cooksey87

Hi,

We're flying into Madrid next Thursday evening on KLM, arriving at 11.25pm. We then have a BA flight back to London at 7.20am the next morning.

We've got a booking at a hotel near the airport, but as it's such a short time, I was wondering if we could cancel that. The Iberia lounge appears to be open 24 hours and has a 'rest area' with what looks like beds/couches (flying economy but both silver BA). The only stumbling block is getting airside... We have checked baggage, so we need to collect it from the KLM flight, go through immigration then check it back in. The last BA codeshare flight leaves at 12.35am.

So my question (after a rambling story) is, would that give us enough time to check our bags in (we would already have our mobile boarding passes), and would they even let us do that for a flight the next morning? Any ideas appreciated! Would save us a few quid in hotel and transport, for what would be about 5 hours in the hotel.

corporate-wage-slave

If it was AMS-MAD, you arrive airside in Schengen, there is a passport check when you get to the T4 Satellite. So you could go to the T4S lounge if you wanted, and indeed there is a snooze area in darkness at the back of the lounge. You would need a boarding pass or App version to get in to the lounge (they also ask for a boarding pass at passports in MAD). The problem would be the luggage: if HBO there's no problem. If you do need to recheck luggage at MAD then you're stuffed since BA (or rather their dedicated IB agent team) won't be open then. If it's one ticket you can through check.

I've made a few assumptions above (e.g. you start your trip in AMS) so by all means revert with specifics for a more specific reply.

LupineChemist

Since you arrive on KL, you will arrive at T3 and will have to get your luggage there. Then take a landside bus to T4 where you will have to check in again.

I honestly don't know if check in is open at that point though there is a 0:55 to LAD and you should be able to find someone.

Worst case scenario, the left luggage office is 24 hours and you can come back in a few hours for the check-in. To get to the Velázquez lounge, you'll have to go through security and take the train where you'll go through a passport control at T4S and then up an escalator with the lounge right in front of the duty free.

BA6501

The BA desk have dedicated staff (yes, even though they are IB). The last BA flight is the 465 to LHR around 21:00, and check-in closes 55 minutes before.

I very much doubt other IB staff present will be able to check your bags on the BA flight. Are you sure you are not on an IB operated flight to London? The only pre-10:50am BA flight is the 07:30 or so to LCY.

Anyway, by the time you disembark, collect your bags and take the transfer over to T4 check-in for the LAD flight will have closed - with likely no IB check-in staff left in sight.

If your bags are tagged through then it is not a problem. Otherwise, indeed you'll have to wait till the next morning.

cooksey87

Thanks for the replies. I am indeed flying into T3 from AMS on KLM and then out of T4 with BA on the 7.30 to LCY. Baggage won't be checked all the way through due to that. So I guess between collecting baggage and terminal change, it's not gonna happen!

I might give it a go anyway, as nothing to lose beyond a slight delay in getting to the hotel. All a bit of a pain though; thought I'd come up with a great plan for a minute there..

LupineChemist

The LCY flight leaves out of T4 Main rather than T4S so you wouldn't have access to the Velázquez lounge. I'd just get an airport hotel in this case, you can get a room for around 50€

BA6501

Can't believe I forgot about that!

The Dalí lounge does not have a relaxation area - and more importantly is not open 24 hours.

cooksey87

Thanks all, we'll stick with a hotel then. Any idea what time bag drop will open in the morning for the 7.30 flight?

Lost-in-Space

I often take the first IB flight of the day to LHR, which leaves around 0700, so have been checking in with IB around 0530. I would imagine the BA check-in for the LCY flight must open around 0530 (??), but have never used it that early so cant be sure.

If I remember correctly the Dali lounge in T4 (main T4, as stated above you don't depart from T4S) doesn't open til 0630, so you may be able to grab a quick breakfast. Keep in mind that the BA LCY flights leave from the non-Schengen part of T4 (the low-number H gates) which are at the far South end of T4, so a bit of hike from the central area where you pass through security and where the lounge is. You do passport control at the entrance to the non-Schengen area.

Fast Track security doesn't open til 0700 I think so you'll need to use main security. T4 main security is quite well organised and quiet quick, especially so early in the morning.

The BA check-in is near the north end of T4, so when being dropped off ask the taxi/bus to head almost to the end of the drop off zone outside the terminal. There are signs in the drop-off zone for each airline, easy to spot.

T4 airside is over 1,100m long, so be ready for some long walks!

Check that you ARE departing from T4. Occasionally flights you think will use T4 are moved to T4S, so best to be sure!

samthemainman

I travel out of MAD almost every week on a connection from VLC.... and for me the whole T4 and T4S thing can be needlessly confusing for the uninitiated, even though I do really like the airport. They are both strictly speaking T4, although the gates of M, R, S & U are in the satellite buildings of T4 known as T4S. You still always need to bag drop/checkin at T4 regardless. T4S works like the B and C gates at T5 Heathrow - you just need to allow an extra 10-15 minutes to get there on the underground rail system airside. It's all sign posted (e.g. directions to the M, R, S, U gates) from within T4.

Generally speaking T4S is used for the larger aircraft - there is always a daily A340 or A330 flight to LHR (for passengers/cargo) and they always depart from T4S, as do the BA 767s to LHR, but most of the others in my experience (A319/320 etc) go from main T4 building.

If you do get a T4S one - the Velazquez lounge is really nice and definitely feels plusher than the Dali - but even the Dali is reasonable.

techie

To off-shoot this thread for a second, have LCY flights been moved out of T4S at some point in the past couple of years? I used to fly between LHR and MAD all the time and a colleague of mine would catch the LCY flight as we huddled in the Velásquez lounge beforehand. BA metal flights always used to go out of T4S...

Ldnn1

Apparently so - I asked the same question recently here and BA6501 confirmed it's now T4 (despite forgetting above ):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...me-madrid.html

BA6501

ib 330/340 --> t4s
ib 319/320/321 --> t4
bacf --> t4
ba --> t4s