SQ SIN-MXP-BCN: MXP procedures?

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twiningb

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I had an upcoming booking on SQ388 SIN-BCN, changed to SQ378 SIN-MXP-BCN on the same day. I'm not terribly concerned by the tech stop and am happy to accept the new routing.

What's the deal in MXP? Does one clear immigration there and it's then intraSchengen for the MXP-BCN sector? Or does one stay in international transit and clear immigration in BCN? If immigration in MXP, is customs also there or is that handled in BCN? What lounge options exist (we'll be in J class all the way)?

(Having seen the news since originally asking this at FlyerTalk that they're making this flight fifth-freedom for the first time, that seems to me to make it more likely an intraSchengen scenario.)

If anyone has recently done the SIN-CPH-FCO journey your experience would be useful, because it probably behaves like that.

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dmccue said:
How about reverse direction - BCN via MXP to SIN- Can you stay onboard or do you have to de-plane as my wife is in a wheelchair and getting off/on will probably take the whole of the 90 minutes so I would prefer to stay onboard.
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I travelled on SQ 387 BCN - MXP - SIN in July and we stayed onboard while we were on the ground in MXP. Not sure whether that is always the case -- the crew announcements on landing said to remain in your seats and wait for an update from ground staff to confirm if we would have to get off. Eventually after a lengthy wait there was another announcement to say that we should remain on board, some personnel got on to check the overhead bins and confirmed that the bags in there belonged to passengers still on the plane, and then eventually they boarded the passengers who were starting their journey in MXP and we were off.
 
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in August we flew MXP-SIN in J and when boarding it looked as though everyone had disembarked as J cabin was empty - or perhaps the flight had been empty BCN-MXP. That said, surely SQ will assist given the wheelchair situation.
 
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lovetravellingoz said:
Well I am off on MEL- SIN - MXP - BCN next week, so I guess I will find out then how they are doing things now.
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How did you go @lovetravellingoz (assuming you've departed)?
We are flying this exact route in May 2023 (we were initially booked on the direct SQ388 SIN-BCN but got a schedule change email with SQ378 in there, it appears that the direct service has been canned).
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laffer said:
I flew this route from BCN-MXP-SIN in 2017 and I did not have to get off at MXP. Told to remain on board.
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Thanks @laffer - now with a post-covid travel era + Brexit + Schengen shenanigans (Schenanigans??), things may very well be different. You can always trust immigration/passport control/border authorities to make things just that little more harder/complicated when it doesn't need to be!
 
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Just took off from MXP for BCN.

All pax stayed on plane. FA said when asked that sometimes this is not so. Evidently it depends on how many board in Milan.

Also from MXP have to wear masks as Spain requires all incoming flights to have pax wear masks.
 
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Interesting, thanks for the data point @lovetravellingoz - so it appears that the SQ378 SIN-MXP-BCN flight could either have pax deplaning at MXP or not, all depending on the specifics of that particular flight on that particular day.

Now if your destination is BCN, I hope that check-in would only check for visa documentation etc for Spain rather than Italy (given that Schengen visa subtleties can be quite confusing and catch out check-in agents).
 
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MathNerd said:
Interesting, thanks for the data point @lovetravellingoz - so it appears that the SQ378 SIN-MXP-BCN flight could either have pax deplaning at MXP or not, all depending on the specifics of that particular flight on that particular day.

Now if your destination is BCN, I hope that check-in would only check for visa documentation etc for Spain rather than Italy (given that Schengen visa subtleties can be quite confusing and catch out check-in agents).
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Yeh as I said in August pretty sure it was a deplaning (i joined at MXP to an empty cabin)
 
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Many years ago we had to deplane at Mxp as there was a mechanical....they kept us in a holding area and we cleared immigration at Bcn. On the way back we stayed on board at Mxp.
 
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Currently at the airport in Milan. The answer to the question is: it depends on the numbers of people who are getting off and on. We were made to get off, but the airport is empty because of a transport workers strike here.

Masks are required in the MXP-BCN leg which is unexpected.
 
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Well I kind of enjoyed the ability to stretch my legs because something about my seat hurt my knee. Feels okay now I've arrived in BCN though.

Did NOT enjoy the immigration queue at BCN though. And it did not appear there was a priority queue for J/F either
 
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suze2000 said:
Currently at the airport in Milan. The answer to the question is: it depends on the numbers of people who are getting off and on. We were made to get off, but the airport is empty because of a transport workers strike here.

Masks are required in the MXP-BCN leg which is unexpected.
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Thanks for updating us, @suze2000!!
 
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Just on masks... In Spain, masks are required on all public transport..trains and buses, and yes any flights that will land in Spain.

Apart from the mask requirement in Spain you would not know that Covid happened. Well that and all the old signs still up on social distancing and hand sanitising stations that are still common.
 
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