May 17, 2015, 1:42 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
This is the archive of old and obsolete posts about the Iberia / oneworld lounges at MAD / Madrid Barajas International Airport. Please follow the discussion in MAD / Madrid Barajas Int'l. Airport Iberia / oneworld Lounges (master thread)
Thank you,
AA Fora Moderation Team
Thank you,
AA Fora Moderation Team
ARCHIVE: MAD / Madrid Barajas oneworld and Iberia Lounges (consolidated)
Mar 8, 2010, 10:42 am
#61
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
Weird, to me they look beatiful and new! Hope this ends before the world cup in june/july, as I will be back to reposition myself to fly to JNB and I have a 7 hour layoff in MAD.
The relaxations room after a well deserved Melía bath shower is what I call a nice way of starting a trip. If someone is flying out of MAD, please let us know how this affects the lounges in T4 and T4S.
The relaxations room after a well deserved Melía bath shower is what I call a nice way of starting a trip. If someone is flying out of MAD, please let us know how this affects the lounges in T4 and T4S.
Mar 8, 2010, 10:49 am
#62
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage, Hyatt Gold Passport
Posts: 77
Mar 8, 2010, 11:49 am
#63
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 463
If I remember correctly, didn't they just recently finish renovating their MAD lounges?
Edit: here's an article on 7/22/09 about it.
Edit: here's an article on 7/22/09 about it.
Mar 9, 2010, 6:10 am
#65
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: too far from the airport
Posts: 3,298
How long is the wait at security for US-bound flights now? Hopefully the wait time have improved (we have a MAD-ORD in less than a month).
Mar 9, 2010, 10:18 am
#66
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
I just love the T4S lounge, specially because while having my salmon omellete, I can enjoy the amazing view of aircrafts passing by either to or from the runway.
Mar 9, 2010, 11:34 am
#67
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Den Haag
Programs: AA PLT, 1MM, Global Entry, UA GLD, TSA PRE
Posts: 572
Nice, I will be yet another with a long layover in MAD waiting to head down to JNB, flight leaving at 1:30am on June 10th. Anyone else going to be lounging there on the afternoon of the 9th?
Apr 26, 2010, 2:42 pm
#68
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: LAN, AA, SPG
Posts: 1,965
Sorry, I read through the whole thread but not sure of something: I will arrive at MAD from Chile (flying LAN in J) with an onward ticket to Athens (IB in J). Will this force me into the Schengen area so that I can not access the Velasquez lounge? Somebody please tell me I am lucky and departures to Greece go out of the other area.
OH ---- I put this here because I booked this trip using AA miles.
OH ---- I put this here because I booked this trip using AA miles.
Apr 26, 2010, 3:29 pm
#69
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
The answer is YES, it will force you into T4 (Schengen) as you will not be able to enter T4S departures after arriving from SCL, because you will be sent to Immigration and then to the train. T4S is only for conecting flights to Non-Schengen countries (if you were flying to London, then you would be able). But the other IB lounges are also excelent, so you still can get into a lounge and eat something before flying to Greece.
Apr 26, 2010, 3:42 pm
#70
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: LAN, AA, SPG
Posts: 1,965
Thanks!
The answer is YES, it will force you into T4 (Schengen) as you will not be able to enter T4S departures after arriving from SCL, because you will be sent to Immigration and then to the train. T4S is only for conecting flights to Non-Schengen countries (if you were flying to London, then you would be able). But the other IB lounges are also excelent, so you still can get into a lounge and eat something before flying to Greece.
Apr 26, 2010, 5:51 pm
#71
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: AUS
Programs: AA EXP/OW Emerald
Posts: 352
There were about 8 rows of standard airport seats with movable ropes around them, 2 AAgents checking passports, tickets, and asking the standard "have your bags been with you..." questions - 15 seconds max. Then there were two security folks taking random people (maybe 1 every 10) to do a 5 min search of carry on belongings. Nothing like what was previously described on FT.
Also, after a little initial "gate lice" confusion, the AAgents got a priority access lane set up too, so those with status went right to the front of the line.
Regarding lounges, we experienced the Dali lounge in T4 for our domestic connection, and the Velazquez lounge in T4S for coming back to the US. Although food was better in Velazquez, the design of Dali was really something else! It even has a water feature and a darkened rest area.
Jun 23, 2010, 9:02 am
#72
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA Explat, UA 1K
Posts: 389
Ah, okay, now I understand. What you propose is not easily possible either, because MAD is set up for sterile international arrivals as well. You will be fed off the plane into an isolated corridor, not the non-Schengen departures area where the lounge is located. So, when you arrive at MAD, unless you are already holding a connecting boarding pass to a non-Schengen destination and want to stay in the airport, you are required to go through passport control and be dumped out in the public terminal. From there, you can go downtown.
