I was flying from Madrid to London on Iberia in economy, connecting to American business class from London to Los Angeles.
My flight from Madrid to London was at 8:20AM, and I got to the airport at around 6:30AM. While I’ve connected at the Madrid Barajas Airport before, this was my first time originating travel there.
The airport’s terminal is gorgeous, including the check-in hall.
Madrid Barajas Airport check-in hall
It might even be one of my favorite designs anywhere, as I love the wood panelling on the ceiling.
I easily found the Iberia business class check-in, where there was a short queue.
Iberia check-in Madrid Airport
I was checking three boxes 0n this journey, which turned into a bit of an adventure, as there was confusion over my baggage allowance. See my previous post on the topic for more on that. And suffice to say that whole process didn’t end well either.
My checked baggage at Madrid Airport
Oops!
Anyway, the friendly guy checking me in directed me to towards the fast track security queue, where the line was very short.
Madrid Barajas Airport check-in hall
I appreciate that the airport has a completely separate premium channel, as it makes it much easier than airports where you have to fight your way to get into the premium line.
Madrid Airport fast track security
I was through in a matter of minutes, at which point I found myself inside what felt like a shopping mall, as seems to be the norm at airports in Europe and Asia.
Madrid Airport duty free shopping
The Iberia Lounge is actually located just past security, though it took me a couple of minutes to find it, as I found the signage to be quite confusing and even contradictory.
Madrid Airport Sala VIP signage
The lounge was located past the security checkpoint and to the right.
Iberia Lounge Madrid Airport entrance
There was a bit of a queue to get into the Iberia Business Class Lounge, though within about a minute I was admitted with my boarding pass, which displayed my oneworld Emerald status. If you wouldn’t otherwise have access, there are a number of Priority Pass options available here where a credit card with lounge access could come in handy.
Iberia Lounge Madrid Airport reception desk
The lounge itself was quite nice. It was airy, given that it had the same ceiling as the rest of the terminal. And the furniture was also in fairly good condition. I also appreciated that there was lots of separation between seating areas, so the lounge didn’t feel too huge, unlike some lounges which just line up hundreds of chairs without any separation.
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge seating
The lounge had two “sides,” which were split by the reception desk. Each side had a food and drink spread. I spent my time on the right side.
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge seating
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge seating
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge seating
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge seating
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge seating
I sat down near a pretty cute waterfall-type structure.
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge seating
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge waterfall
You can get between the two sides of the lounge either via the area in front of the reception desk, or through a narrow walkway on the other side of the lounge.
Madrid Airport Iberia Lounge seating
The other side of the lounge was similar, though also had some more varied seating areas, including high-top seating as well as a TV room.
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge seating
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge seating
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge seating
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge TV room
Both sides more or less had the same buffet setup. There was self serve booze, soft drinks, juice, beer, wine, an espresso machine, etc.
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge buffet
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge buffet
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge drink selection
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge drink selection
Then there were snacks including chips, pretzels, olives, croissants, toast, yogurt, danishes, etc.
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge buffet
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge buffet
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge buffet
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge buffet
There was also a cooler with some Haagen-Dazs ice cream.
Madrid Airport Iberia Business Class Lounge ice cream
The Wi-Fi in the lounge was on the slow side, though fortunately I didn’t have much time in the lounge.
The lounge had decent enough restrooms, and also had shower rooms, though I didn’t have a chance to check them out, as they were occupied.
While the lounge was quiet when I arrived, it filled up really quickly, and by the time I left almost every seat was taken.
Boarding was scheduled for 7:50AM, so I left the lounge at around 7:30AM to get to my departure gate, H8.
Madrid Airport terminal
While Madrid Airport is gorgeous, it also requires a ton of walking. There’s not really a train system within concourses, and the concourses are really long. It was a good 15 minute walk to my gate, and that was walking at a German pace (aka near jogging).
Gate H8 was almost at the very end of the concourse, and there was a passport check shortly before it.
Madrid Airport terminal
The gate itself was in a fairly orderly condition. There was a business class/elite queue to the right and an economy queue to the left, so when boarding was called it was quite easy to access the correct lane without having to navigate around dozens of people.
Madrid Airport departure gate to London Heathrow
Boarding started at 7:50AM via the fast track lane, so I was onboard within a few minutes. There were dozens of people in the queue, as the business class cabin on this plane was especially big (since it’s an intra-Europe flight, the size of the business class cabin is flexible based on the demand). Add in tons of elite members in economy, and it seemed like there were more fast track passengers than economy passengers.
Madrid Airport departure gate to London Heathrow
The jet bridge was a good distance from the terminal, and had glass windows, which I appreciate.
Iberia A321 Madrid Airport
I sure do like Iberia’s new livery, at least compared to the old one.
Iberia A321 Madrid Airport
Iberia Business Class Lounge Madrid bottom line
I was only in the Iberia Lounge Madrid for about 30 minutes, but had a nice stay. The lounge was airy and modern, and the food and drink spread was perfectly nice for a lounge in Europe. I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to plan a long layover for the purpose of visiting it, but I do think it’s one of the nicer European business class lounges out there.
If you’ve visited the Iberia Lounge Madrid, what was your experience like?
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