ChiefNWA

Alright I'm just making sure I have enough time to get back to the gate. Seeing it's just a security check I should be fine. Do you know if there will be anywhere during the transfer I can print my boarding pass (separate reservation)?

Rhona Friggieri

Hi, I will be traveling (with hand luggage only) from Malta to Madrid Terminal 1 and my flight lands at 8.35pm. I then need to take another flight leaving from the same Terminal and which leaves at 9.25pm. Do you think this is doable? Or am I risking losing the 2nd flight? Thanks

Koby

This depends on: is your 2nd flight also a Schengen flight? What are the airlines, and do you have one ticket or two? Will you be checked in already for the 2nd flight? Do you have luggage? And can you check the luggage through?

If this is a "normal" connection (i.e. you're checked in and your luggage will be checked through there is no problem whatsoever.)

lkar

Still a bit confused on Non schengen to MAD to UK connections. Although this is non schengen to non schengen, it appears that IB flights to the UK are out of terminal 4 not 4S.

So, my itinerary is USA-MAD on IB. Then I have a separate ticket MAD to LHR. What will happen in MAD? Can I stay in the non schengen zone or does the move to terminal 4 necessitate entering Spain/Schengen?

I can book my MAD - LHR ticket on either IB or BA. Would this make a difference?

David-A

The whole of T4 (main) area is schengen cleared itself. T4(S) the sattelite has an upstairs departures level that is non-schengen and a small downstairs departures level that is schengen cleared.

Regarding BA and IB flights between MAD and LHR:
The flights operated by BA go from T4(S) upstairs, non-schengen.
The flights operated by IB mostly go from T4(main) which is schengen. [There is 1 IB operated flight a day that is done using a large widebody aircraft going from T4(S)]

As you know the UK is not part of the Schengen area.

A small number of the gates in T4(Main) have police control posts right by the gate, this enables Spain to fulfil her schengen area obligations and check people out (and in) at the gate. (It is a schengen area requirment that you exit check as well as entry check).

These gates in T4(main) are only really suitable for the UK or Ireland flights, as they are INSIDE the European Customs and VAT area. Because these control points at the gate are for imigration only, not customs, they could not be used for arrivals from places outside the customs/VAT area. [T4(main) has a common level for arrivals and departures, unlike T4(S)]

Note that BA and IB are partners and code-share on each others flights, so what matters is who OPERATES the flight, not which code you book it under.

So, if you book an IB *operated* flight (except the one widebody a day) then it will go from T4(main).
You will arrive at T4(S) from the USA, you will need to pass though imigration and enter the Schengen area, you will also personally pass through customs, go through a personal security seach point (as you have not been security screen in Europe) to catch your flight from the T4(main) terminal. You will go through a trival schegnen exit check (more of a witness) at the gate as you board.

If you book a BA *operated* flight:
You will arrive into T4(S) arrivals level, you should be able to transfer to the T4(S) non-schengen departures level by following signs to that gate area and having your proof of onward flight.
You will go through a personal security check as you change levels, becuase you have not been security screen in Europe, but you will not pass through imigration, nor customs.
You will not enter schengen.

If you book the 1 IB Widebody:
The same (as BA) should be true for the one IB widebody a day, which goes from T4(S). Both BA and IB use one widebody a day on the route to be able to transfer large cargo items between their two hubs for onward travel. While BA have 767 aircraft in both longhaul and shorthaul configs (in terms of seats) and usually use the correct shorthaul config, IB only have widebodies in longhaul config! As a result, if you fly on the IB widebody, you will get a longhaul configured aircraft. If you are in business class this is a nice result.

Checked in hold baggage:
Regardless of which flight you pick, you should be able to have your bags tagged in the USA all the way through to LHR. You will not need to see them again until London where they will appear on the belt with all other bags from your MAD flight. However their luggage tags will not have green edges, so you will have to use the Green or Red customs channel at LHR (as appropriate) if you had begun your journey inside the European customs area, you would have green tags and you can use the Blue exit.
However in practice this makes no difference, UK customs are 'intelligence' and 'risk' lead. They watch and will only stop to inspect thouse they want to. Presence varies with the arrivial of 'high risk' flights (or intelligence).

