Madrid Barajas Terminal 4 to 4S--how much time?
 

I know that Terminal 4 in Barajas is huge, and often very busy. If I am arriving in Terminal 4 (Iberia flight) and have to connect with a flight that leaves from Terminal 4S (Iberia) how much time should I allow? I don't want to end up running to catch my connecting flight, so I want to be sure I allow enough time. What would be a reasonable --and realistic-- amount of time to allow between flights? Thanks

Are the flights going to be booked completely separately on two different airlines? In that case, you will have to allow a lot of extra time "just in case." I think 2.5 hours would be safe.
If booked together, the airline will give you a "legal connection time."
I always familiarize myself with airport maps before hand--that helps.

If you are booking the flights on one ticket, then I would expect Iberia to allow you enough time to get to your connecting flight. If it's an international flight, they usually start boarding about 40 minutes or so before departure and close the gate as early as 20 minutes prior to departure. It only takes a few minutes to travel from T4 to T4S on the train (the people mover), but T4 is around 1 km in length (.62 miles), so depending upon your arrival gate, you could end up having to walk a .5 km to reach the

You can find out all of the information on the airport at http://www.aena.es/

It can take up to 25 minutes to walk from one to the other (escaltors/elevators/train/etc.)

I would like to have at LEAST an hour between European flights. The terminal can SEEM like a labyrinth if you are coming in from abroad.

You do not say if you are arriving from abroad or the EU? This can make a HUGE difference, and a previous poster has recommended 2.5 hours, which is VERY liberal, and safe. I would again want at LEAST 90 minutes, 120 better.

Thanks for the info. My flight will be Iberia from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid, connecting with Iberia to USA. I'll buy both segments on one ticket. I have a choice of flights to JFK--one gives me only an hour connect time, the other gives me about 3 hours. And I might be able to choose another flight that gives me 1 hour and 20 min connect time. I know that Iberia won't book the connecting flight to the USA unless it's a legal connect time, but I don't want to end up running to the gate--and I worry that if the flight from Santiago is delayed, I'll miss the connection entiely.
So assuming I arrive on Iberia domestic/Spain flight, connect with Iberia flight to USA, would one hour be "tight"? Would 1 hour 20 min be comfortable? Otherwise, I guess I'll schedule 3 hours layover and just do some shopping, have lunch, read.
Any further advice?? Thanks so much.

For peace of mind I would do the 3 hour layover.Santiago flights are sometimes delayed because of fog or the originating flight from Madrid is delayed making the return flight even more delayed!
This leaves you enough time to relax(wonderful shops),go through security and hopefully get your luggage successfully transferred!
By the way,you will notice how different the crew is! I have found Iberia perfectly charming when flying within Spain.Once outside Spain the crew becomes positively surly-brace yourself!-I won't fly with them from USA to Spain ever again!

I'd go with the 3-hour connection. Flights out of Santiago can sometimes be delayed by weather, and as stated, the shops in T4 are not too bad. You can pick up some decent wine, but note that US Customs has increased their agricultural inspections over the last several months, so bringing back jamon can be a little tricky, and costly.

Absolutely agree weather( head winds!) have delayed me in the past it is a bummer.