Barajas T4 vs T4S?
 

Hello all...

We're flying from PHL to FCO with a connection in MAD. We have a good connection time (over 3 hours), but I want to be prepared. Our AA flight from PHL shows arrival in T4 and our IB flight to Rome does, too.

Unfortunately, ALL flights listed wherever I have looked never mention T4S -- they are apparently treating the two terminals the same.

However, the last time we connected in MAD from PHL (to Nice), the connecting flight to Nice was from T4S, so we had to move from 4 to 4S. I am guessing that the flights within Europe go from T4S -- not T4 -- so ours to Rome probably does, too.

Am I right?
Thanks.
ssander

Easy to check on the Madrid Airport website.

Today, FCO bound flights are leaving from T1, T3 and T4.


https://www.aeropuertomadrid-barajas...tm?t=15-18&a=4

I

According to the Barajas website AA 740 arrived today at T4, not T4S, and flights to FCO also departed T4. Typically more longhaul non-Schengen flights arrive at T4S, but both terminals are equipped to handle them. Not knowing when you're flying, all one can say is check before your dates, because things can and do change.

Arriving at T4S and departing from T4 is no big thing; with 3 hours you have gobs of time. My main recommendation if you do have to make that switch is to use the elevators/lifts rather than the escalators to and from the train level - it will save time and hassle.

T4 is enormous, so allow time to schlep what could be a helluva long way. Of course you might get lucky.

Thanks, all.
ssander

Non Schengen flights arrive into T4S, not in the T4.You must pass the inmigration controls, and althought there is a small inmigration control at the H side of the T4, that is mostly for flights coming from the UK (only a couple of police posts, so not enough at all).

Cdnyul, that´s not the the official website for Barajas, that would be this one : Aeropuerto de Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez - Web oficial - Aena.es

And regarding the T4S, it is not so normal to have the intra european flights or the spanish ones leaving from there, only when the airport is pretty full. For example, if you are flying on one of the small Air Nostrum flights, you will usually leave from the K side of the T4. Sometimes, on late evening Spain flights, if there are many travelleres connecting to overseas flights, the flight will land at the T4S to allow these people to get quicker to their flights, but that´s not normal.

Always check the screens at the terminal, 3 hours is a very good time for a connection.

Bye, Cova

I usually fly AA from Philly to MAD, sometimes to connect to Iberia flights to FCO. My experience has always been to land in T4S, go thru immigration, and then go to T4 for my Iberia Rome flight. 3 hrs should be plenty for connection. I assume both segments are on the same ticket?

cruiseluv...

Yes...same ticket...so if we are late getting into MAD, there are a couple of flights to FCO later in the day that they would put us on (assuming space).

There is a saga with this ticket. We were using miles (American Airlines), and there were no nonstops available to FCO (from which there were a number of flights to Sicily, our ultimate destination) so we booked a nonstop to MAD and booked the only nonstop to Catania the next day. Easy peasy, right? And a day in Madrid would be fun.

One week later Iberia cancelled our flight to Catania.

We called American. They changed our booking to FCO (via our existing flight to MAD)...same locator and same use of miles but $175 (total for both of us) for the itinerary change.

Now, after an overnight in Rome (but little time, because we don't get into FCO till about 2:30 pm) we're flying to Catania the next day.

Fortunately, we got a nice, inexpensive AirBnB in Trastevere right off Viale di Trastevere about a block from the No. 8 tram stop, so getting to/from FCO via the Trastevere station is a snap. (We've done the Tram 8-Trastevere station thing a couple of times before when we stayed in the Jewish ghetto area.)

...but we are wasting a lot more time getting to Catania. Turns out the fare from FCO to Catania was significantly cheaper than from MAD to Catania, so the $175 sur charge was nearly recouped.

ssander