Ryan air vs Iberia express

[Joanne P]

Hello again

Any comments (pros & cons) for either airline?

Do internal flights get cancelled very often?
We have a 10pm flight out of Madrid, and wondering how safe/wise it would be to book an early morning flight from Santiago to Madrid? (or would it be better to fly to Madrid the day before)

 

[Robo]

Should be ok. I have done that. Maybe have a plan B just in case? Like train?

 

[Robo]

I always find Vueling very good. Spanish discount airline.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Both Iberia Express and Ryanair have average on-time and cancellation performance. A morning flight from Santiago to Madrid will get you to your flight with plenty of time. Madrid Airport has one of the best on-time ratings for major airports.

 

[RJM]

10 pm flight out of Madrid and morning flight to there from Santiago?
Yes, I think you'll be allright.

 

[Rosemaryk1]

What about a 6:40 am flight from Santiago to Madrid (arriving 7:55 am) for an 11am flight ( the same day)? That’s what I’m currently pondering.
Thanks!
Rosemary

 

[RJM]

What about a 6:40 am flight from Santiago to Madrid (arriving 7:55 am) for an 11am flight ( the same day)? That’s what I’m currently pondering.
Thanks!
Rosemary

Probably, but I would not waste any time until I reached my departure gate.

 

[Rosemaryk1]

Probably, but I would not waste any time until I reached my departure gate.

Yes! Plus I will be carrying my backpack on, not checking. Is the Madrid airport fairly easy to get around when one is in a hurry?
Thanks!

 

[RJM]

Yes! Plus I will be carrying my backpack on, not checking. Is the Madrid airport fairly easy to get around when one is in a hurry?
Thanks!

I always found it easy to get around in. It does have more than one terminal, but pretty quick to move from one terminal to the next.

 

[Joanne P]

What about a 6:40 am flight from Santiago to Madrid (arriving 7:55 am) for an 11am flight ( the same day)? That’s what I’m currently pondering.
Thanks!
Rosemary

Thanks Rosemary, however our flight out of Madrid has already been booked so we are locked in to that time.
Given the risk of budget airlines cancelling flights, or being delayed, I personally wouldn't want to cut it so fine time-wise. Our flight from Madrid is coming back to Australia, so a very expensive exercise if we miss it.

 

[RJM]

Thanks Rosemary, however our flight out of Madrid has already been booked so we are locked in to that time.
Given the risk of budget airlines cancelling flights, or being delayed, I personally wouldn't want to cut it so fine time-wise. Our flight from Madrid is coming back to Australia, so a very expensive exercise if we miss it.

I have flown budget airlines (Vueling, Ryanair, Iberia Express) on the Camino four times I think and never had a delay or cancellation. Always on time for me. In Asia I have probably flown various budget airlines twenty or so times, and never had a delay or cancellation with them as well.
I do not find them any more or any less efficient than the bigger airlines.

 

[Joanne P]

I have flown budget airlines (Vueling, Ryanair, Iberia Express) on the Camino four times I think and never had a delay or cancellation. Always on time for me. In Asia I have probably flown various budget airlines twenty or so times, and never had a delay or cancellation with them as well.
I do not find them any more or any less efficient than the bigger airlines.

Thanks RJM, that's reassuring.

 

[peregrina2000]

What about a 6:40 am flight from Santiago to Madrid (arriving 7:55 am) for an 11am flight ( the same day)? That’s what I’m currently pondering.
Thanks!
Rosemary

Rosemary, if you fly Iberia airlines or a partner, all of your flights will land or take off in T4, which is big but easy to navigate (tip -- it's almost always faster to take the elevator instead of the escalator). But if you fly on any other airlines, you will be in T1, 2 or 3. They are all connected, but T4 is a 10 minute bus ride away. Buses are frequent and leave from right outside the terminal.

Are these two flights going to be on the same ticket? If yes, you don't have to worry, because the airlines will have to rebook you if you miss your connection. But not if they are two separate tickets. But even if you have to change terminals, you should have enough time with three hours between flights.

