Iberia Airlines transfer / Madrid airport

That is enough time; if the first flight is late causing you too miss the connection Iberia will just put you on the next available at no cost. The shorter layover you probably found had the lower price.

It did and also the other layovers were very long...over 8 hours. Thank you!

Are they both Schengen Zone flights? If so, that should be plenty of time, like a domestic flight in the US.

If one of them is NOT Schengen (from somewhere out of Europe including the UK, any country that is not in the Schengen area), then you will have to go through immigration (if entering Schengen) or passport control (if exiting Schengen).

Yes, departing JFK to Venice, Italy with a 1 hour and 15 minute layover in Madrid. Both flights are via Iberia air ou5 of terminal 4.

Returning flight is Rome thru London Heathrow with a 1 hour layover. Both returning flights are via British Airways.

Plan on carrying our luggage on both flights.

Yes, departing JFK to Venice, Italy with a 1 hour and 15 minute layover in Madrid. Both flights are via Iberia air ou5 of terminal 4.

Well, then that means you have to go through immigration in Madrid. And for all intents and purposes, they are in different terminals The JFK flight will land in Terminal 4S. The flight to Venice will leave from Terminal 4. There is a shuttle train connecting the two. T4+T4S is huge - it does take some time to get between the two.

I did a similar connection last May: flew from the US to Madrid and connected to an Iberia flight to Lisbon. Same as you: into T4S, out of T4. I had about two hours. My inbound flight was on time, and I had plenty of time (Flight to Madrid was early and no big lines at immigration). 1:15 would probably be doable but tight. I assume this is all on one ticket? If so, at least Iberia would put you on the next flight to Venice if you miss your connection. When is the next one? That's what I always ask in cases like this.

Be prepared to check your hand bags for the flight to Venice at the gate. When I got to the gate to my Iberia flight to Lisbon, they made everyone check any bag that wasn't tiny. My Iberia coach seat on the plane to Lisbon was also the smallest seat pitch I've ever been on in a commercial jet, making a Southwest Airlines seat feel like first class.

Yes, this is all on one ticket. I read on their web site that there is a shuttle train between the two and it takes about 3 min. Hopefully planes will be on time or early....or second leg will be a little late!

Why do we have to pass thru customers if not leaving terminals?

If they make us check bags than at least our bags will get there on time....

Yeah, once you are ON the train, it takes about three minutes - sounds about right. But you have to walk a long way just to get there. (Hint: when you see the long escalators up or down just to get to the trains...take the ELEVEATORS instead! They are a lot faster!)

And - how long will the line be at immigration? I did the opposite connection the way back: a Schengen flight from Porto to Madrid, then a non-Schengen flight back to the US. Lines at passport control to leave were really long, and two hours was barely enough time for me for the connection that time. I can easily imagine the long lines in the other direction - but I was lucky upon arrival. What if you have to wait a half hour just to get through immigration? And then go through security again? Remember, you have to be at your gate for the Venice flight a few minutes before departure...

Well, we will have to live with it. Just wondering why they would schedule connecting flights that make it hard to make your connecting flight....

Also, don’t they have any overhead storage for carryons?

Just wondering why they would schedule connecting flights that make it hard to make your connecting flight....

Now you both are overthinking creating unnecessary stress; the airline that is in business for long time at their hub airport has the data that shows that this is not a difficult connection and what happened to one person may not happen to the other.

I wouldn't stress out over this connection. You will probably make it. Just don't dwell. Hurry off the plane to immigration, unless you arrive early like my flight did. Be aware of your time.

I'm not trying to scare you, just trying to set your expectations. I don't want you to think it's a 3 minute train ride and nothing else to get between gates. Be prepared for some walking and some lines.

Have you already purchased the air tickets? What website are you looking at?

I picked a random date in May for JFK-MAD-VCE, and see at least 8 choices ( all the same price) that have varying layover times in MAD. ( this on the Iberia site)

There is more choice than the 75 minute or 8 hour times you mention.

You will be changing planes.

Also, don’t they have any overhead storage for carryons?

Yes they do but what you'll find with a lot of intra European flights is that most people take a carryon to avoid paying the fees for checked luggage. Aircraft are not designed to accommodate such numbers of luggage and you can guarantee that there will not be enough room for everyone's bags.

Also, don’t they have any overhead storage for carryons?

What prompted this question?

An above statement said they make you check your bags. We will each be carrying on standard carryon soft sided, back pack style bag.

I used an agrrwgaror to purchase the tix...not thru the airlines itself.

We’ve transferred a couple of times via Madrid, and the first time we missed our flight because we had to transfer terminals. I’m not a fan of Madrid airport!

An above statement said they make you check your bags. We will each be carrying on standard carryon soft sided, back pack style bag.

Airline staff will only make you check your bags if there is insufficient room in the cabin or if the bags are not within the permitted size dimensions. It's worth checking out what the allowance is for carryon luggage as not all airlines are the same and therefore there is no 'standard' carryon.

Airline staff will only make you check your bags if there is insufficient room in the cabin or if the bags are not within the permitted size dimensions.

When was the last time you flew Iberia within Europe?

I flew them twice in May between Madrid and Portugal, on Airbus jets with plenty of room in the overhead bins and was hassled on both flights to check bags.

My 22" roller bag fits vertically in the overhead bins of these Airbus jets. I've never been asked to check it before on a European airline - even on prop planes (like airBaltic) I have been able to carry it on - on prop planes you either leave it on a cart as you board the plane (and retrieve it on the way off) or they can put it inside the plane in a closet. I've been able to carry this bag on on Croatia airlines, Air France, KLM, airBaltic, FinnAir, and others within Europe.

Not Iberia - they made everyone check bags on the flight from Madrid to Lisbon. So I put my big camera bag, which I normally put under the seat in front of me, in the overhead bin instead. Checking my bag didn't save much room in the bins if any.

On the way from Porto back to Lisbon, they measured bags carefully and hassled people whose bags did not fit exactly in the "fit your bag in here" bins. I managed to persuade the agent to let me keep mine, as I was connecting in Madrid to an international flight home to the US. They weren't even using computer-tracked check tags: just hand-written tags. Good luck finding a lost bag with one of those!

When was the last time you flew Iberia within Europe?

My wife and children flew with them recently and they weren't required to check their bags.

I never flew Iberia Air. Only most major airlines in the US, Air Lingus, Air France and Air Italia.

We will be using carry on size, soft sided, backpack/suitcases.

I prefer to have bags with me for two reasons:
1: After purchasing ticket I realized bags were not included, thus an extra expense; and
2: More importantly, if by chance we miss our connecting flight we will have our bags with us and not at the lost and found

in Venice.

I've read (on Iberia's website) that 1 hour 15 min should be enough time to off board and catch our next flight. Assuming our arrival is on time. I purchased via an aggregator web site, however, the same flight is offered on Iberia's site so I would assume it makeable or why would they sell it together.

Any additional advise is greatly appreciated as I tend to worry....lol!