Connections - MAD vs FRA
 

Question for the road warriors. Which is better to make a USA to EU connection: MAD of FRA ?

It really depends on where you want to go in the EU....

Madrid T4 is pretty easy for connections.

Los Angeles to Brussels.

Prague to Los Angeles.

Well, there are only a couple of direct flights from Madrid-Prague, otherwise you'd have to connect again somewhere else. I imagine FRA has more regular connections to Prague so that's probably a good reason to transit via FRA instead of MAD for that route.

Brussels is much easier - Iberia have a lot of daily flights to BRU, and connecting from any flight arriving in T4 (one world, IB, AA) should be a very easy connection.

Iberia has a couple of daily flights to Prague (and more to Brussels), but their MAD-LAX is a summer route only, so depending on the dates it might be easier to fly to FRA.

The schedule works with either MAD of FRA. My refined question: Which is easier to connect international to EU. Thinking in terms of walking distance, time in security with biz class priority.

My current understanding is MAD is far less crowded than FRA. MAD security is faster than FRA. Exiting MAD 4s tram at 4 produces less walking to EU gate than walking FRA.

In that case I think MAD is better. Less crowded, nicer terminal, faster security and an easy connection in general.

Yeah, and since you go landside anyway, there isn't a massive rush at a transfer security point.

+1 For MAD was there last week and another pleasant hassle free experience.