On the console side, there's a small leather rest butting up against the area where you'll find both a wired entertainment controller along with the seat controls. @Mike Truly. OK you travel for free? Not sure exactly when this will change but Id just keep checking. You won't find a cheaper way to get Europe using miles than with Iberia. and the private seats (like yours) are also a winner in my book, especially for the Westbound flights. Seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 fashion, so every passenger has direct access to the aisle. Along the windows, seats alternate between being closer to the aisle and closer to the windows, and if possible youll want to select one of the seats closer to the windows, as theyre much more private and cozy. Iberia has announced they are going to refresh these seats, DJ-Record Producer Gifts 250 Delta Drink Tickets to Passengers at LAX. I was a member for years. Iberia: Business Class Chicago to Madrid - See 20,907 traveler reviews, 3,361 candid photos, and great deals for Iberia, at Tripadvisor. I Why is that? In business class, 23 of the 29 seats were taken, and economy seemed to be reasonably full as well. Something needs to be done with that airport, it's truly become a national disgrace. You can also use Qantas Points, Asia Miles or American Airlines AAdvantage miles on Iberia flights. And then there's the console table itself, which has a small storage area. Service began about 30 minutes after takeoff in a classic Spanish way: with small dishes of nuts and olives and a drink of choice. As for T4 in Madrid, it would be so much better if there was decent signage, particularly when wanting to connect. Until recently, this tier included Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Madrid, with off-peak business class awards pricing at 34,000 Avios one-way. Surely BCN must have as much demand as MAD. And if you're trying to travel with an even larger group, some dates have five or even six business-class awards available. }(document, 'script', 'exco-player')); document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Why does Google Flight offer a First Class on Iberia flying from Madrid to IAD? But the way each seat is laid out alternates by row in a staggered arrangement, with some seats close to the aisle and others separated from it. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Lufthansa is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,286 and an overall rating of 7.8. On the bright side, some of Iberia's flights between the U.S. and Spain the airline's new Airbus A350 planes. Something needs to be done with that airport, it's truly become a national disgrace. Considering many airlines charge less than $20 for a full-flight pass, that's very steep. @Matt Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. In the drinks department, Iberia really prides itself on its wine menu, which is full of Spanish wines. Alternatively Iberia Plus is transfer partners with both Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. Long story short: I booked 10 cheap flights within Spain and earned 90,000 Avios more than enough to book these flights along with some connecting flights within the U.S. on American Airlines. Unfortunately it wasnt all smooth sailing from there, as Ill cover in the next post. Log into your British Airways Executive Club account, click Book and Book a flight with Avios, and you're where you need to be. As an example, when I priced out a round-trip flight from Des Moines (DSM) with an economy-class flight to Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) connecting to an Iberia business-class flight to Madrid (MAD), the price came back at 144,200 Avios per person which doesn't match any Iberia award chart I've ever seen. On to bed. !Miami Airport security lineMiami Airport security line. Other search platforms on Iberia's site will not function correctly. Much like the cabin as a whole, Iberia's business class seats aren't flashy or fancy. Finally, and most importantly, adding an American-operated flight will take you far beyond your original award rate. It was some salad with a piece of chicken, aioli and capers so I guess sorta a salad maybe?? Great menu, service, and attention to detail.something has happened during Covid? USB power, standard power and headphone plug placed low making it a bit awkward to plug in. Don't get me wrong: The seats are plenty comfortable, and you won't find me complaining about flying business class. Required fields are marked *. Food. Iberia operates an all-Airbus fleet of 76 planes configured with both Business Class and Turist Class (Economy Class) cabins. I am guessing Denver Air Connection participates in precheck. Heck, there are airlines that participate in TSA PreCheck that Ive never heard of (whats Key Lime Air? And to your point about boarding, in my experience it's always a free-for-all on IB, either in MIA, MAD, or any other station. Though Iberia hasn't published a calendar for 2021 yet, my searches indicate that it'll start on January 13 next year. The lowest-priced days are highlighted in green. The last time I flew Iberia, the airline charged for Wi-Fi based on data usage, with absolutely outrageous costs. https://thriftytraveler.com/guides/points/chase-transfer-partners/, Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Iberia 3835Las Palmas (LPA) - Madrid (MAD)Friday, August 6Depart: 6:40AMArrive: 10:20AMDuration: 2hr, 40minAircraft: Airbus A321-200Distance: 1,097 milesSeat: 1C (Business Class) Flight attendants were huddled around in the front galley and ignored us upon boarding, but were very pleasant during the flight. I sat in one of these seats on the way from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD). ), Lucky, Iberia currently operates 12 weekly flights between the capitals of Spain and Argentina on Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A350-900 