Jan 31, 2018, 8:17 am
Last edit by: Prospero
Please edit or add information to this wiki as necessary.
Link to MAD Airport page on aa.com
Link to Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas website (English or Spanish).
Link to FT-AA Welcome and Lounge Dashboard page (for MAD lounges information).
For Minimum Connect Times, please see post #1.
Madrid-Barajas Terminal’s 4 and 4-S
International one world flights arrive and depart Terminal 4-S (satellite). International arriving passengers will process immigration here. Queues can be lengthy; talking the rightmost non-EU citizen queues is advisable, as the EU citizen queues to the right of non-EU citizen lines often open up to non-EU citizens in that particular queue, halving the time spent in queue.
Passengers in Iberia Plus and Iberia Sapphire and Emerald equivalents members on flights over four hours long are welcome to use the Premium Traveller Lounge Arrivals lounge. Link to One Mile At a Time review.
Connecting passengers on single ticketing / PNR will not have to retrieve baggage for customs inspection, which will be accomplished at their destination - Schengen or non-Schengen.
Connecting passengers departing Terminal 4-S will also undergo security here.
Connecting passengers to Schengen and non-T-4 destinations will undergo security procedures in their departure terminal.
Schengen and domestic Spain flights generally arrive and depart Terminal 4.
The terminals are connected by subterranean train accessible from the lowest floor. (It is advisable to use the lifts / elevators over the escalators.)
Connections to other terminals are via landslide shuttle busses.
There are two metro stations: the first one is "Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3", situated at the centre of the terminal T2 floor 1; the second one is "Aeropuerto T4", situated at terminal T4 floor -1. Travel will most often require connections at Nuevos Ministerios station.
Related threads:
Heads up re: Spain (MAD, BCN etc.) - Long passport / security queues Jun 2017 onward
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...er-thread.html
Link to MAD Airport page on aa.com
Link to Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas website (English or Spanish).
Link to FT-AA Welcome and Lounge Dashboard page (for MAD lounges information).
For Minimum Connect Times, please see post #1.
Madrid-Barajas Terminal’s 4 and 4-S
International one world flights arrive and depart Terminal 4-S (satellite). International arriving passengers will process immigration here. Queues can be lengthy; talking the rightmost non-EU citizen queues is advisable, as the EU citizen queues to the right of non-EU citizen lines often open up to non-EU citizens in that particular queue, halving the time spent in queue.
Passengers in Iberia Plus and Iberia Sapphire and Emerald equivalents members on flights over four hours long are welcome to use the Premium Traveller Lounge Arrivals lounge. Link to One Mile At a Time review.
Connecting passengers on single ticketing / PNR will not have to retrieve baggage for customs inspection, which will be accomplished at their destination - Schengen or non-Schengen.
Connecting passengers departing Terminal 4-S will also undergo security here.
Connecting passengers to Schengen and non-T-4 destinations will undergo security procedures in their departure terminal.
Schengen and domestic Spain flights generally arrive and depart Terminal 4.
The terminals are connected by subterranean train accessible from the lowest floor. (It is advisable to use the lifts / elevators over the escalators.)
Connections to other terminals are via landslide shuttle busses.
There are two metro stations: the first one is "Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3", situated at the centre of the terminal T2 floor 1; the second one is "Aeropuerto T4", situated at terminal T4 floor -1. Travel will most often require connections at Nuevos Ministerios station.
Related threads:
Heads up re: Spain (MAD, BCN etc.) - Long passport / security queues Jun 2017 onward
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...er-thread.html
Guide: Madrid-Barajas Intl. Airport (MAD) - Arrival, Depart, Connect, etc.
Jul 9, 2024 | 11:23 am
#151
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SFO, TUS
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Exec Plat, SPG Plat
Posts: 26
Madrid-CLT originating in BCN
I'll be traveling BCN-Madrid-CLT later this year with 3 other passengers, all Non-EU. We are on Iberia connecting to AA. Will we go thru passport control in BCN or have to do so in Madrid? Want to make sure I'm allowing for enough time. Thanks in advance!