In short, you cannot get to the Velásquez lounge upon non-Schengen arrival unless you already have an onward non-Schengen boarding pass (to circumvent passport control), in which case you would detour to a special security checkpoint and then be let into the departures area. But once you are in that area, you cannot get back to the immigration arrivals to enter Spain.
It's a nuisance. Frankly, it's must better set up at FRA, where some international arrivals are dumped into the non-Schengen departures area, so you can visit airside lounges before proceeding through entry passport control. But that seems to be an older model (mixing departing and arriving international passengers), and is not done at MAD.
In short, you cannot get to the Velásquez lounge upon non-Schengen arrival unless you already have an onward non-Schengen boarding pass (to circumvent passport control), in which case you would detour to a special security checkpoint and then be let into the departures area. But once you are in that area, you cannot get back to the immigration arrivals to enter Spain.
It's a nuisance. Frankly, it's must better set up at FRA, where some international arrivals are dumped into the non-Schengen departures area, so you can visit airside lounges before proceeding through entry passport control. But that seems to be an older model (mixing departing and arriving international passengers), and is not done at MAD.
You are saying that it's impossible to enter immigration arrivals after entering the Velasquez lounge / non-Schengen departure sterile area (for a onwards connecting international flight)?
Surly, there must be a way for passengers to renter the country after having gone through passport control (what if a passenger felt sick and decided to skip the flight)?
Specifically, in my situation, I have a 15 hour layover in MAD. I'm arriving from the US and continuing on an Iberia international flight. Ideally, I'd be able to go to the lounge, freshen up, proceed into Madrid for the day, and finally return to the lounge before my late night flight.
What would you suggest I do to make this possible?
Also, I asked earlier but I didn't get a response. Does anyone know if the lounge would allow me to leave a bag there until I return?
Thanks.
Jun 23, 2010, 10:11 am
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
Sorry to respond so late, my trip is upcoming and I was re-reading your post and realized I misunderstood you.
You are saying that it's impossible to enter immigration arrivals after entering the Velasquez lounge / non-Schengen departure sterile area (for a onwards connecting international flight)?
Surly, there must be a way for passengers to renter the country after having gone through passport control (what if a passenger felt sick and decided to skip the flight)?
Specifically, in my situation, I have a 15 hour layover in MAD. I'm arriving from the US and continuing on an Iberia international flight. Ideally, I'd be able to go to the lounge, freshen up, proceed into Madrid for the day, and finally return to the lounge before my late night flight.
What would you suggest I do to make this possible?
Also, I asked earlier but I didn't get a response. Does anyone know if the lounge would allow me to leave a bag there until I return?
Thanks.
You are saying that it's impossible to enter immigration arrivals after entering the Velasquez lounge / non-Schengen departure sterile area (for a onwards connecting international flight)?
Surly, there must be a way for passengers to renter the country after having gone through passport control (what if a passenger felt sick and decided to skip the flight)?
Specifically, in my situation, I have a 15 hour layover in MAD. I'm arriving from the US and continuing on an Iberia international flight. Ideally, I'd be able to go to the lounge, freshen up, proceed into Madrid for the day, and finally return to the lounge before my late night flight.
What would you suggest I do to make this possible?
Also, I asked earlier but I didn't get a response. Does anyone know if the lounge would allow me to leave a bag there until I return?
Thanks.
Frankly, given the length of your layover, having bags, etc... I'd check out date rates for MAD airport hotels rather than dealing w/all of this.
Jun 23, 2010, 10:12 am
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
Probably a little late, but the wife and I left MAD last week and there was basically no additional security for US-bound flights, despite the announcement every 30 minutes over the airport PA about US-bound passengers arriving to the gate 1.5 hours before departure (which I followed much to the objection of my other half who didn't want to leave the lounge).
There were about 8 rows of standard airport seats with movable ropes around them, 2 AAgents checking passports, tickets, and asking the standard "have your bags been with you..." questions - 15 seconds max. Then there were two security folks taking random people (maybe 1 every 10) to do a 5 min search of carry on belongings. Nothing like what was previously described on FT.
There were about 8 rows of standard airport seats with movable ropes around them, 2 AAgents checking passports, tickets, and asking the standard "have your bags been with you..." questions - 15 seconds max. Then there were two security folks taking random people (maybe 1 every 10) to do a 5 min search of carry on belongings. Nothing like what was previously described on FT.
Jun 23, 2010, 10:45 am
#75
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA Explat, UA 1K
Posts: 389
I'm more interested in whether it's possible to enter arrivals immigration (to enter Spain) once I'm in the non-Schengen departure area.