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Help with connection times in Madrid

Hello,
I am looking at a flight from Chicago to Rome on Iberia. Flight arrives at terminal 4S and leaves from terminal 4. Is 65 minutes sufficient or is that cutting it too close? Flight arrives at 7:45 on a Saturday. My son and I hold US passports. Thanks in advance.

Best,
wvdthree

Posted by
2542 posts

I think that’s very tight. We flew Granada to Paris with a 65 minute connection on Iberia. We did not have to go through passport control, since we were staying in Shengen zone. Both of our flights were in terminal 4s. That terminal is HUGE. We walked quickly for about 20 minutes to get from gate 80ish to 40ish. When we arrived at our gate, boarding had started. We had to board a bus that took us out to the plane on the tarmac, then line up to board the plane.

Since you have to go through passport control and change terminals, that connection would make me very nervous. If your flight from Chicago is delayed, you miss your flight. I would give yourself another hour, just to be safe.

Posted by
70 posts

Thanks travel4fun, that was my gut instinct. I'll need to look elsewhere for better connections.

Posted by
11855 posts

It is a tight connection, but Iberia does sell it as a single itinerary, so it should be doable.

If you miss your 850AM flight, Iberia has another at 1120AM.

Personally I would pick the later flight and avoid the drama.
If you choose the earlier flight and miss the connection, you would be put on the later flight IF there is room

Posted by
15777 posts

I wouldn't count on it. Think of all the ways you could be delayed . . . late departure due to weather or mechanical issues or just back up on the tarmac, late arrival because of weather, back up landing or waiting for a gate, waiting to get off the plane . . . If you are checking luggage, and there's a delay, your bags are more likely to go astray as well. While the airline is happy to sell you the ticket, they may not be as eager to be helpful in Rome.