Is one hour enough for connection at MAD?
 

Due to IB schedule change, we are now being booked by AA to the following:

BCN - MAD
1:55pm - 3:05pm

MAD - ZRH
4:10pm - 6:25pm

The alternative is to take a flight leaving BCN at 10:35am and arriving MAD 11:45am, still connect to the flight departing at 4:10pm to ZRH.

AAdvantage agent said the one hour connection time is legal, and there is flight MAD-ZRH after ours.

Anyone has experiences re connection at MAD?

If the flight arrives on time, then yes it is.

all within the new terminal = easy

Which is great but huge....

If you were connecting to the old terminal, forget it......

I did the mad dash from new to old last year with another FT'er and all I can say is...... Never again!

You have been warned.

:)

[We did it in just over an hour, but ran the whole way - I can move if pushed so this is definitely not for the faint hearted].

Reviving an old thread because it's related but involves an international inbound.... AA is giving me a 55 min conex time as "legal" - JFK-MAD-ZAG with 55 mins in MAD. I assume that I need to clear customs and go to another terminal making this near impossible not to mention it's the only flight MAD-ZAG. Any actual experience before I switch to a flight that leaves way before I want to leave with way too long a connection in MAD? ;-)

No way. I got stuck in immigration for over an hour, another pax waiting in line said this was normal after flights from the Americas lands. No way even without the need to bags after yout JFK-MAD flight.

Interestingly, the JFK-MAD flight gets into terminal 4S and the ZAG leg leaves out of 4S. So no terminal change. Does this change anything? Or would I still be insane to try? :)

First, AFAIK Croatia is not a Schengen state, so you shouldn't have to go through immigration at MAD, just transit security and BP/ID check.

Second, I can't see that tight a connection on the OW timetable. Is it AA > IB? What are the dates/times?

Third, if both flights are at T4S I can't see a huge problem; worst case is probably getting re-routed via BUD on MA if something goes sideways.

Interesting - so would I clear customs in Zagreb? I assume I need to clear *somewhere*.

It's all on IB:

IBERIA 6254 JFK New York Aug 14, 2010
08:20 PM MAD Madrid Aug 15, 2010
09:30 AM U N/A

IBERIA 3862 MAD Madrid Aug 15, 2010
10:25 AM ZAG Zagreb Aug 15, 2010
01:00 PM U N/A

OK I see it now. It's in the timetable so it's a legal connection (if it was illegal it wouldn't show.)

Yes, you'll clear passport control and customs at ZAG - your bags will be checked through. If Croatia was a Schengen member I don't think (a) the connection would be legal and (b) you'd depart from T4, not T4S, which IIRC is only for non-Schengen departures.

Interesting... never heard of the Schengen Agreement before but if them not being part of it means I can avoid a lengthy layover in MAD, I'm all for it ;-) Thanks!

Good point Gardyloo I should have checked if they were in Schengen or not!:o

The Schengen arrangement is a group of European countries that have eliminated passport control within their borders. Imagine if in the US, everytime you cross the state line having to go through passport control...