The Ultimate Guide to Finding Cheap Flights to Madrid

Why should you pay more for your plane tickets to Madrid?

The cost of the flight and the accommodation will probably be the highest expenses on your trip to Spain. So, to make your travel money go further, follow these easy steps to find cheap flights to Madrid and get the most out of your budget.

Keep in mind, that if you are traveling with family, your savings could triple or even quadruple.

It’s important to plan ahead when booking your plane tickets to Madrid, Spain, and arranging accommodation. This ensures you will have a better selection and availability, often leading to lower prices.

I typically buy my plane tickets at least 3 months before I leave. Prices tend to go up the closer it gets to the departure date.

If you have set dates, it is pretty difficult to find last-minute deals. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead and keep track of prices.

Skyscanner, the best travel search engine

I rely on Skyscanner, a widely known and trusted travel search engine, whenever I book flights. Its user-friendly interface makes it a breeze to find affordable flights to Madrid.

Skyscanner gives you all the details you need to compare prices from over 1,200 travel companies, including budget airlines.

However, remember that Skyscanner is just a search engine. You will need to book your flight to Madrid directly with the airline or travel provider offering the best rate

As you hunt for affordable flights to Madrid, you will find ratings from past travelers about their booking experiences with various airlines and online travel agents.

Skyscanner Quality Rating Score

I usually prefer to pay a few more dollars to book with the highest-rated airline or agency. The highest score a provider can get is 5 stars.

You can read here how the Skyscanner Quality Rating Score works. It takes into account the price accuracy, ease of booking, transparency around added fees, customer service and any other post-booking issues.

The scorings are unbiased and transparent, and they are calculated based on the feedback received in the last 3 months, in order to ensure that the ratings are up-to-date.

Be aware of extra fees!

If you are searching for cheap flights to Madrid, it is also interesting to consider each airline’s extra charges and fees when comparing two similarly priced flights from different airlines or agencies.

These extra costs could substantially hike up the total price. For instance, one airline might include a free checked bag per passenger, while another might not. You can conveniently check the airline fees index on Skyscanner.

I like the Skyscanner’s option to filter for ‘greener flights’, which lets you search specifically for flights with lower CO2 emissions, when they’re offered. Sustainable travel is growing every day.

How much does it cost a plane ticket to Madrid?

The prices of flights to Madrid vary throughout the year. 

While it is often thought that certain months are generally cheaper than others, the final price also hinges on factors like the country of departure, the number of layovers, and the day and time of departure.

Numerous studies exist on this topic, many of which offer conflicting information. However, when looking for affordable flights to Madrid, I recommend considering the following aspects:

• The optimal anticipation to book the flight is 4 months before your departure date.
• Mondays and Tuesdays are the best days to purchase cheap plane tickets to Madrid.
• Tuesdaysare the cheapest days to fly.
• Autumn and winter (except Christmas times) are the cheapest seasons to fly.
• Early in the morning (6 a.m.) is the best time to book a cheap flight.
• There can be huge savings in a one-stop flight compared to direct flights.
• The use of nearby airports is advisable if the saving in price is worth it.

I have made an analysis using Skyscanner, so you can have an idea of the price of a flight to Madrid. This research was done in October 2019.

• $250-$350 for a round-trip flight from New York to Madrid, non-stop, in low season (October-May). In peak season $350-$450.
• A round trip from London to Madrid would cost $50-$60 and $80-$90 in low and peak seasons respectively.
• $600-$750 for a round-trip flight from Toronto to Madrid. During the peak season, you will probably have to make 1 stop to get this price.
• A round trip from Berlin to Madrid would cost $50-$70 and $90-$110 in low and peak seasons respectively.

Step-by-Step guide to finding cheap flights to Madrid

Ready to find the best offers of flights to Madrid? Let´s start!

• Open an Incognito Mode window in your browser.

There is a common belief that flight prices increase when you check them multiple times. Although Skyscanner explicitly states they never use your data to inflate prices or create artificial demand.

• Enter Skyscanner.com
• Type in your departure city or airport in the field “From”.

For cities with multiple airports, I suggest including the city name and selecting the ‘Any’ option instead of a specific airport. This allows Skyscanner to search for the cheapest flights across all airports.

Additionally, I recommend selecting the ‘Add nearby airports’ option below the ‘From’ field.

Avoid choosing the ‘non-stop flights only’ option unless you’re certain you’ll only travel on a direct flight, regardless of the extra cost. Sometimes, a single stop can offer reasonable savings.

Below you can see that in my example I have chosen New York (Any).

• In the destination field (“To”), type “MAD”, this is the code of the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport in Spain.

