Iberia Carry On Luggage Restrictions and connection questions.

[Steve Fazzio]

Hello. We are scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Madrid and then from Madrid to Santiago on Iberia Airlines. Has anyone taken the same flights recently? Did they allow you to take your backpack as carry on? Also there are 1.5 hours between flights. Was it hard making the connection?

 

[Tincatinker]

Hello. We are scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Madrid and then from Madrid to Santiago on Iberia Airlines. Has anyone taken the same flights recently? Did they allow you to take your backpack as carry on? Also there are 1.5 hours between flights. Was it hard making the connection?

https://www.iberia.com/us/luggage/hand-luggage/

 

[klimmo]

I flew with Iberia last month. Make sure to know if you're flying with Iberia or the low cost Iberia variant. Madrid airport is huge, and going from the internatinal hub to the national one can take a while.
For the low cost variant: strict rules for cabin luggage, as long as your backpacks stay within those limits you should be fine. I couldn't be bothered, had my poles in there as well so paid a bit extra for it to go in the hold. It got to Geneva with no problems at all. And must admit it's liberating to not fight for the very limited space in overhead lockers or having even less leg space if you're left with keeping your bag under the seat in front of you.

 

[lt56ny]

Hello. We are scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Madrid and then from Madrid to Santiago on Iberia Airlines. Has anyone taken the same flights recently? Did they allow you to take your backpack as carry on? Also there are 1.5 hours between flights. Was it hard making the connection?

I have flown Iberia for at 3 or 4 of my Caminos. I have never had an issue bringing my backpack on the plane. Not even a question from Iberia's gate or cabin crews. Last time I flew was in December 2021. In 2018 (I think) my flight to Madrid was very late. I informed the flight attendant that I had a tight connection to San Sebastian. I was doing the Norte. They told me I would be handed a pass that would expedite me getting through customs and rechecking into a domestic flight. When I got to customs there was a super long line but I showed it to security and they sent me right through to passport control in front of everyone. The same happened when I had to go back through security to get to T4. Be quick because it is a very long walk to get to the domestic Vueling or Iberia Express. That walk is the start of your physical camino

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Back pack should be no problem. The one "sticky" point I have had numerous times is the following (and yes I know it is a yearly bone of contention on this site with so many, but have patience).
I have carried on my back pack out of LAX on Iberia with my poles neatly stashed on the exterior pockets of my pack and have never had a problem going onboard, BUT once I arrived in Madrid for my transfer flight on Iberia I was not allowed to carry them into the cabin (still stashed) in my back pack. I was forced to check in my entire back pack, which took up valuable time to reach my connecting flight.
One would think there would be a company wide policy regarding things of this nature, but no..........
Your best bet, if you're carrying poles, is to call ahead to confirm.
One last thing and as others that stated Barajas Airport is huge and to give you a comparison LAX is very small compared to Barajas.
Enjoy your trip.........

 

[Steve Fazzio]

Back pack should be no problem. The one "sticky" point I have had numerous times is the following (and yes I know it is a yearly bone of contention on this site with so many, but have patience).
I have carried on my back pack out of LAX on Iberia with my poles neatly stashed on the exterior pockets of my pack and have never had a problem going onboard, BUT once I arrived in Madrid for my transfer flight on Iberia I was not allowed to carry them into the cabin (still stashed) in my back pack. I was forced to check in my entire back pack, which took up valuable time to reach my connecting flight.
One would think there would be a company wide policy regarding things of this nature, but no..........
Your best bet, if you're carrying poles, is to call ahead to confirm.
One last thing and as others that stated Barajas Airport is huge and to give you a comparison LAX is very small compared to Barajas.
Enjoy your trip.........

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Vacajoe]

My wife just flew Iberia from Heathrow to Madrid with a 33L backpack. Per their posted rules and suitcase sizer, it did not meet the VERY small definition of carry-on (the rules are a bit confusing, but Iberia has definitions for the bag under your seat as well as the overhead ones). She paid extra to put hers in the hold even though it was definitely small enough to meet the USA standard of carry-on luggage. Check your ticket - most European airlines use a small luggage standard for the overhead bins.

 

[Steve Fazzio]

My wife just flew Iberia from Heathrow to Madrid with a 33L backpack. Per their posted rules and suitcase sizer, it did not meet the VERY small definition of carry-on (the rules are a bit confusing, but Iberia has definitions for the bag under your seat as well as the overhead ones). She paid extra to put hers in the hold even though it was definitely small enough to meet the USA standard of carry-on luggage. Check your ticket - most European airlines use a small luggage standard for the overhead bins.

Thank you!

