Originally Posted by
asterion
What killed JK was the AVE high-speed train. Cheaper, faster and less stressful.
This is a myth that refuses to die. The AVE costs about twice as much as air travel between Barcelona and Madrid.
It is also not faster - at best same door to door time. The AVE in BCN leaves from Sants. Depending where in the city you live, it's not a whole lot slower to get to the airport (especially by taxi).
Finally, if you have anything more than a carry-on bag, the AVE is lot more cumbersome.
Overall more comfortable and less stressful? Sure. But neither cheaper nor faster.