Nueva Área Terminal

All flights at ALC run through the single NAT concourse

Every Vueling, Ryanair, easyJet, Iberia, TUI fly Belgium, and British Airways departure at Alicante uses the Nueva Área Terminal (code NAT), a single pier-style building. Schengen and non‑Schengen flights share the same check‑in hall and security zone, then split later for passport control near the gates. One reviewer on SleepingInAirports called security here “by far the worst” of their trip because of long, disorganised lines, so build the buffer: think 2.5 hours before a UK flight in summer.

Security, passport control, and that duty free maze

Check‑in desks sit in a big landside hall on Level 2, with the main security checkpoint feeding all NAT departures. Multiple reviews mention slow, chaotic queues, especially before early Ryanair and easyJet waves to the UK and northern Europe. After scanners, you’re pushed straight through Alicante Duty Free with no direct bypass; one SleepingInAirports poster complained it slowed them down when they only wanted a restroom. If you’re tight on time, walk the central path through the shop and keep going until you hit the main departures hall.

Layout: single pier, shared hall, long-ish walks

The departures level is essentially one long concourse with gates running off a central spine, so walking end‑to‑end can take 10–15 minutes at a normal pace. Schengen gates sit closer to the middle, while British Airways and most UK leisure flights use non‑Schengen gates beyond passport control at the far end. BA regulars on FlyerTalk describe the walk from the contract lounge area back to passport control as “a bit of a hike,” so people leaving with only 10 minutes to boarding sometimes end up jogging the last stretch.

Landside: quieter corners near check‑in at night

Landside, the check‑in hall runs the length of NAT with rows of desks numbered in the 0xx–1xx range and scattered seating opposite. Several SleepingInAirports reviews say these benches near the airline counters stay relatively quiet overnight compared with gates, so some people camp there until around 90 minutes before departure. Power sockets are limited here, so if you see a free wall outlet by a pillar, grab it early.

Food airside: Burger King, La Tagliatella, and quick coffee

Past duty free, food options sit mostly along the main departures hall, within a 5–10 minute walk of most gates. For fast food, Burger King usually runs late into the evening and gives predictable pricing compared with some Spanish chains. Sit‑down pasta and pizzas come from La Tagliatella, better for a longer wait of an hour or more. For snacks and sandwiches, Deli&Cia and Food Market sell grab‑and‑go baguettes and salads in the €5–€9 range.

Cafes, sweets, and a glass of beer

Costa Coffee and Lavazza both sit airside, handy for early‑morning departures before 08:00, when some hot food spots are still spinning up. ANTICA GELATERIA - UPPER CRUST mixes gelato with basic bakery items, so it works for a quick croissant and espresso before a 07:00 Ryanair flight. Budweiser-branded bars serve draft beer and simple bar snacks; budget around €5–€7 for a pint if you’re killing time before a TUI fly Belgium departure.

Shops: duty free first, fashion and souvenirs after

Immediately after security you hit Alicante Duty Free and Express Duty Free, with the usual alcohol, cosmetics, and tobacco; prices on spirits can undercut city shops by several euros per litre. Beyond that, retail gets more local: Castell de Santa Bàrbara sells Alicante‑themed souvenirs, while Natura and Desigual carry Spanish fashion and accessories. Tech and phone cases sit in La casa de las carcasas, and Rituals, Parfois, LOVE ME, MMM, Lolly, and Candy Airways VR fill in cosmetics, costume jewelry, and sweets along the walkway to the gates.

Quiet space and pseudo-lounging

There’s no airline-branded lounge directly listed in NAT’s public directory, though BA and some carriers use a contract lounge that FlyerTalk posters call “perfectly adequate but nothing special.” They mainly like it for a drink and some quiet compared with the crowded non‑Schengen gate seating when several UK flights board around the same 2–3 hour window. Electricity at regular seats is patchy: one SleepingInAirports review mentioned sitting on the floor by pillars and walls near gates to reach free sockets.

What regulars do and one last tip

Frequent Alicante flyers say they arrive earlier here than at similar‑size Spanish airports because of repeat security issues, with some giving themselves a full 3 hours before peak summer Saturday departures. Several BA regulars leave the contract lounge a good 25–30 minutes before scheduled boarding to allow for the walk plus passport control. One simple move: after security, head straight through duty free, find a seat near your actual gate number on the screens, then backtrack for food at Burger King, Costa, or La Tagliatella once you know how much time you really have.