Going to Sonar? Don't Get Left at the Airport.

You’ve crawled out of bed to the sound of your 4.30am alarm, slipped into your brand new havaianas & shorts and jumped in a taxi straight to the airport to catch your flight to Barcelona for your now annual Sonar trip. At the check-in desk, problem, you haven’t filled out your advanced passenger information (API) now required by the Spanish Authorities for anyone travelling to Spain and as a result you may be held up at the airport and possibly miss your flight. Easily missed if you didn’t scrutinise all info as you were booking or read it on your e-ticket (although Ryanair’s recently upgraded website now gives you a pop up warning when you select flights to Spain). Although it is unclear to how strict each airline will be, Aer Lingus for example state that you can fill out the info in the airport but do warn that it’s likely to lead to check-in delays, whereas EasyJet state that you will not be allowed to fly without this providing the info in advance on-line. As of this year, the Spanish Government have introduced new regulations that require all airlines entering the country to provide specific personal information in advance about all passengers on board the aircraft. These regulations have been brought into place as part of increased measures in security & immigration control, and it’s expected that more European countries are to introduce similar requirements over the next while, the UK being next in line. Like Spain, the US already have the system in place for EU holiday travellers who don’t require a visa, worth bearing in mind if you’re heading to the States anytime soon too. All that’s needed is your sex, full name, DOB, passport number & passport expiry date (and accommodation address for the States) - basically all the info that’s on your passport, so that they have you on record (should they need to track you down!). If you have already booked your flight, you can either follow a link on your e-ticket to the advance passenger form on your airline’s website, or go direct to the website itself to the Manage booking or API section. If you’ve yet to book your flight you can go directly to the API section once your flight purchase has been confirmed. So make sure to fill out your info before you go, then enjoy all those hours of sipping Sangria, nibbling olives & jamon, siestas on the beach and plenty of crazy Barca partying.