When Barcelona Airport's long awaited new terminal was opened in June 2009 the kind of chaos experienced at Madrid and Heathrow's new terminals was widely expected.
However, the dire experiences of those two openings, with thousands of bags lost and many cancelled flights, perhaps helped pave the way for the kind of planning and preparation that helped the opening run smoothly.
Even with many airlines moving from the old terminals A, B and C - now renamed Terminal 2A to C - chaos was avoided, although passengers were sometimes unsure of which terminal they should check in at.
Bus transfer is available between the terminals so even those who arrived at the wrong terminal were able to easily get transport.
Terminal 1 was designed by Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill and consists of a long sleek design that incorporates floor-to-ceiling glasswork that floods the terminal building with light.
In addition to more than 50 shops and 30 bars and restaurants, the terminal also has a spa, business centre with meeting rooms, four VIP lounges and a chapel.
The new terminal is expected to be used by 30 million passengers this year, and was one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe.
It has created an additional three thousand jobs at the airport, many of whom will man the 166 check in desks.
The opening means that Barcelona Airport is now capable of dealing with 55 million passengers per year in total and the number of flights per hours has increased from 64 to 90.