Jul 9, 2024 | 11:27 am
#152
Join Date: May 2013
Location: MAD
Programs: IB+, BAEC
Posts: 3,225
Passport control will be in Madrid
Jul 25, 2024 | 8:30 pm
#153
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB+ Oro / OWS
Posts: 1,126
Turnaround time
I'm on the 741 today (26th), the inbound 740 just departed at 2215, 3hrs15min late, with eta MAD 1056.
741's departure now pushed back to 1227, from 1200, so only 27min late, with turnaround time of just 1.5 hours.
Is this realistic?
Past week's turnaround times are 4ish hours but that's for scheduling and not the minimum time to turnaround?
Thank you!
Edit: priority counters at 0630 (empty) already available for the latest PHL flight. Turn around time 1hrs45min
I'm on the 741 today (26th), the inbound 740 just departed at 2215, 3hrs15min late, with eta MAD 1056.
741's departure now pushed back to 1227, from 1200, so only 27min late, with turnaround time of just 1.5 hours.
Is this realistic?
Past week's turnaround times are 4ish hours but that's for scheduling and not the minimum time to turnaround?
Thank you!
Edit: priority counters at 0630 (empty) already available for the latest PHL flight. Turn around time 1hrs45min
Last edited by csycsycsy; Jul 25, 2024 at 11:38 pm
Jul 27, 2024 | 9:29 pm
#154
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: AA (1MM), Marriott (LT Gold)
Posts: 1,769
In September, I have an AA award flight on MCI-PHL-MAD-SVQ (Seville) and returning on SVQ-MAD-CLT-MCI. All flights are on AA except for the MAD-SVQ and SVQ-MAD segments which are on Iberia Express. Typically, I try to carry on, but I'm concerned that Iberia Express may have a more strict interpretation on what size luggage is allowed for carry on.
Where, if anywhere, will I most likely be told that I have to check my bag on my outbound flight segments? And if in Madrid, will I be told to check at the gate or somewhere else? On my return trip, assuming Iberia Express makes me check in Seville, do I have to pick up my bags in Madrid before continuing on to the USA, or will they check through all the way to MCI? If I pick them up in Madrid, can I just go ahead and carry them on for the remainder of my AA flights?
Also (I know this is slightly off topic, but for those who are familiar with the Madrid flights to Charlotte), because of a schedule change I got bumped to a much later flight from CLT to MCI on my return flight. Does it usually take a long time to clear immigration / customs in CLT in the late afternoon? I'd like to catch the earlier flight, but I'm not sure how realistic that is.
Where, if anywhere, will I most likely be told that I have to check my bag on my outbound flight segments? And if in Madrid, will I be told to check at the gate or somewhere else? On my return trip, assuming Iberia Express makes me check in Seville, do I have to pick up my bags in Madrid before continuing on to the USA, or will they check through all the way to MCI? If I pick them up in Madrid, can I just go ahead and carry them on for the remainder of my AA flights?
Also (I know this is slightly off topic, but for those who are familiar with the Madrid flights to Charlotte), because of a schedule change I got bumped to a much later flight from CLT to MCI on my return flight. Does it usually take a long time to clear immigration / customs in CLT in the late afternoon? I'd like to catch the earlier flight, but I'm not sure how realistic that is.
Last edited by ExitRowAisle; Jul 27, 2024 at 10:04 pm
Jul 28, 2024 | 12:23 am
#155
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: DFW
Programs: Lowly Marriott Gold, AA Platinum(OW Sapphire)
Posts: 203
Quick question on passports at MAD (or any EU for that matter). Holding US and UK passports, is either preferable for entry? I know I’ll have to potentially deal with ETIAS, and does anyone know if it will be linked to a single passport?
Jul 28, 2024 | 5:17 am
#156
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB+ Oro / OWS
Posts: 1,126
In September, I have an AA award flight on MCI-PHL-MAD-SVQ (Seville) and returning on SVQ-MAD-CLT-MCI. All flights are on AA except for the MAD-SVQ and SVQ-MAD segments which are on Iberia Express. Typically, I try to carry on, but I'm concerned that Iberia Express may have a more strict interpretation on what size luggage is allowed for carry on.
Where, if anywhere, will I most likely be told that I have to check my bag on my outbound flight segments? And if in Madrid, will I be told to check at the gate or somewhere else? On my return trip, assuming Iberia Express makes me check in Seville, do I have to pick up my bags in Madrid before continuing on to the USA, or will they check through all the way to MCI? If I pick them up in Madrid, can I just go ahead and carry them on for the remainder of my AA flights?
