Palma de Mallorca Airport Departures

No matter how you arrive at Palma de Mallorca Airport, getting to the departures hall is very straightforward. The main car park, which also has the car rental returns area, is facing the terminal and is accessed from the ground level or via the bridge from the fourth floor.

The city buses, taxis, private transfers and the shuttle bus from the long-stay car park will drop you directly outside the departures hall. Coaches and intercity buses stop a short walk from the ground floor of the terminal.

The majority of airlines now have the facility for you to check-in online and print your boarding pass, or via an app on your smartphone or tablet. If you've done that and you only have hand baggage you can by-pass the check-in desks and go straight to security.

If you have hold luggage, check the departures screens for which of the 195 check-in desks have been assigned to your flight. Air Berlin and Air Europa have automatic check-in kiosks available.

Airline Check-In

In general, the check-in desks open around two hours before the scheduled departure time and close forty minutes before, but check with your airline for any specific instructions. At the check-in desk, you will need your boarding pass or booking reference and your national ID card or passport.

Airlines have different rules regarding the size and weight of cabin baggage and it can be an expensive mistake to be over. Using travel scales before you travel can save you money and inconvenience.

Some goods cannot be carried in your bags on the aircraft. The CAA website has a full list of prohibited items. You should also check your airline's terms and conditions as they can impose their own restrictions.

If you have to wait for the check-in desk to open, food and drink are available from the restaurant, cafeteria and coffee shop. There is also an ATM and free Wi-Fi and internet access points in the departures area should you need them.

Security Screening

As you enter the security area you will need to have your boarding pass ready, whether it is on paper or on your phone.

There can be long queues for security screening, especially at peak times, but at Palma airport, there is a fast lane for priority passengers. You can buy access from the airport website for €4.00 here.

For screening, you will need to place your bags on the conveyor belt, empty your pockets, remove any metal objects such as belts and jewellery, and take off your jacket. All of these can then be placed in the trays provided. You might be asked to remove your shoes, so be prepared. Liquids must not be in containers larger than 100 ml and these have to be put in a transparent sealable bag with no more than one litre in total. Electronic devices such as laptops need to be removed from bags and put through separately.

Your belongings will be x-rayed while you pass through a metal detector. If a red light flashes, you will be taken aside and scanned for the offending item.

Departures Lounge

When you have cleared security, you can go through to the departures lounge where you can relax until you board your flight. The information screens will display boarding areas and gates for each flight, as well as any delays. Check the screens regularly as flight announcements are not made on the public-address system.

In this area, there are cafés, restaurants, fast food outlets and bars offering a wide variety of food and drink. A full list is available here. The many shops include a newsagent, pharmacy, souvenir shop, fashion and sports outlets. The duty-free store sells perfume, gifts, alcohol and cigarettes at lower than high street prices. All the shops in the lounge are available here.

The departures area has four modules, A, B, C and D, and this will be shown alongside the gate number for your flight. It might take a few minutes to get to the furthest gates so, as soon as your flight is shown to be boarding, head for the gate promptly to avoid delays.

At the boarding gate, you will be asked for your ID card or passport and your boarding pass. Your boarding pass will be scanned before you can enter the aeroplane.

Many boarding gates have a sky bridge, but at all other, you might have a short walk or a bus ride to the aircraft.