Google Flights offered a 29-hour Málaga–Madrid trip via Casablanca after Spain train crash
To travel from Málaga to Madrid, Google Flights was offering a surprising detour via Casablanca on Wednesday, October 28. The ticket could cost as much as 446 euros for a journey of nearly 29 hours. It was an unexpected consequence of the serious train crash in Spain.
A train collision near Urda, in the province of Toledo, halted high-speed rail traffic between Madrid and Andalusia. Air travel alternatives quickly became an obstacle course.
At midday on October 28, the Spanish daily El Español checked Google Flights. Among the options for connecting the two Spanish cities was Royal Air Maroc, with a connection in Casablanca. The listed price was between 433 and 446 euros for a one-way ticket.
The longest itinerary called for departing Málaga at 1:25 p.m. and arriving in Madrid the following day at 6:05 p.m. That meant 28 hours and 40 minutes of travel, including 25 hours and 40 minutes spent waiting in Morocco. This was a route offered by the comparison site, not an account from a passenger who had actually made the detour.
On Bladi.net : Royal Air Maroc expands Spain routes from Tangier, Tetouan and Nador
Casablanca was not the only unusual stopover. Smartwings listed a route via Prague for 308 euros, with a travel time of 16 hours and 25 minutes. Options via Paris or Amsterdam climbed to 1,123 and 1,708 euros, respectively. Some routes to cover a distance normally served by a direct connection thus crossed several countries.
Iberia caps fares and adds flights
In response to travelers’ difficulties, Iberia acted the same day. In an official statement, the airline announced a fare cap of 99 euros per trip in economy class and 149 euros in business class on its routes between Madrid and Andalusia through November 8.
It also added 520 seats to its schedule for October 28, including 362 on Madrid–Málaga flights, and planned two additional round trips: Madrid–Málaga at 8 p.m., followed by Málaga–Madrid at 10 p.m.
