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I'm confused--US flights to Spain, Then An Intra-Spain Flight

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So, we fly from the US to Barcelona (a chance to use "si us plau!), then a four hour layover before flying to Madrid, all on Iberia (though the US to Barcelona leg says "Operated by Iberia for Level Spain, whereas the Barcelona to Madrid leg just says "Iberia"). In Barcelona, will we be required to gather our checked luggage, exit the secure area through customs and immigration, then re-enter and go through domestic luggage check-in and security again? Maybe our bags will be shipped straight through, but we must go from an international are to a domestic area with the attendant immigration/security check again? Or maybe we never leave the secure area, but must go through immigration/customs? Or...what? FWIW, both arrival and departure in Barcelona are Terminal 1.

And, another oddity. When I later added reserved seating to the US to Barcelona leg (not gonna worry about assigned seating for the <1.5 hour flight from Barcelona to Madrid), the charge was in SEK! (Swedish Krona) What's that about?

Posted by
10344 posts

This sounds odd. Have you called the airline? Knowing if baggage will be handled is esp. important.

Posted by
8889 posts

Your bags should be checked through to Madrid. Check this when you hand them over at your departure airport.

In Barcelona, you will go through immigration (passport check).
Immigration comes before baggage pick-up, don't go there, instead follow connections signs for your flight to Madrid. This will probably involve security.

In Madrid, after you pick up your bags, you are supposed to go through the green "Nothing to Declare" exit instead of the blue "Intra-EU" exit which most of the passengers from your flight will take. Your luggage labels will identify your bags as from outside the EU and thus subject to customs.
However all that is just a technicality, customs is a random stop only, 95%+ are not stopped, just walk through the green door.

The SEK I can't explain.

Posted by
11837 posts

And, another oddity. When I later added reserved seating to the US to Barcelona leg ,...... the charge was in SEK! (Swedish Krona) What's that about?

Was this on the Iberia website?

Posted by
129 posts

Thanks for the responses to date!

Kent--I will call the airline, but first I wanted to turn to the experienced folks here so as to have some ideas about what the facts/expectations might be so my conversation with Iberia is "productive". I do dread a conversation with someone for whom English might be a second language, ala computer tech support. ;«) I've got nine months, so plenty of time to get this straight.

Chris F--Your expectations are pretty much was I expect regarding the luggage being shipped straight through (the booking implied that), though I ended up wondering about US baggage and how it could not be presented upon arrival in a foreign country. I guess most countries trust security and baggage screening at the departing airport and then count on customs/immigration to pick up other "things of interest" when travelers present themselves?

Joe32F--Yep, Iberia web site. Steee-range, no?

Posted by
4087 posts

It may ease your mind, at least a little, to know that Level airline and Iberia are siblings, both part of International Airlines Group. Level is intended to compete in the long-flight discount market. Its roll-out has been fairly slow. But you are flying on an Iberia-operated airplane anyhow. Wikipedia says this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_(airline_brand)

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