Where, if anywhere, will I most likely be told that I have to check my bag on my outbound flight segments? And if in Madrid, will I be told to check at the gate or somewhere else? On my return trip, assuming Iberia Express makes me check in Seville, do I have to pick up my bags in Madrid before continuing on to the USA, or will they check through all the way to MCI? If I pick them up in Madrid, can I just go ahead and carry them on for the remainder of my AA flights?
Jul 28, 2024 | 2:05 pm
#157
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: AA (1MM), Marriott (LT Gold)
Posts: 1,769
Where will I be expected to pick up my bag if forced to check in at SVQ -- MAD, CLT, or MCI?
Jul 29, 2024 | 1:30 am
#158
Join Date: May 2013
Location: MAD
Programs: IB+, BAEC
Posts: 3,225
Zero difference. Doesn't matter at all. Just be sure to use the same one for entry and exit
Jul 29, 2024 | 1:32 am
#159
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: DFW
Programs: Lowly Marriott Gold, AA Platinum(OW Sapphire)
Posts: 203
Jul 29, 2024 | 3:44 am
#160
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB+ Oro / OWS
Posts: 1,126
Does AA LT Gold give me a better chance to carry on with Iberia Express, even if not within the stated dimensions? By the way, this is a bag that I have historically routinely carred on. I'm asking because I'm under the impression that European airlines now impose and enforce more stringent carry on requirements.
Where will I be expected to pick up my bag if forced to check in at SVQ -- MAD, CLT, or MCI?
Where will I be expected to pick up my bag if forced to check in at SVQ -- MAD, CLT, or MCI?
https://www.iberiaexpress.com/en/gen...e/hand-baggage
How much bigger is yours?
AA Gold = OWR? This gives you group 2 on IB, so yours won't be gate checked for the overheads already being full but for the oversizing
In theory checked to final destination but showing the itinerary should get you a pass but again depends how big it is
Jul 29, 2024 | 12:48 pm
#161
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: AA (1MM), Marriott (LT Gold)
Posts: 1,769
Here are the dimensions
https://www.iberiaexpress.com/en/gen...e/hand-baggage
How much bigger is yours?
AA Gold = OWR? This gives you group 2 on IB, so yours won't be gate checked for the overheads already being full but for the oversizing
In theory checked to final destination but showing the itinerary should get you a pass but again depends how big it is
https://www.iberiaexpress.com/en/gen...e/hand-baggage
How much bigger is yours?
AA Gold = OWR? This gives you group 2 on IB, so yours won't be gate checked for the overheads already being full but for the oversizing
In theory checked to final destination but showing the itinerary should get you a pass but again depends how big it is
Jul 29, 2024 | 3:54 pm
#162
Join Date: Jul 2022
Location: Madrid
Programs: IB+ Oro / OWS
Posts: 1,126
It's an advertised 22" x 14" x 8" bag, which converts to 56 cm x 36 cm x 20 cm. Those dimensions are allowed for carry-ons on Iberia Express. When I measure it, the external length is 24" including the handle and wheels, which converts to 61 cm. That does not qualify. I guess I'll hope for the best but assume I will have to gate check in Madrid and won't be able to carry on when I return.
Aug 23, 2024 | 5:27 pm
#163
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,046
Schengen to non-Schengen connection
Apologies if I missed it in this thread but what is the connection process at MAD if I arrive on an Iberia flight from Lisbon into T4 and depart on Iberia from T4S to South America? I know I’ll need to pass through passport control at T4S to exit Schengen but will I also pass through security at any stage? Just trying to work out a comfortable connection time for an upcoming trip. Thanks.
Aug 23, 2024 | 7:22 pm
#164
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Airport Lounges (Usually in ORD and LHR)
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, QR Gold, UA 1K, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,859
Apologies if I missed it in this thread but what is the connection process at MAD if I arrive on an Iberia flight from Lisbon into T4 and depart on Iberia from T4S to South America? I know I’ll need to pass through passport control at T4S to exit Schengen but will I also pass through security at any stage? Just trying to work out a comfortable connection time for an upcoming trip. Thanks.