 

[lt56ny]

I flew with Iberia last month. Make sure to know if you're flying with Iberia or the low cost Iberia variant. Madrid airport is huge, and going from the internatinal hub to the national one can take a while.
For the low cost variant: strict rules for cabin luggage, as long as your backpacks stay within those limits you should be fine. I couldn't be bothered, had my poles in there as well so paid a bit extra for it to go in the hold. It got to Geneva with no problems at all. And must admit it's liberating to not fight for the very limited space in overhead lockers or having even less leg space if you're left with keeping your bag under the seat in front of you.

As I previously wrote Ifly on Iberia for most of my Camino‘s. I have connected through Iberia express and Vueling on my domestic flights. Are used to 45 L backpack and never had problems putting my pack in the overhead. It should be no problem if you fly Iberia again. I always buy my walking poles right before I pick up my Camino.

 

[Glen Moray]

I also flew Iberia last month connecting in Madrid to the Santiago flight. A 45 litre backpack was not a problem. Be aware you will be landing at the Satellite Terminal and have to clear Passport Control before transferring on the underground train to the Domestic terminal. There was a big queue but it moved quickly and time from landing to getting to the Domestic was about 40 minutes. The only other check was the QR Code which was done coming off the train.

 

[Steve Fazzio]

As I previously wrote Ifly on Iberia for most of my Camino‘s. I have connected through Iberia express and Vueling on my domestic flights. Are used to 45 L backpack and never had problems putting my pack in the overhead. It should be no problem if you fly Iberia again. I always buy my walking poles right before I pick up my Camino.

Thanks!

 

[Steve Fazzio]

I also flew Iberia last month connecting in Madrid to the Santiago flight. A 45 litre backpack was not a problem. Be aware you will be landing at the Satellite Terminal and have to clear Passport Control before transferring on the underground train to the Domestic terminal. There was a big queue but it moved quickly and time from landing to getting to the Domestic was about 40 minutes. The only other check was the QR Code which was done coming off the train.

Thanks!

 

[abraxian]

Hello. We are scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Madrid and then from Madrid to Santiago on Iberia Airlines. Has anyone taken the same flights recently? Did they allow you to take your backpack as carry on? Also there are 1.5 hours between flights. Was it hard making the connection?

I have walked five different Caminos in past ten years. I always carry on. Think about having to replace every thing you so carefully planned for. Even if your pack is found a day or two later, can you afford to wait? I worked in the airline industry for 25 years and I can tell you, airlines lose bags! Also, after having my sticks confiscated, buy them on arrival and donate and the end of your walk. You can find a Decathlon store in just about any city. I never paid more than twenty Euros for a pair.
Buen Camino!

 

[Steve Fazzio]

I have walked five different Caminos in past ten years. I always carry on. Think about having to replace every thing you so carefully planned for. Even if your pack is found a day or two later, can you afford to wait? I worked in the airline industry for 25 years and I can tell you, airlines lose bags! Also, after having my sticks confiscated, buy them on arrival and donate and the end of your walk. You can find a Decathlon store in just about any city. I never paid more than twenty Euros for a pair.
Buen Camino!

Thank you!

 

[Vacajoe]

To clarify, it’s not that my wife’s 33L pack wouldn’t fit the overhead carry-on space, it’s that her 33L pack did not meet the stated Iberia dimensions nor the carry-on sizing containers at the airport. These are clearly given on their website:

“Iberia Airlines allows you to travel with hand baggage at no charge, but it has to fulfill the following requirements: The maximum dimension per carry-on bag is 56 x 45 x 25 cm. You must include the handles, compartments, pockets, and wheels when measuring the baggage.”

Apparently not all airports or flight crews strictly enforce this, but when they do you must then purchase “hold luggage” at over a 50% markup from pre purchasing that option prior to checking in. At that point, you would need to remove anything you cannot lose or of value (medications, electronics, etc).

Whether you decide to follow the rules or roll the dice is up to you, but as of March 2022, this was the rule at Iberia (as well as many other low-cost European airlines).

 

[Steve Fazzio]

Hey folks, So I put my backpack inside a regulation carryon suitcase. The ticket agent at LAX said the carryon was too large for the overhead bin but I asked her to measure it because I followed Iberia’s guidelines. She measured and then agreed. We had other checked luggage in the cargo hold that was checked through all the way to Santiago. We didn’t have to carry it through customs. Some advice, be sure to check the departure gate for your flight to Santiago. The gate was in a different terminal than the one printed on our tickets. We would have missed our flight if we didn’t check. The Iberia coach flights were fine and better than I expected.

 

[Marbe2]

If you have to change planes and it is a connecting flight then the size dimensions that govern the initial flight from the USA apply to the connecting flight. Make your backpack fit the dimensions. Don’t stuff your pack. Wear extra clothing on the plane. Take those extra layers off during the flight. Put your underwear and socks in your jacket pockets which, btw, you should wear on the plane. Purchase poles at the start of your camino if need be. Wear your hiking shoes on the plane. It can be done! Do not check your backpack if at all possible.