I used the check-in service at Nuevos Ministerios for the first time this mornig. Although I missed the 2 hour cut off for luggage, it worked very well. I caught a cab in front of Hostal Adriano and 5 euros and 15 minutes later I was at the station. 4 stops later I was at the airport.

90% of the convenience of a taxi at 1/4 the price!

Now wait a minute.. You mean to tell us you went BY TAXI from Hostal Adriano to the Nuevos Ministerios metro station and it only cost 5 Euros?? And there at the metro station you can check luggage for your flight??! WOW!! That's awesome! Were the lines long?? But when you get to the airport you STILL have to go to the check-in counter in order to "check-in" or can you go directly to your gate? This is an important question. If we could avoid those LONG check-in LINES at Madrid Barajas that would be great!

Saludos, MadridMan

I have two additional questions. Why take a taxi instead of using the metro? I wonder if there is a differnece for checking in on international flights VS domestic flights? I think you still have to show your passport, etc for clearance on the international flights like we do in the US, but I wonder if you can go directly to the gate if you do not have bags, like we can here.

Yes you can check-in at New ministerios provided certain conditions are met:
- you are flying with iberia/air nostrum, spaniar, air europa or alitalia.
- Lugage con only be cheched in presented with more than two hours advance (excluded cases where special inspection needed).

When is it really helpful?
- Business traveling, light luggage.
- Securing seats. You can go there and do advance check-in (even the day before)
- National/EU traveling

To answer your last question, the system of going directly to the gate is not an option. Instead e-ticketing combined with check-in automated kiosks are really extended and a lot better option if you are business travelling.

Some info on the topic (spanish only)

http://www.aena.es/aeropuertos/barajas/nministeriosfacturacion.htm

I forgot to say that I was on an Iberia domestic flight to Barcelona. I´m not sure if the international is the same. I intend to find out in April!

With the cab you avoid the airport supplements and the Paseo de Recoletos moves fairly fast, even at rush hour.

There was NO line at all. I had an e-ticket and I did show my passport. I´m guessing that as it catches on it will draw more people.

I use the Nuevos Ministerios check-in facility all the time since I fly Iberia a lot. Usually, if I've got an early morning flight, I go over to NM after work and check in the evening before. Gives me a couple more minutes of precious beauty sleep. Having already checked in, the next morning, I just take the Metro to the airport, go through the metal detector, and go directly to the gate. I'm normally traveling without checked luggage and going somewhere within the Schengen region.

Theoretically, using the automated check-in kiosks at the airport would be just as quick -- and I have used them once or twice. However, I don't live far from NM, and it makes for a nice walk.

An interesting thing about the automated check-in kiosks is that no one checks your photo ID. You can check in using either your ticket number, the ticket itself if it has the magnetic strip, or the credit card used to buy the ticket. Because of this less secure oversight, I believe you can only check in for domestic flights with these machines.