if you travel with the same airline all the way through you your final destination its not a problem to check it all the way through. I have flown Chicago-Madrid-Granada, all on IBERIA, checked the luggage all the way through, and it was not a problem. Granada isnt an international airport. I cleared customs in Madrid, then boarded a domestic IBERIA flight, and didnt see my luggage until I landed in Granada. No problems.

Hi concernedmom:

When I went to Madrid I arrived at 8:15 a.m. (Delta from Atlanta). I scheduled an Iberia flight to Lisbon at 1:05 p.m., and found that I had plenty of time to spare waiting for the flight. Immigration was a breeze for me . . . I'm guessing there was no real line because it was an early flight, and my bags came through surprisingly fast. (That may be an advantage.) I wouldn't think she would need to go through "Customs" as I think you mean here unless she is bringing some goods of some sort into the country. (That's an opinion, don't quote me!) But, you never can tell with any kind of immigration situation or if there will be luggage woes, so it is always good to budget for extra time just in case something happens!!

Good luck with the planning, and I hope she has a WONDERFUL time!!

Regarding iberia.com I have used the spanish version and is rather efficient. In fact talking e-commerce is by far the biggest online business operation of the country.

My teenage daughter is also having to transfer on her own this summerin Madrid. I took detailed fotos of the airport to 'walk' her through the stages. It is not difficult. If you want the specific details, email me.

Because of the risk of a lost bag, my daughter will not be checking a suitcase. We have been able to travel with just a carry-on and a book bag for trip as long as 6 weeks. She also takes an empty bag to fill with her new things and checks that bag coming home. If a bag is lost, it could delay her by an hour or so because she would need to complete the paperwork to locate the lost bag. It helps if she knows her frequent flyer number. For some reason, it gives extra benefits in luggage delivery.

If the tickets are not connected, the airlines does not have to honor the ticket if she misses her flight. She might have to buy a new ticket and forfeit the money spent on the previous ticket if her flight arrives late. The arriving airlines is also not liable if the tickets have been purchased separately.

I would buy the later flight and hope for the best.

The Madrid airport seemed to be just like every other major airport in the Western world - lots of shops, cafes, etc., etc.
Burning a few hours there would be a breeze for a young kid.
Find the departure gate, time the ride or walk walk and then go explore, or call home.

Definately go for the later flight, unless you like "Terminal anxiety".