If you wish to go a step further and would like the full VIP meet and assist treatment, which includes escorting through security, customs and access to the VIP lounges, you can get this here.
Do not confuse this with special assistance if you have mobility issues. Special assistance is FREE and can be organised directly with your airline when you are booking your flight/holiday.
If you can think of any other pointers that will make life easier going through the airports this Summer, please help out other readers and leave a comment below.
Finally, once you board your flight, you need some tips to with the flight. You can read about a low-cost airline survival guide here.
Also, if your flight faces a delay, find out if you are in line for compensation. You can read more about this here.