Iberia-Vueling deal means 26 daily Madrid-Barcelona flights and no charges for ticket changes

The so-called 'air-bridge', or short-haul internal flight route, between Madrid and Barcelona – regularly used by those who work in one city and live in the other – opened today (Wednesday) and will allow for Iberia's 16 daily flights and Vueling's 10 to combine and share flight numbers.

This means 26 flights a day between the two cities from Monday to Friday inclusive, and 13 at weekends.

Both airlines are owned by the company IAG, which also covers British Airways, and have now coordinated their commuter flight routes so customers can take advantage of deals offered by either.

Rush-hour planes will leave every 15 to 30 minutes, and the rest on the hour, running from 06.30 to 21.45.

Advance tickets booked will now have the same flexibility as 'open' tickets, meaning dates and times can be changed as often as flyers wish without any extra costs but, at the same time, ensuring they have a place on a flight guaranteed.

All 'air-bridge' tickets will be sold with an Iberia flight number, even when they are operated by Vueling, and commuters can acquire a free Iberia Plus card to earn air-miles with both carriers.

Boarding passes can be accessed and downloaded from the time of booking, however far in advance, and up to 24 hours before flying.

Those who do not print their own boarding passes will not be charged, and can obtain these from the current 'exclusive area' at airports up to 15 minutes before the flight leaves.

The 'air-bridge' is a route between Spain's two largest cities set up in 1974 and which proved highly profitable until the high-speed AVE rail link between them opened a decade ago.

This meant the flight route became a loss-maker for Iberia, but with its new streamlined programme, it hopes to be able to compete comfortably with the AVE, which currently holds more than 60% of the market share of travellers between Madrid and Barcelona.

Flights between the two cities take around 40 to 50 minutes.

Photograph: Iberia