Flying to MAD - Connection Time DL to IB
 

Will be flying into MAD on DL in a couple weeks and will have approximately 3 hours to connect to a flight on IB. I am probably a little late with this question but should this be sufficient enough time to make the connection? I'll be flying in F for the Delta flight but will have a buddy with me in Y. Both have us have Y fares on our IB connection and don't have requisite OneWorld status for expedited check-in.


EDIT: Both of us will need to check bags on the IB leg and the DL flight will arrive at 8:30AM

Where is the IB flight going? Within or without schengen?

Within schengen. Domestic in Spain if that matters at all as well.

One ticket or two (for each person)?

BTW, DL doesn't fly FC into MAD. You're probably in D1, but then the Y flight on IB would mean a new fare component, or broken fare, so I suspect that you have different tickets/PNRs.

ADDED: Cancel that. Domestic IB is probably coach only, and DL does interline with IB.

Knowing whether it’s all on one ticket is key; you’ll need to clear immigration at Madrid

Two tickets, and yes its D1 just interchanging that terminology with FC.

Separate tickers means you are not connecting.

DL won't rebook you if it is late and IB won't either (unless you have a fully flexible fare) if you miss it's flight.

Without a proper connection DL you are also looking at DL not interlining your bags to IB and so that means collecting them and the time it takes to do that

You say you have 3 hours. Have you allowed for the IB bag drop cut off time?

Because you will not be connecting, you bear 100% of the risk of a no show on the IB flight. A good chance that if you no show, your IB ticket will be cancelled and will have no value (but check the fare rules for your ticket to be certain). This leaves you in the position of purchasing new IB tickets.

Thus, only you can determine your risk tolerance. Yes, you can make this transfer, including clearing passport control, customs, check-in for IB (bag check), exit and security for IB. But, if your DL flight is late for any reason by a significant amount of time, you are SOL as DL's job is to get you to MAD and IB has no responsibility if you are late.

This would be incorrect

https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...e-policy-.html

Sounds a bit tight to me. You need to enter Schengen, collect your bags and recheck them for the IB flight, then go through security again. Possible, but not ideal. The real problem will be on the return. How much time have you left there? The price of a new one-way flight back to the US will be expensive.

I wouldn’t risk this itinerary. Your DL flight arrives in T1 and your IB flight departs T4. The terminals are not close to each other; you’ll need to catch a shuttle between them. 3hr is really tight, especially with checked baggage.

I am fully aware of this. Unfortunately with my destination and my itinerary this was the most viable option for me or I would have to wait another day to travel.

My question is more or less in line with people who travel MAD quite frequently. How is getting through immigration in T1 in the morning? How long should that typically take especially sitting in the front of the plane? How is the security at T4 to get through in the afternoon for a flight?

DL will interline with IB https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...nts--iet-.html

But they won't interline bags on a separate ticket.

That is what I was referring to. OP said he had separate tickets.

Commute time is 10 minutes between your two terminals and that's not counting the waiting on the bus time. I would figure it's a minimum of 30 minutes in real world.

So… you have to get off the plane, through immigration and pick up your luggage. Even if you are in in F assume this will take a minimum of hour based on my experience at MAD flying in Business. (plus your friend is in Y..so….) It's pretty busy there in the morning. Then 30 minutes to connect over to 4 (The bus is never there and the 10 minutes the airport suggests seems optimistic to me, that shuttle was a nightmare). I think you are looking at 2 hours to get to T4.

Good Luck