Make sure you get the bags tagged all the way to LHR. Some USA agents apparently are un familiar with this, as the USA makes people walk bags through customs at first arrival point.
You can have them tagged though, even though on separate tickets.

lkar

Very helpful. Thanks David. So, it seems like the easier of the options would be either to fly on BA metal or on the one IB widebody.

David-A

Yes.

Some other differences:

Lounge:
The upstairs lounge in T4(S) for non schengen is the better lounge. It is mostly geared up for serving longhaul passengers. Better selection, more calm. Runway/appron views.

The lougne in T4(main) is up in the roof rafters. Now that does give you a nice upclose look at the amazing roof - T4/T4(S) won lots of architecture praise and prizes for design. It is a great roof to look at in both terminals from inisde.
- However the lounge gets lots of people doing shorthaul racing thorugh it, and the offering is geared accordingly.

[Although not relevant here, the third IB lounge - in T4(S) downstairs (schengen) is bizarre, a bit like a sleep control experiment, with no windows!]

Catering - if in economy:
Iberia is a buy-on-board service for food and drink in shorthual economy. This is true regardless of whether it is the widebody or not.
BA shorthaul gives free snack and drinks (and this includes alcohol, which surprises some Americans apparently). Note it is just a basic snack (For distance band 3, it is a filled roll/sandwich/wrap currently, MAD is distance band 2 but I can't recal what you currently get in economy on band 2 right now.) Snack offering is adjusted to time of day.
If in business class, I do rate BA shorthaul business catering and service miles AHEAD of IB shorthual business catering and service, BUT I know I'm in a minority on FT, including in the BA section.
In economy, if you expect to want something substantial, at least with IB you can buy it, but if you just want a drinks round and a small snack for your quick 2 hour flight, on BA metal it is free.

lkar

David -- again, very helpful. Do you have any sense of the likelihood of the widebody IB flight being subject to an equipment swap at the last minute, or if one books it, is it usually safe that it will say the same? (I understand that may be a bit esoteric of a question, but seem to know a lot about the subject.)

David-A

I've not been following it well enough to know how guaranteed it is.

The plan is that the widebodies fly the route once a day for cargo belly reasons, linking IAGs too primary hubs of MAD(IB) and LHR(BA).

Now, if IB needed a longhaul aircraft urgently due to something else going tech, logically they might pull it off this route if the cargo demands don't require it that day (either direction).

But I really havn't been following it well enough.

sigma421

Just to clarify here Madrid on BA is Band 3 which means a filled (cold) breakfast croissant at breakfast time and a filled wrap (generally from Urban Eat) at other times.

David-A

Quite right!

But it was on distance Band 3A, rather than 3B - before they were recently merged together. Despite the merging of 3A and 3B I was still thinking MAD was 'one shorter', hence I called it 2, oops.

There was a distinct (IMO) step down between 3B down to shorter 3A which I would always notice as a 3B regular.

But now they are merged together its fine.

batoras

Hi,need some help on this on please: arriving from Las Palmas to Madrid
have stay there for 7 hours until my flight to London Stansted
Do i go to main terminal and wait there or i can go to VIP lounge and wait there?
Any immigration or customs involved if i go to VIP lounge?
I hold EU passport and my flight to London is from the same terminal 1
In VIP lounge max stay is 3 hours?is this correct?i need to stay 6...
Thank you.

Palal

Why not go into the city center for your 7 hour layover? Which airline(s) are you flying?

Palal

BTW. to add a connection data point. connected TAM>TAP (T1>T2) booked as two tickets. The connection time was only 60 mins (less than MCT) but I booked it anyway. The TAM flight arrived something like 40 mins early and I had about an hour to kill before boarding of the TAP flight. Could have easily made it if I checked bags.

DrinkRaiderade

So in August, I (US passport) am flying LAX->LHR->MAD->SVQ

The LAX to LHR segment is on BA, while the LHR->MAD->SVQ segments are ticketed by BA but operated by IB (This is all on one ticket) So what procedure will I follow for connecting in Madrid from a non-schengen (LHR) airport to a domestic Spain (Schengen) airport (SVQ) My itinerary only indicates that I will arrive and depart from T4. Can any of you provide clarification? I will do this all in reverse a few weeks later...