budg

I am first time traveler to Spain, going on AA from MIA to MAD then connecting to AA/Iberia (operated) MAD to BCN (final destination - Barcelona). I know my luggage will be checked all the way through to Barcelona, or so I have been told. While I have 2 hours for the connection in Madrid, do I have to go through immigration there, collect my luggage and re-check it, etc. or something else? Thanks for the advice!

budg

Topping.... anyone? I land @ 8:45am on AA from MIA to MAD and then continue on AA/IB codeshare (IB plane) to Barcelona @ 10:45am. I've been checking and lately the AA flight is arriving around 9:20am. I am in business so should get off the plane fairly quickly, but do I just go through customs, there, bags all the way through, do I have to reclaim, will I have enough time for connection? ARriving @ T4s and continuing on IB out of T4. Thanks!

flanneruk

The standard practice in Europe with codeshares is you go through Immigration when you first land at the Common Travel Area concerned (in this case Madrid)

Your bags, separately, go straight through to your final destination, you first see them there (ie Barcelona), and that's where you discover practically no-one is troubled in Europe by Customs officers.

Not every airport runs exactly this way, but it scarcely matters. If for some reason your arriving flight's late, AA/IB are responsible for putting you on the next flight and there are millions of flights a day to Barcelona. Your bags are no more or less likely to go missing in transit than under any other circumstances

budg

Awesome, thanks for the info! I am hoping all goes smoothly!

Jeff801

The connection from international to domestic at MAD sounds complex, but it is efficient and easily done in two hours. After you get off the plane in T4S, follow the signs for arrivals/transfers. Take every moving walkway you can, because the terminal is over a kilometer long and AA typically is at a gate at the north end of the terminal.

You will then take either an elevator or series of escalators to the lower level where you will take the shuttle train to terminal T4. The train takes less than 5 minutes, runs frequently and has stops only in the two terminals. Then you will go up to the departure level, again with elevators or escalators. T4 is nearly 2 kilometers long, and the moving walkways are essential to get to your departure gate.

My memory is a little fuzzy on this, but I think passport control is in T4S, before you get on the shuttle, and the security screening (with very sensitive metal detectors; I thought I would have to have my fillings checked)is in T4, at the exit from the elevators. Neither has a reputation for significant delays.

If there is any delay in your inbound flight, do not be concerned. Iberia has flights to Barcelona no less frequently than every 45 minutes. And, we made a connection in less than 1/2 an hour on a crowded holiday weekend. Fortunately, we had not checked luggage on that trip.

budg

Thanks to everyone, just returned from the trip. AA flight was a bit delayed due to weather in MIA, so we landed about 30 minutes late, leaving me 1 hour to get to other flight. I made it through passport control in T4S as stated above, took the short train ride to T4 and walked quite a way to get to the next gate. No problems, just a lot of walking! Bag made it to BCN no problems, except that Plane landed in Concourse C and bags came out of B, but no one told us, so we all had to go back up to C and explain to the guards, and clear security AGAIN (metal detectors, screening and all). Almost everyone on the plane did the same thing. Quite a mess, but otherwise, not too bad.