Flying from SDC to Madrid - a simple yet frustrating question

[JustJack]

Can someone please confirm that if you fly with Ryanair from SDC to Madrid, that you will arrive at the Madrid-Barajas International airport?

Such a simple question, yet incredibly frustrating trying to confirm the answer. Ryanair, in its infinite wisdom, doesn't include the name of the airport when you book. It just says Madrid. And Google searches don't turn up a simple answer.

I assume it's the same airport, but I see there are actually three airports in Madrid, and don't want to find out after I booked that I'm arriving at the wrong airport...

 

[TravellingMan22]

Yes! 100%

 

[jungleboy]

Ryanair, in its infinite wisdom, doesn't include the name of the airport when you book. It just says Madrid.

It says MAD which is the airport code for Barajas.

 

[JustJack]

It says MAD which is the airport code for Barajas.

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View attachment 167678

Thanks. Google is smart enough to use the three-letter airport code. Ryanair spells out the city name. Perhaps further into the booking process it would display the airport code, but not initially.

 

[jungleboy]

Thanks. Google is smart enough to use the three-letter airport code. Ryanair spells out the city name. Perhaps further into the booking process it would display the airport code, but not initially.

The first screenshot I posted shows the airport code on Ryanair at the beginning of the booking process.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Thanks. Google is smart enough to use the three-letter airport code. Ryanair spells out the city name. Perhaps further into the booking process it would display the airport code, but not initially.

MAD is both the airport code for the airport, and the city code. I don’t think the other airports in Madrid have a three letter code whoch indicates they probably don’t have/can’t have any commercial flights in. Ryanair does differentiate at the start of the booking process using MAD as an airport code and continues through?

 

[Varekai]

Madrid's other two airports do not accommodate commercial flights. All commercial airlines fly to MAD, Madrid-Barajas.

 

[Moonie36]

You can also take Iberia, and they let you in with carry-on free of charge, unlike Ryan Air's huge fee.

 

[Vacajoe]

It’s RyanAir - they’ll just dump you out the back while still flying in order to save money. Actually landing at an airport is an extra fee….

 

[JustJack]

The first screenshot I posted shows the airport code on Ryanair at the beginning of the booking process.

The screenshot you sent was from Google, not Ryanair. Look closer.

Here's what you see on the Ryanair site. No airport code. This is the second screen. The first only lists the city as well. All the screens at least up until you provide your credit card only lists "Madrid".

 

[TravellingMan22]

It’s RyanAir - they’ll just dump you out the back while still flying in order to save money. Actually landing at an airport is an extra fee….

Well I have flown them well over 50 times with no issues! Their punctuality, regularity and baggage delivery stats match up well to competitors.

As for price you need to obviously need to trade off a fare that include hand baggage versus a fare that doesn’t and the see the costs of the bag (generally cheaper when you make the booking) take the total too.

 

[TravellingMan22]

The screenshot you sent was from Google, not Ryanair. Look closer.

Here's what you see on the Ryanair site. No airport code. This is the second screen. The first only lists the city as well. All the screens at least up until you provide your credit card only lists "Madrid".


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Not so. When you search for a city pair on the Ryanair App it list cities and airport three letter codes next to them. Have a look and see how it shows London for example. If there were two operational commercial airports in Madrid it would show both, one as MAD and the other as the relevant airport code!

 

[JustJack]

Not so. When you search for a city pair on the Ryanair App it list cities and airport three letter codes next to them. Have a look and see how it shows London for example. If there were two operational commercial airports in Madrid it would show both, one as MAD and the other as the relevant airport code!

As I mentioned, I'm using their website, not the app. The website shows the city pairs, not the airport codes. It is what it is, I'm not being paid to disparage Ryanair or anything.

 

[jungleboy]

The screenshot you sent was from Google, not Ryanair. Look closer.

I posted two screenshots in the same post, the first one is from Ryanair (yes, the app, not the website) and I underlined the MAD code.

 

[TravellingMan22]

As I mentioned, I'm using their website, not the app. The website shows the city pairs, not the airport codes. It is what it is, I'm not being paid to disparage Ryanair or anything.

Ok look at how the website deals with London and Milan. Or even Oslo! City name and airport name. It’s doesn’t need to do that for Madrid as there is only 1 airport commercial airport.

 

[JustJack]

I posted two screenshots in the same post, the first one is from Ryanair and I even underlined the MAD code for you.

I posted a screenshot from desktop above that I took a few minutes ago, and here’s a screenshot from mobile. No airport code.

 

[JustJack]

Ok look at how the website deals with London and Milan. Or even Oslo! City name and airport name. It’s doesn’t need to do that for Madrid as there is only 1 airport commercial airport.

Fair enough, but if that's the case that's hardly intuitive for passengers booking. It's not reasonable to expect them to already be aware that there is only one airport that accepts passengers in Madrid and therefore they don't bother with the airport code. I think this is the first airline in decades of travel where I haven't seen the airport code used.

 

[TravellingMan22]

I won’t try and anymore about from saying

I posted a screenshot from desktop above that I took a few minutes ago, and here’s a screenshot from mobile. No airport code.
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ok one last try. Look at the very first search page.

Anyway you will defo be landing at Barajas.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Fair enough, but if that's the case that's hardly intuitive for passengers booking. It's not reasonable to expect them to already be aware that there is only one airport that accepts passengers in Madrid and therefore they don't bother with the airport code. I think this is the first airline in decades of travel where I haven't seen the airport code

Fair enough, but if that's the case that's hardly intuitive for passengers booking. It's not reasonable to expect them to already be aware that there is only one airport that accepts passengers in Madrid and therefore they don't bother with the airport code. I think this is the first airline in decades of travel where I haven't seen the airport code used.

Sure , MAD is the airport code. Maybe they could say Madrid Barajas / maybe some airlines do! Have a great trip!

 

[JustJack]

Sure , MAD is the airport code. Maybe they could say Madrid Barajas / maybe some airlines do! Have a great trip!

MAD would suffice.

 

[mgnswaus]

Can someone please confirm that if you fly with Ryanair from SDC to Madrid, that you will arrive at the Madrid-Barajas International airport?

Such a simple question, yet incredibly frustrating trying to confirm the answer. Ryanair, in its infinite wisdom, doesn't include the name of the airport when you book. It just says Madrid. And Google searches don't turn up a simple answer.

I assume it's the same airport, but I see there are actually three airports in Madrid, and don't want to find out after I booked that I'm arriving at the wrong airport...

As an observation, be aware that MAD vies with CDG in Paris for the highest degree of difficulty in time to negotiate its idiosyncrasies. This may be my sensitivity but do allow plenty of time….

 

[CWBuff]

All of this is ...just.... MAD-dening!!!!!!

technically i can make it even more confusing for there is another code for it - LEMD (same airport I assure you)

and THAT said - its part of the so-called "parents airports" coupled with Paderborn Lippstadt Airport in Germany (i.e. MADre & PADre)

Hope this lightens up everyone's dispositions and given that the answer to OP's question has been sufficiently provided - All Y'all have a good happy & healthy weekend

 

[VNwalking]

One thing to consider. Yes, it's Barajas. OK.
Clearly that's settled.

But. There are 4 terminals and it takes some time to get the bus from one to another, not to mention figuring out where to go if you've not done that before.

Today I landed in T2, expecting to land in T4. A wrinkle, and fortunately I had plenty of time to get to T4 and the crecanias to Chamartin. It would have been another story altogether - a real nail-biter- if that time cushion hadn't been there. So do give yourself lots of time to deal with such surprises.