Barcelona El Prat BCN · Terminal 1, Level 2, D and E Gates · Family of Four Flying United Polaris Home
It was the last day of a long summer trip. We had sailed from Rome to Barcelona on Legend of the Seas, spent four nights in the city, and now all four of us were at El Prat for the flight home on United Polaris. Josh was filming as we came through, and the first thing he pointed out was that business class had its own security line, which he thought was very luxury.
The Joan Miró VIP Lounge was the next stop, and the question I had walking in is the one I think most families have about an airport lounge in Europe: is it worth paying for? If it comes with your ticket, the short answer is yes, it is a comfortable place to wait. If you are paying, it comes down to two things, time and price, and I will tell you exactly where my line is. What it costs is near the bottom.
This article is not sponsored. Lounge access came with our tickets, nothing was comped, and we didn’t tell the lounge we were going to write about it.
Where the Joan Miró Lounge Is at Barcelona Airport
The Joan Miró lounge is in Terminal 1, on level 2, by the D and E gates. The key word is after: the sign by the escalators reads after passport control, so you clear passport control first and then follow the signs for the D gates and the VIP lounge.
Those D and E gates are for flights leaving Europe’s passport free Schengen zone, like ours back to the US. The airport’s own page says the lounge is reserved for travelers heading to non-Schengen countries, so if you are flying within Europe, this is probably not your lounge.
The opening hours are posted on a screen right before the entrance. When we checked the airport’s own VIP lounge site before writing this, it listed the lounge as open from 5:00 until the last scheduled flight. Hours can change, so check before you count on it for a very early or very late departure.
Who Can Get In: United Polaris, or a Day Pass
Now, how to get access. United’s lounge locations page lists the Joan Miró lounge as a contract lounge in Barcelona, and the only eligibility it shows is United Polaris business class customers. That is how all four of us got in: me, my wife Vika, and our kids Josh and Emily, all flying Polaris home that day. United’s page also says you can come in three hours before your scheduled departure, or four hours if you are connecting.
If you are not flying Polaris, the lounge sells passes on the airport’s own VIP lounge site. It prices adults and kids 11 and up separately from kids 6 to 10, kids under 6 get in free, and the page says the maximum stay is three hours, right before your flight. I cover the actual numbers in the cost section. These rules and prices change, so check both pages before you plan around them.
It Was Busy When We Walked In, but We Found Four Seats Fast
Inside, it was busy. Walking past the first seating area, someone in our group said what we were all seeing: “I know, but these are all taken.” Finding four seats together was not the easiest thing, but I would say we found them quickly: a couch where all four of us could sit together, with outlets right there.
That couch ended up being our base for the whole visit. We plugged everything in and charged it all before the long flight home, which with two kids and a stack of phones and tablets is half the reason to be in a lounge at all.
Emily settled in with a drink and a plate from the buffet within a few minutes. For a family, a spot where everyone can sit together and nobody is hunting for an outlet is worth more than any single thing on the menu.
The Buffet Was Fine, and We Kept It Light on Purpose
The food is a self serve buffet. When we were there, it had Spanish tortilla, rice dishes, salads, cured meats, sandwiches and pastries.
Honestly, the food was fine. A couple of things were okay, but nothing I would tell you to come here for, at least not on our visit. Josh filmed his plate and summed it up the way only a teenager can: “So as you saw, we had some food. I got some food.”
We also kept it light on purpose. We were flying Polaris, and we wanted to save room for the meal on the plane. If your flight has a good meal on board, I would do the same thing here: graze, do not load up.
Self Serve Drinks, and a Cava Toast to End the Trip
There is no staffed bar here. It is all self serve: a fridge with soft drinks and a couple of beers, cava, which is Spanish sparkling wine, and spirits I would call a step above well liquor. Nothing fancy, but everything is there if you want it.
Vika and I poured two glasses of the cava and toasted the end of the trip right there on the couch. After a cruise and four nights in Barcelona, that quiet minute before the flight home was probably my favorite moment in the lounge.
If you are planning the city part of a trip like this, our guide to getting around Barcelona with a family covers how we got around before we ever got to the airport.
Work Desks, Semi Private Pods and a Dark Quiet Room
Past the seating, there is a glass walled working area with shared desks, a few semi private chairs and pods, and a darkened quiet room with a starry ceiling if you want to close your eyes. We did not use any of these, so I cannot tell you how comfortable they are, but they are there if you have work to do or a long wait.
The Honest Part: It Felt a Bit Worn
The lounge felt a bit worn. It was not especially clean when we were there, and some areas were broken or not set up. One section with cubicle style dividers was not open to use, and one of the enclosures was being used for storage. In the seating area by the pods, the carpet had clearly seen better days, and one side table still had someone else’s crumbs on it.
That was our visit, on one day, and it may be different when you go. But it was still comfortable enough, and we never felt like we needed to leave. We left when we did because of the clock, not because of the lounge.
How Long We Stayed, and the Delay We Didn’t See Coming
We were there a little over two hours, and we only left because it was time to head to the gate. The funny part? Once we got there, we found out our flight was delayed, and it kept getting pushed until it was about three hours late. We could have stayed a lot longer. The Polaris flight home is getting its own review.
Is the Joan Miró Lounge Worth Paying For?
If access is included with your ticket, yes. It is a comfortable place to recharge before your flight, with a couch for the whole family, outlets everywhere, and enough food and drink to take the edge off without spoiling a good meal on the plane.
If you are paying around 51 euros each, I would personally choose a restaurant instead. My line is about fifty dollars a person. Over that, I would rather sit down for a good meal and a beer in the terminal. It also depends on how much time you have. A three hour wait with tired kids changes the math. A quick connection does not.
If you are flying Polaris out of Chicago on the way over, the United Polaris Lounge at Chicago O’Hare is a very different experience, with a real dining room and a speakeasy, and it is worth getting to the airport early for.
What It Costs
Our access came with our United Polaris tickets, so we did not pay at the door. When we visited, entry was around 51 euros per person, as I remember it.
When we checked the airport’s own VIP lounge site before writing this, a pass was €51,26 for adults and kids 11 and up, €24,55 for kids 6 to 10, and free for kids 5 and under, with a maximum stay of three hours. Those are the airport’s prices, not ours, and they can change.
Common Questions About the Joan Miró Lounge
Where is the Joan Miró lounge at Barcelona airport?
In Terminal 1, level 2, by the D and E gates, after passport control. Clear passport control first, then follow the signs for D and the VIP lounge.
Can United Polaris passengers use the Joan Miró lounge?
Yes. United lists it as a contract lounge in Barcelona for United Polaris business class customers, and that is how our family of four got in. United’s page says access starts three hours before departure, or four hours for connecting passengers.
How much does the Joan Miró lounge cost?
When we checked, the airport’s VIP site listed €51,26 for ages 11 and up, €24,55 for kids 6 to 10, and free for kids 5 and under.
How long can you stay in the Joan Miró lounge?
The airport’s page for the lounge says the maximum stay is three hours, immediately before your scheduled flight.
Is the Joan Miró lounge for Schengen flights?
No. It sits in the D and E gates, which serve flights leaving the Schengen zone, and the airport’s page says the lounge is reserved for travelers heading to non-Schengen countries.
Are food and drinks included in the Joan Miró lounge?
On our visit, yes. The buffet and the self serve drinks, including beer, cava and spirits, came with lounge access. There is no staffed bar.
Is the Joan Miró lounge good for families?
For us it worked. We found a couch for all four of us with outlets right there, which is what matters most with kids. It was busy when we walked in, so expect to look around a little for seats together.
