Madrid Barajas Airport is the main
international hub for passengers taking an
airline into
Madrid, Spain. Many people choose to fly Iberia because
it handles direct flights from Miami and New York. Other
flights can transport Americans from Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Fort Worth-Dulles,
Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Washington
DC. Airline tickets are
now cheaper than ever and some online discount sites are
offering flights for as low as $325
round-trip!
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In the past, checking the major carriers' websites was the
only option to find airline flights to
Madrid. However, these days, there are a number of
competitive websites offering reduced rate flights to
Madrid. Discount travel information can be found at www.wholesale-flights.com, for
example, where flights to Madrid can be found for as low
as $325 round-trip! All the other prices noted in this
article refer to prices found on the carriers' websites,
however, to give you an overall idea of how these tickets
are regularly priced. Estimates are assuming the trip
goes from April 1 - April 7, although better deals may be
found at other times throughout the year.
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Traveling to Madrid, Spain is an exciting adventure,
although it's a long haul from America. On any
airline, one can
expect to be in the air for a good seven hours or more.
In many cases, it takes 14 hours and several different
stops to arrive at the final destination. Yet, if one is
a diligent web surfer, he or she can find direct routes
to Spain that cut out some of the unnecessary hassle.
After all, the last thing one wants to think about on
vacation is missing a connecting flight! Whether
for business travel or
pleasure, it helps to find the right flight.
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The Madrid Barajas Airport is Spain's busiest
airline hub, which
sees over 40 million travelers each year. The airport
itself is about 20 minutes northeast of central Madrid,
so weary travelers will need to hop aboard the metro or
catch a cab to reach their downtown destinations. In
2006, this bustling transportation center nearly doubled
its capacity by adding two additional runways and a new
terminal. The "MAD" airport offers a number of services
that Americans come to expect from a metropolitan
airport, including shopping, dining, banking and
health amenities.
Americans may fly US Airways, American Airlines, Delta,
Continental or Iberia to reach the Madrid
airport.
US Airways is one airline that flies
from the United States to Madrid, Spain. This company
sends out over 3,200 flights each day and serves over 200
communities in Europe, North America, the Caribbean and
Latin America. Passengers are allowed one carry-on bag
weighing up to 40 pounds and one personal item like a
laptop bag, purse or briefcase. A checked bag will cost
$15 extra and any additional bags are $25.
Round-trip airline tickets to
and from New York City to Madrid in April will cost
around $544, plus taxes and baggage fees and will take
about 15 hours one way, stopping in Philadelphia and
Washington-Dulles airport. To fly from Los Angeles,
you'll pay $714 for a 14-17 hour flight, stopping only in
Philadelphia.
American Airlines is another airline that flies
from the US to Madrid. Their Boeing 767 will take 167 to
225 passengers to Spain. AA flies to Africa, Asia,
Australia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, the
Middle East, South America and North America. Passengers
are charged $20 for their first checked bag and $30 for
their second. To fly from New York City round-trip, it
would cost $618 plus fees, stopping briefly in Boston and
taking just over 9 hours to arrive in Madrid. A flight
from Los Angeles to Madrid would make one stop and would
cost $883. They've also recently added a new direct
flight from Fort Worth, Texas. There are many
travel packages that may include Madrid and Barcelona as
well.
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The Delta airline can fly to
Madrid from New York City with one stop for $634.20 or
non-stop for $50 more. The shortest April flights take
between 8 and 10 hours. Flights from Los Angeles range
from about $884 - $934 and take around 14 hours. Baggage
check is $15 for the first extra bag and $25 for the
second bag. Many fliers find that Delta has a wide range
of amenities,
including movies and refreshments. Delta services 170
million passengers each year and takes passengers to 368
destinations in 66 countries.
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The Continental Airline will take
passengers on a Boeing 757 from NYC to Madrid in just
over 7 1/2 hours (non-stop) for $702. Fliers from the
west coast would pay $952 for a 16 hour flight, stopping
at the Newark airport. Baggage fees range from $15 - $20.
Continental has been in service for 75 years and
continues to win awards from Global Traveler Magazine, JD
Power and Associates studies, Skytrax, Zagat's and
Business Traveler Magazine for "Best Service."
Madrid travel makes
the most sense for Northeastern business travel,
compared to the competition.
"We are delighted to inaugurate this new service between DFW
and Madrid," said Dan Garton, American Airline's Executive
VP of Marketing. "This flight is about opening up new
business destinations, new leisure destinations,
connecting cultures, and bringing forth new economic
opportunities that previously did not exist." Just
recently AA added Dulles/Fort Worth, Texas to the
departure points for Madrid travel.
According to officials, Flight 36 will depart from Texas
at 5:30 pm and arrive in Madrid at 9:55 am the next day
on a 9 hour and 25 minute flight. To return, Flight 37
will leave Madrid at 1:10 pm and arrive back in Texas at
4:45 pm, which will take 10 hours and 35 minutes.
Standard baggage charges are $20 for the first checked
bag and $30 for the second.
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Iberia airline, Spain's
largest air transport group, now offers round-trip
airline tickets from New York City to Madrid for $671 or from LA for
$929. This local carrier enjoys a prestigious spot in the
Madrid airline terminal.
They recently renovated their VIP lounge at the terminal
to attract more business travel passengers. Iberia proudly declares that they are the
only European carrier to post a profit in each of the
past 13 years. They serve more than 100 destinations and
they are one of Europe's most modern fleets.
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The best time to look at airline itineraries
for Madrid is in October or November, when fares are
lowest. At www.iberia.com, travelers can save almost $200
by choosing non-peak dates. Generally speaking,
travel tips websites advise vacationing anywhere just before or
just after Thanksgiving, when few people are in the
skies. Since all airlines are charging hefty baggage
fees, it's best to travel as light as possible. Travelers
can also save money by booking through
discount hotels and
flight sites like www.expedia.com, www.travelocity.com
or
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