Has anyone traveled through the Madrid Airport recently?

I’ll be flying into Madrid next week from Chicago. Yes, the new EES system has started. There is no
way to predict how long it will take. Passport control is always unpredictable. Can be 5 minutes or 2 hours.

I'm trying to decide whether to book a connecting flight on Iberia to Granada with 3 hours between flights

Will this be a separately booked/ticketed flight ?

Any checked bags?

Yes, separately booked. Carry on only from the US, but will have to check our bag for Iberia.

Do you know if your flight arrives at Terminal 4 or Terminal 4S? My flight from the US arrives in Terminal 4S. That will then involve an additional step of taking the train to Terminal 4, where passport control is located.

Hmmmm- Carrie, I will have to search for that as I don't know. It will be on American Air if that helps.

So, everything I can find just says Terminal 4. However it looks like Iberia might be in T4 or T4S.

Will you be able to gate check your bags, or will you have to leave the secured area to drop them and then go through security to get to the next flight?

Will weather at your US origin be a potential problem for when you will be flying?

I think EES is the least of your issues, not to say its a non-issue, but I see other factors that could have a greater likelihood of impacting your travel to/through Madrid airport.

Thanks Joe, but I have no idea on flight delays or weather issues at the end of April (hopefully none). Basically, it sounds like you are saying that 3 hours is not enough time to make a connection at the Madrid airport. Do I understand you correctly?

I think you'll be fine.

We just flew in there last week and the EES system was not activated. We breezed through customs.

I can't tell you both Madrid, but I came through this morning in Barcelona and had no wait.