When I was flying out from Barcelona on Saturday morning (and I was on autopilot at the airport), I was surprised that the previous Fast Track had been boxed up.
The Fast Track, or fast lane as the airport calls it, was not only used by premium/elite passengers but also by families and the elderly.
The new location of the Fast Track for premium and elite passengers ONLY is on the right of the security check. The old Fast Track was a completely separate area on the far left.
Also, this new Fast Track does not allow families or the elderly, and apparently, there is a different entrance for them now (good).
A person was checking the boarding passes before you were allowed to enter the short line, and then there was another check by the machine (red – no allowed: green – allowed), and some had paper passes that they gave to the person. The Finnair boarding pass was enough (green).
There were quite a few Fast Track passengers denied at the last step.
Conclusion
It is unclear if El Prat is reorganizing the Fast Track and if this is a temporary solution.
It would be good if families and the elderly would have separate entrances because the previous Fast Track was a bit of a zoo at times and didn’t serve its purpose.
I have flown in/out of Barcelona Terminal 1 quite a few times over the years (yet to see the “infamous” terminal 2), and it has been mostly a smooth experience.
