Madrid mixes Iberia long-haul strength with aggressive low-cost competition across Europe.
Barajas (MAD) has four terminals. Terminal 4 and its satellite T4S - designed by Richard Rogers - house Iberia, oneworld partners, and all long-haul flights. Terminals 1-3 handle European and domestic traffic. A free shuttle bus connects all terminals, and metro Line 8 reaches Nuevos Ministerios in central Madrid in 15 minutes.
Madrid bakes in August - locals flee the city and airlines follow the Madrileños, not the tourists. Fares from London drop 30-40 percent in the first half of August versus June. The opposite extreme is Semana Santa (Easter week), when processions fill the streets and flight prices climb sharply for a 10-day stretch.
Iberia controls the transatlantic market from MAD with daily nonstops to New York, Miami, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and São Paulo. For European budget routes, Ryanair and Vueling compete fiercely on price - triangulating between MAD and BCN on the same route can save EUR 30-80 per flight.
Terminal 4 and its satellite T4S handle all long-haul and most oneworld alliance flights. Iberia, BA, American Airlines, and Cathay Pacific all operate from T4/T4S. Budget European carriers typically use Terminals 1-3.
It depends on origin. For transatlantic flights, MAD often wins on price thanks to Iberia's dense nonstop network. For European budget trips, BCN usually has more low-cost options and fiercer fare competition.
Metro Line 8 (pink line) runs directly from T1-T2 and T4 to Nuevos Ministerios in 15 minutes. An airport supplement of EUR 3 applies on top of the regular metro fare. The Express Airport Bus to Atocha station runs 24/7 for EUR 5.
