hungry

Hi All

So I have a couple of trips coming up connecting via MAD.

First one is next week flying from LHR-MAD then onto PMI. Both flights at MAD arriving and departing do so form T4, but there is only 50 minutes between them. Obviously luggage will be checked through all the way to PMI. I am guessing this won't be enough time to visit any lounge, but should I be worried about the connection being too tight?

Also do we clear immigration in MAD to arrive in PMI as domestic passenger?

On the return home, we have an hour to do the same connection in MAD, but our flight from PMI arrives on T4 and the one to LHR departs from T4S. Is this a lengthy connection? I am guessing that again due to the tight connection a lounge visit is out of the Q on the way back too in MAD?

When we get to PMI, how long beforehand is the check in desk likely to be open? We are flying on Iberia Express (Business class). And will we have lounge access at PMI? And can we use fast track security?

THEN the second trip later in the year is via MAD again to ALC. Going out we arrive from LHR at T4S and depart from T4 but we have a good long connection time of almost 2 hours. Can anyone recommend the best lounge to visit at MAD to pass the time?

On the return of that trip its again a 2 hour connection, so if anyone could let me know the best recommended lounge that will be available to use. And same Q, when we get to Alicante airport does anyone know how early the check in opens (its Air Nostrum flight)? And if we have lounge access and Fast Track security at Alicante?

Thanks so much in advance

Airprox

Looks like good questions for the Iberia forum to me.

Globaliser

As a first step, you might find some of this recent thread of use: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...ion-query.html

Note that the thread title is wrong; the OP of that thread meant SVQ - hence its relevance to your questions.

hungry

Thanks but it is BA flights from LHR-MAD on both occasions with a BAEC number

corporate-wage-slave

It is tight yes, so I don't think you'll get a lounge visit. In any case the T4 lounge is closed for the next few weeks anyway and you won't have access to any other lounge unless you have something like a Priority Pass. If you miss the flight - which is a distinct possibility - just go to the nearest IB desk and they will rebook you.

Yes, you clear immigration in T4S then take the transit to T4. You are then in Schengen and continue to be in Schengen on the service to PMI.

It's not very long, but there is a lounge open in T4S for that, more details in the Dashboard under Lounges / Europe.

Same answer regarding lounges, see the Dashboard. The check-in desk at PMI is going to be 2 or 3 hours, and 2 hours is sufficient. You have fast track, it's on the left side security area facing security, and has a special feeder channel to it.

Dashboard again for that, hopefully the lounge will be open by then, keep an eye on the Iberia forum for that. The Dashboard is this forum's main repository of information so it's worth having a look around to get farmilar with its contents.

See the lounge guide Europe in the Dashboard, it's the same as BA. And yes you have Fast Track there, not that it really matters, ALC is quite slick.

hungry

[QUOTE=corporate-wage-slave;30243309]It is tight yes, so I don't think you'll get a lounge visit. In any case the T4 lounge is closed for the next few weeks anyway and you won't have access to any other lounge unless you have something like a Priority Pass. If you miss the flight - which is a distinct possibility - just go to the nearest IB desk and they will rebook you.

. Yes, you clear immigration in T4S then take the transit to T4. You are then in Schengen and continue to be in Schengen on the service to PMI.

It's not very long, but there is a lounge open in T4S for that, more details in the Dashboard under Lounges / Europe.

.Same answer regarding lounges, see the Dashboard. The check-in desk at PMI is going to be 2 or 3 hours, and 2 hours is sufficient. You have fast track, it's on the left side security area facing security, and has a special feeder channel to it.

[QUOTE=hungry;30243224].THEN the second trip later in the year is via MAD again to ALC. Going out we arrive from LHR at T4S and depart from T4 but we have a good long connection time of almost 2 hours. Can anyone recommend the best lounge to visit at MAD to pass the time?Thanks as always. I am really hoping everything goes smoothly ! The following flight is in late November, so hopefully the T4 lounge will be open again by then. I will indeed consult the dashboard. If it wasn't open by then, could we not use the one in T4S where our BA flight from LHR arrives at, before going through immigration into T4 for the next flight to ALC?

Thanks again

Airprox

You said they arrive at T4, but BA flights LHR-MAD arrive at T4S, so either you are flying on IB or you have to do the T4S to T4 train.

BA6501

If you are on a BA LHR-MAD flight, you will not arrive in T4 but T4S. In which case you have an illegal connection, as MCT T4S-T4 is 55 minutes.

corporate-wage-slave

No, that's not allowed, you can only use the T4S lounge if departing T4S. Plus it will be awkward for you to get to anyway.

hungry

I thought it was a BA flight, but apparently not, my bad. Ive checked the itinerary and outward its deffo T4 arrival and departure, but return back to London its T4 arrival from PMI, and T4S departure to LHR. Thats the one with 1 hr connection!

hungry

Thanks at least that saves a wasted effort trying. Just fingers crossed the IB T4 lounge is open by then...

Out of interest, if arriving at T4 to connect to flight back to UK from T4S, could one choose to use the T4 lounge, or go through and use the T4S one? Or same rules apply disallowing such a visit?

Globaliser

It look like it's Tuesday 2 October, from what the OP says, as this is the only 50-minute connection all week that I can see:-
BA510 ops IB LHR-MAD 1135-1500
BA7174 ops I2 MAD-PMI 1550-1715

If that is right, then neither is a BA flight, and both are at T4 not T4S.

Airprox

The T4S lounge is much better than the T4 one, so even if the rules allowed it, I'm not sure why you would want to. Perhaps if someone in your party was on a separate flight from T4 maybe.

corporate-wage-slave

Same rules, and you wouldn't want to do that anyway, you would want to get to the correct terminal ASAP because of all the variables, and in any case T4S is the better lounge.

hungry

Thats the one !

Thanks everyone, for all the help and tips. I feel a little less anxious about the short connections and trips now. Madrid is not an airport I am familiar with, only transited through once (with a much longer connection time).