Alicante Airport (ALC) Flights & Flight Status

Sunseekers flock to the Costa Blanca for its beautiful resort towns like Alicante. And travellers often make their first entry to the region via Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC). Most of the airports along this coastline cater to seasonal travellers, especially those coming from cities in northern and central Europe. There is a mix of traditional, charter and low-cost airlines flying to this modern and easy to navigate terminal, which is the busiest in southeastern Spain and one of the most trafficked in the whole country. This guide explains everything you need to know to have a pleasant experience at ALC.

One modern terminal

As traffic has grown, AENA (the Spanish airport management company) decided to replace the two ageing terminals with one larger and more attractive terminal to handle the increasing number of passengers. It added more amenities, natural light and space.

The departures area consists of two levels, one for arrivals and the other for departures. Natural greenery hangs along the walls with plentiful sunshine filling the space and arched ceilings adding unique architectural detail. It can be loud with the echoes, however. Food and shopping options are available on the landside area. This is great if you are waiting for check-in counters to open or picking up arriving passengers.

Terminal N, which stands for “terminal nueva” (the new terminal) is now where all flights depart with nearly four dozen gates. Only 15 of them have air bridges though. Instead, most flights depart via bus to the aeroplane waiting on the apron where travellers have to board by stairs.

I find this setup to be less passenger-friendly because boarding starts earlier and you need to be at the gate to catch the bus. It also adds complexity to travellers with mobility issues or parents travelling with children (and car seats or strollers). Alicante sees a lot of family travellers.

The airport’s traffic is mostly handled by low-cost carriers. As a result, these airlines can save money by not using a jet bridge, resulting in lower fares. Airports charge airlines less for boarding by bus.

This terminal has two divided areas: one has only Schengen flight departures and the other serves all flights, including those within the Schengen Zone and those outside, which is separated by a passport control desk where lines can quickly form.

ALC has lots of natural light, and I find it a great place to relax before a flight with plenty of seating. There is no shortage of food and bar outlets, especially Spanish venues where you can get one last “bocadillo con jamon.” My only complaint is that the constant sunshine that streams through the windows fights against the air conditioning, which to me does not feel sufficient. I find the airport to be uncomfortably warm.

The best lounges, shops and restaurants

The airport terminal has plenty of ways to entertain travelers while they wait for their flight departure. It includes everything from a well-equipped club lounge to dining venues with tasty Spanish cuisine.

Only one airport lounge

Sala VIP Costa Blanca is the only lounge here, but it is enormous with lots of comfortable leather seats with easy-access power outlets, marble floors and a buffet of both hot and cold items. Take note that the hot dishes only come out during meal times, which in Spain are traditionally later than other countries (don’t expect hot lunch items to appear until between 1pm-3pm, for example).

The self-serve bar is well-stocked, and I love the fact that there is fresh fruit and all kinds of snacks in to-go containers (this is a great money saver when I am flying low-cost carriers if you can sneak a few into your carry-on bag).

My only disappointment would be that there is no view of the apron to see the planes. The lounge is accessible to premium cabin passengers as well as those with a Priority Pass. If you do not pay for this lounge membership program, check your credit card as many include access as one of the perks of paying an annual fee.

The lounge is in the Schengen part of the airport, and if you are flying to the United Kingdom, for example, you will need to allow time to pass through immigration. Queues can be long when multiple flights are leaving around the same time.

Food and beverage options

In the terminal, the standard chain link restaurants are in the terminal (Costa and Burger King among them), but I recommend trying some of the local or specialty venues. Antica Gelateria has the best Italian-style gelato in the terminal, and it shares space with Upper Crust, where you can grab a baguette sandwich or salad for the flight.

Spanish-born Enrique Tomás Experience is the go-to spot for jamón ibérico. In fact, this brand is the largest producer of the famous Spanish delicacy in the world, and you can sample everything from ham and cheese platters and sandwiches to a variety of tapas with local beer on tap.

You can get your fix for Italian food at La Tagliatella where crunchy-crusted pizza, plates of al dente pasta and creamy risotto await. Several souvenir shops and fashion boutiques (including Spanish brands like Desigual) are also in the terminal, which can help pass the time.

My favourite spot is the Budweiser terrace, which is an outdoor deck and bar where you can enjoy a drink and watch the planes come and go in the fresh air. Just keep in mind that you have to buy something if you go up there as it is only reserved for the bar’s clients. This is also a smoking area unlike the rest of the airport.

How to get through the airport with ease

The Fast Lane at security is available to passengers travelling in business class or with some airlines’ top elite status tier. If you have neither, it is possible to purchase access to this fast track lane on the airport website. Some low-cost airlines also sell access during the online reservation or check-in process.

Since the airport lounge is also operated by the airport, you can buy access to the lounge online at the airport’s website. It is also available when buying a ticket through some low-fare carriers. The payable Meet & Greet service can also expedite your path through the airport.

An executive assistant will meet you at check-in and help handle formalities before walking you through security and to the lounge. They will then collect you and walk you to the gate for priority boarding.

No matter how you get through the airport or where you wait for your flight, free Wi-Fi is a nice perk for everyone that supplies their email address. I normally supply a fake email to avoid getting unwanted advertising emails, but AENA will send you an email to this address where you have to confirm your address before enjoying its Wi-Fi. So that trick does not work here.

Where you can go from ALC

The majority of flights from this airport are to various parts of Europe as well as to numerous cities around Spain. The biggest airlines operating at ALC include Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling and Jet2.com. The only flights bound to destinations off of the European continent are Air Algerie to Algeria or Ryanair to Morocco.

British travellers highly favour Alicante, and the most popular destinations from the airport are Manchester, London and Bristol. Network airlines like KLM, Iberia, Lufthansa and Finnair also fly to their respective hubs, providing onward connections around the globe.

How to get to and from the Alicante airport

Most people use Uber, Cabify or a taxi to get around the area. Rental cars are very popular because the coastline is beautiful and just calling you for further exploration. Most major car rental brands have an office at the airport.

If you are driving your own car, the airport has recently expanded the parking options. I recommend reserving a spot online in advance via the airport’s website as the decks can quickly fill up during the summer months.

When dropping off passengers, keep in mind that cars are not allowed in the lane closest to the departures area; you will be fined. This is reserved for buses and vans; another lane a few yards away is for cars dropping off passengers so be sure to pay attention otherwise police will whistle you away.

Bus services also run from the airport to the centre of town via route C-6. If you want to go farther than Alicante, you can join the regional Metropolitan Tram at either of the Alfonso X El Sabio or Plaza de los Luceros stops. Plans are in place to add a train line from the airport, but this is still under development.

Another bus route, 1B, takes travellers from the airport to Torrellano, Elche, Playa El Altet and Arenales del Sol. Depending on where your vacation rental, home or hotel is, this is another option if the city centre is not your destination.

If you are waiting for your ride, I like how there are outdoor cafes in the arrivals area of the airport for you to get a coffee or snack in the warm, fresh air.