In this case, do not select “add nearby airports” under the field “To”. As I have commented before, other international airports in Spain are quite far away from Madrid.

• Include the cabin class and the number of travelers.

In my example, I have selected just 1 adult, economy class.

• Pay special attention to the departure and return dates.

If your travel dates are fixed, simply select the specific dates on the calendar that appears when clicking on the departure and return dates.

However, if you have some flexibility, I recommend choosing the ‘whole month’ option in the top right corner of the calendar.

Now, you can select the specific month you plan to travel or opt for the ‘Cheapest month’ if your dates are even more flexible.

In both cases, a calendar will display flight prices to Madrid by day for that month. The outbound flight prices are shown on the left, while the inbound flight prices are on the right.

Daily prices under each calendar date are color-coded: green for the most affordable, yellow for moderately-priced, and red for prices above the average.

Consider that when you click on a departure date in this calendar, the return price may change, either increasing or decreasing. So, it is worth investing some time to explore different options and find affordable flights to Madrid.

You are not limited to the previously selected month, the blue arrows allow you to check other months. 

At the top of the graphic, you can also select the Chart view, in case you find it simpler.

In my example, I have used the “cheapest month” option, in this case, February. The most affordable price is from 5 to 14 February from $215.

You should be aware that the prices displayed in the calendar are just estimates calculated by Skyscanner.

Now, click on “Show flights” at the bottom of the screen to view the actual prices. In my experience, I have often found that the actual prices are slightly higher than the estimates.

In the example, you can see that the actual price is $259.

• Skyscanner will search for the actual prices of the flights to Madrid for a few seconds.

In the top right corner of the screen, you can sort the results by best, cheapest, fastest, or departure times.

On the left side, you can apply additional filters to refine your search, such as excluding certain results based on the number of stops, departure times, trip duration, and your preferred airlines and airports.

If you click on the “Select” button of the flight you are interested in, and you unfold the blue arrow on the right you will see the number of hours for every stop.

In the example, the cheapest round-trip flight from New York to Madrid has a duration of 7 hours, non-stop, and costs $259.

• Purchase now the plane tickets to Madrid.

In the “Book your ticket” section, click again on “Select” for the agency price you’ve chosen, and Skyscanner will check if the rate is still available.

You will then be redirected to the provider (airline or agency) offering that price to complete the booking. The steps for finalizing the booking may vary but they are generally straightforward.

Should you purchase your plane tickets now?

Most times it is best to purchase the tickets now to avoid potential price increases.

What about waiting for a last-minute flight deal to Madrid?

Based on all my trips, I can say that I have obtained better prices when I have purchased my tickets in advance.

When I have bought flights just a few days before departure, I have often found that prices have risen, sometimes significantly, resulting in additional costs for the ticket and reducing my travel budget.

According to the research performed by Skyscanner, the purchase of a last-minute ticket can imply a mark-up of 45%.

It is impossible to predict with full certainty how will be the evolution of the price of the flights to Madrid.

In the example I can see that, although the cheapest month is February, as a rule, flights were on average $ 400 round-trip. As these are not actual prices but estimations of Skyscanner, I always sum like 15% more.

Final tip: Set up Price Alerts

You can utilize Skyscanner’s free Price Alerts to stay informed about changes in the prices of the flights to Madrid.

You can find this feature in the top left corner of the screen along with the flight results. Simply click on the button, and a pop-up will prompt you to log in or sign up using your email, Google, or Facebook accounts.

Once you have set up your alerts, you will receive notifications in your inbox when cheap flights to Madrid become available.

You can modify or cancel these price alerts at any time using the links provided in the emails you receive or directly within your Skyscanner account.

Madrid Airport

Madrid international airport is Adolfo Suarez – Madrid Barajas (MAD). It is located in the northeast of Madrid, only 12 kilometers from Madrid city center.

You can easily go from the airport to Madrid city center using public transport.

Other international airports in Spain are quite far away from Madrid.
In my opinion, the possible saving in a plane ticket derived from flying to a nearby airport does not compensate for the additional cost to get to Madrid from these cities and the waste of time involved.

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas has four passenger terminals. It is really easy to move between terminals with the free shuttle bus which connects T1, T2, T3 and T4 terminals from the outside.

T4 also connects with a satellite terminal (T4S) through an automatic underground train in just 3 minutes. The satellite building T4S is reserved for all international flights outside the Schengen Area.

The airport offers free internet access via Wifi for an unlimited time. The access points are located throughout the whole terminal T4/T4S and at the boarding and restaurant areas and VIP lounges of the terminals T1, T2, and T3.

Keep planning your trip by following the steps outlined in my Madrid travel guide to ensure you make the most of your vacation in the capital of Spain.

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