 

[Kungs]

Hello.
I wanted to ask for any feedback about Vueling. Has anybody flown with this company?
I am looking for tickets to return back from Santiago de Compostela.
One of founded possibilities includes flight with Vueling from Santiago de Compostela to Barcelona, but in tripadvisor.com there are many bad feedbacks.
Sorry if my english is not very perfect. I will wait for answers

 

[Nick Oliver]

Do consider trains as well - much more civilised, and probably cheaper.

 

[Rosemaryk1]

Rosemary, if you fly Iberia airlines or a partner, all of your flights will land or take off in T4, which is big but easy to navigate (tip -- it's almost always faster to take the elevator instead of the escalator). But if you fly on any other airlines, you will be in T1, 2 or 3. They are all connected, but T4 is a 10 minute bus ride away. Buses are frequent and leave from right outside the terminal.

Are these two flights going to be on the same ticket? If yes, you don't have to worry, because the airlines will have to rebook you if you miss your connection. But not if they are two separate tickets. But even if you have to change terminals, you should have enough time with three hours between flights.

Hi! They are two separate tickets. It is Iberia that I will be on then British Airways back to US. I am not a dawdler in airports and like to get to my gate ASAP. It will be nerve wracking. If, for some reason, I get to SdC sooner than planned I will make changes.
Thank you for the terminal info. A great heads up!

 

[Paintboy2]

Be very careful to check in online and print your own boarding pass. Ryan Air charges $50 extra to do it for you. Also, they have new rules for luggage storage. They charge to use the overhead bin our you can put it under your seat for free. Good luck. Buen Camino.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi! They are two separate tickets. It is Iberia that I will be on then British Airways back to US. I am not a dawdler in airports and like to get to my gate ASAP. It will be nerve wracking. If, for some reason, I get to SdC sooner than planned I will make changes.
Thank you for the terminal info. A great heads up!

British Airways is an Iberia partner (actually, I think it owns Iberia now). So your arrival and departure will be in T4. In the future, you should check about making this all one ticket. I always fly American and/or Iberia, and I always do the "multi-city" option when buying my ticket. This year I found that US-Madrid-Almeria and Madrid-US on the return was only about $50 more expensive than the US-Madrid-US round trip ticket. And in the years when I walk into Santiago, I also add on the Santiago-Madrid flight. Having it on the same ticket means that if you check bags, you don't have to pick them up in Madrid, and it also means that if you miss your connection, it's the airlines' problem and not yours. That makes for a stress-free trip.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[woofer]

Hello again

Any comments (pros & cons) for either airline?

Do internal flights get cancelled very often?
We have a 10pm flight out of Madrid, and wondering how safe/wise it would be to book an early morning flight from Santiago to Madrid? (or would it be better to fly to Madrid the day before)

Security at Madrid wouldn't let my sticks through and sent me back to Ryanair desk. They slapped a €40 charge on the spot - more than sticks cost and €12 more than my seat cost ! Be warned ! Will be using Iberia in future and will try to avoid Madrid. This has never happened to me before.

 

[annakappa]

On two occasions we experienced a delay. The first time was on our outward flight from San José, Costa Rica to Madrid. Someone had an overdose and we had to have an emergency landing at Santo Domingo, Domenican Republic, to offload this person! We, together with most passengers missed out onward connections. For us, it was to Pamplona. Iberia checked us on a later flight, but that meant that we missed the bus to Roncesvalles. Took a taxi, which set us back €50. On second , we arrived at Santiago Airport to take the first Iberia partner flight to Madrid, to connect us with our Iberia flight back to San José. The cabin crew were on strike and the plane was grounded. My husband offered to be 'the cabin crew', but they didn't accept his offer! Result was that later in the day they flew us to Madrid, put us up over night and sent us back to SJO the next day. This was because we had booked all our flights on the same ticket and with Iberia and partner.
If I don't have such a ticket, I would never risk missing my long haul flight by traveling to Madrid on the same day!