PegS

Hi all! Excited to be planning a fall trip to Madrid and Andalucia.

I'm pricing out flights on the Iberia site and they have a flight that lands in Madrid (from Chicago) at 7:30 AM that connects to Sevilla (Iberia Express) at 8:45. Assuming we do carry-on only, would Iberia actually suggest a flight that we couldn't make?

Part of me is thinking it might be safer to just transfer to Atocha and take the train.

Thanks!

FuryFluffy

If the 2 flights are part of a connecting flight, then it might work, but you'll have to be quick, absolutely no check-in bags, and watch your watch closely: if you're queuing in the airport and your flight time approaches, shout it out and the staff may give you priorities. Normally the airplane has to wait for connecting passengers, but I wouldn't count much on Iberia, I had some bad experiences with them.

If the 2 flights are not connecting, then forget it.

Christina

All airlines suggest flights that have tight connections because it is never a case that you "cannot" make it or they wouldn't. It means that in some situations or optimally you can, but of course, sometimes things will happen and you can't.

greg

>>> would Iberia actually suggest a flight that we couldn't make?

There is no simple yes/no answer. Airlines are allowed to offer various connection time considering many factors.

Unlike in the U.S. the European Commission in their regulation 261 stipulates various compensations to passengers if they fail to deliver. Mind you, this is just your right and airlines don't necessarily give you unless you pursue vigorously.

Because of this, it is to their interest to offer connection times that give them marketing edge, operational advantage, and not get hit "too" much by "compensated" delays that hits their profit.

If you go through revenue optimizations, having both no missed connections as well as chronic missed connections impact profit. The profit optimal point is somewhere in between. So they end up "suggest a flight that we couldn't make" sometimes. That sometimes can fall on you.

Because of the sliding scale European Commission compensation scheme, they really don't like to get hit with "long" delays. If you have bought Chicago-Sevilla as one trip and Madrid is just a layover point, they have more latitude in offering alternatives than get you to Sevilla with minimum delay. That my involve going through different routes starting from Chicago.

If you interest is in getting to Sevilla, then frame the question that way. If you frame your question as a layover issue at Madrid, you have boxed yourself into a smaller set of possible solutions to your real concern, whatever that is.

If you decide to take train route, what Iberia would try to do is to get you to Madrid close to the schedule. I suspect that your real objective is to get to Sevilla close to the schedule. There is a big difference in case of foul ups.

Bedar

Barajas, Madrid, airport is vast, and you may have to change terminals for the Seville flight. I wouldn't be happy with that layover time. Then again we had a layover of 4 hrs recently, and it turned out to be a 6 hr one. All our guests also experienced delayed layover times, too. Who knows. One thing to remember is that schedulers don't necessarily know airports abroad, don't know just how large Barajas is. I would try for a somewhat later flight to Seville.

PegS

Thanks all, for the thoughtful replies. Lots to think about.

And thanks Greg. To answer your question, in my mind it's really a connection issue. Since we're already at the airport it would make sense to just hop on the connecting flight. The other alternative is grabbing a taxi / the airport shuttle, or using the Cercanías train to connect to an AVE train at Atocha. The flight alternative might be quicker and more convenient, assuming we can make the connection!

Dukey1

Well, Iberia the airline certainly DOES "know" the Madrid airport.

Bedar

BTW, you don't have to do carryon luggage. Check-in will be automatically forwarded on to Seville where you'll go thru customs. With carryon you might have to go thru customs in Madrid which would take time. I would ask them about this. We always check luggage - don't want to shlep it down interminable hallways.

Bedar

Dukey - You would certainly hope and think so, BUT that is not necessarily so.

PegS

Hmmm, interesting Bedar. So it might actually be a disadvantage to do carryon? I was thinking it would save time because we wouldn't have to wait for luggage, but if we end up with a customs delay that might be an issue.

Bedar

There should be plenty of flights to Seville. See if they can put you on a somewhat later one. My daughter and SIL had the same layover time as you in Barajas, and they, who are very fit, missed their flight.

Francewithfive

We lost all five of our checked bags on a flight to Italy with our three kids and didn't see them for five days! Our connection was about 1.5hrs but they still missed every bag we checked through. We were told NEVER to book a connection time of less than two hours with checked bags anywhere we travel. The websites will very often "recommend" shorter connections but I will never take that chance again.

PegS

Okay, so I think the consensus is it would be far safer to take the train! The next flight seems to be well into the afternoon so the train would get us there far faster.

Thanks everyone!

Bedar

OK, here's a trick - take a wheelchair. The attendants know the back ways thru the airport. They will whisk you to that plane. You'll make your connection. If you don't want to do this, you could try to make your connection, and if you miss it, then take the train. The flight to Seville is cheap. If you miss it, you miss it.

PegS

Funny, Bedar. I actually thought about doing that--just buying the connecting flight and eating the cost and heading to the train if we didn't make it. After all, it's a fairly small cost compared to the entire trip!

basingstoke2

Iberia has an excellent on time record, number one in 2016 yet 12% of its flights are delayed with the average delay when it happens about 45 minutes. If you are in the 88% there should be no problem. If in the 12%, problem.

I have missed connections when I had 3 hour delays built in. It happens.