aircraft, configured with 288 and 348 seats respectively. to save on your next trip. Just bad design? A round-trip, business-class award ticket on Iberia's nonstop flight would only set you back 68,000 credit card points. D is the best and most In short, Iberia business class holds up against almost every other airline flying across the Atlantic. These so-called honeymooon seats get some additional privacy with the console tables on the aisle. See something missing? My wife and I were seated in these honeymoon seats on the return flight to Chicago. One option is using American AAdvantage miles. Here at The Points Guy, we love jumping on award sweet spots to make the most of our hard-earned points and miles. ), so I selected the latter. This was after you waited some time to go through checkpoints on the access roads to look in the vehicle dropping you off. Find flights to Madrid from $912. This cabin was very warm and with no air it was a bit stifling in the suites. There was also a trio of lip balm, hand cream and facial mist spray from Germaine de Capuccini, a company I'm not familiar with. If this is four stars, then what is five and how far above five is Qatar or Emirates? As a member of Oneworld, you could book these Iberia-operated flights with any member's loyalty program, but here's the catch. Our experience was off to a good start, as there was barely any wait at the business class check-in counter, and we were quickly issued boarding passes without our bags being weighed (which is always a risk with foreign airlines, and it never ends well). In the air, their flight crew did the bare minimum and asking for a drink was like I had pulled a knife on them - terrible - and they routinely ignored call buttons from other passengers. The round trip flight cost 85,000 Avios plus $256.75 in taxes/fees. Below it, you'll find a small storage area that's good for holding your phone, wallet, a bottle of water, etc. I earned the points with the Chase Ink Business Preferred - the card also came with a generous sign-up bonus of 80,000 points. Fly round-trip from Newark from $2,371, from New York from $2,386, from Boston from $2,586, from Washington, D.C. from $2,766, from Chicago from $2,797. Like a high-end category for Qatar, an average category for Iberia and a low-end category for TAAG etc. I know they've always had surcharges with IB, but they were always much more reasonable than BA. Flying Iberia business is a solid option. I can appreciate wanting to save galley space, but these are frustratingly small, especially when youre trying to avoid spills. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. But nothing major. js.src = "//player.ex.co/player/23271d62-c1c8-4817-9fa4-8afdbda97892"; Glad to hear theyve improved the WiFi. This airline was founded in 1927 and is currently based in Madrid, Barajas Airport. So all in, I think it cost me about $600 for 2 tickets after taxes for this route in biz class. You can currently book at least two seats most days from mid-January all the way through the spring and into summeron the Iberia flights from New York City (JFK) and Boston (BOS) with some scattered availability from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) and Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), too. Madrid to Chicago January 13, 19-21 and 26-28 February 2-4, 9-11 and 14 It's worth noting that many of the dates that don't have four awards right now do have 2-3 business-class seats designated for awards, so if you only need a couple, your available travel windows might be even broader. While not as valuable on an overnight flight where you might be trying to sleep, for many the better pricing may be a game changer on a daytime flight, where you can stay productive without paying a fortune. Verdict: Solid, comfortable. That's a round-trip award price, meaning that on the above dates, you and three friends or family members could fly from Chicago to Madrid and back for a total cost of 272,000 Avios and ~$900 in taxes and fees. Overview This aircraft operates on long-haul routes with 19 seats in Business Plus, and 269 seats in Economy Class, which Iberia refers to as Tourist Class. Chicago to Madrid can now be booked for as . BEN SAYS: While not industry leading, Iberia offers a solid business class experience, with comfortable seats, excellent and reasonably priced Wi-Fi, and good enough food and service. Wait, say what? Their lounge in Madrid is third-world, and ended up going to the gate early. There were just two lavatories for our business class cabin one at the front left of the plane, and another on the left side of the galley separating business class and premium economy. The Lounge is spacious and can accommodate up to 500 customers. Special meals require 24 hours to order with Kosher meals requiring 48 hours notice. The A330-200 and A330-300 can be operated for flights of practical any distance. Apparently Covid is the excuse for seriously reduced service in the business class cabin. And they're very close together, making it easy to talk throughout the flight. These planes are fairly old and showing their age, with lots of scuffs and dings throughout the cabin and seats. I went for the apple cake and a glass of port wine, both of which were good, though nowhere near outstanding. Maybe depends what concourse you use. This is somewhat random, but you alluded to it in the review: do you know why foreign airlines care how much your carry on weighs (and have absurdly low limits even in premium cabins), while US carriers couldn't care less? The main course portion can be larger. Earlier this week, I tried to book a Iberia J award DFW-MAD with AAdvantage, and the total fees were over $700 like flying BA. Service is a bit hit/miss, but nothing terrible. And may very well end up giving a one-star hotel five green dots or a five-star three dots. Iberia's normal WiFi costs are pretty exorbitant: A 50MB pass cost $39.99. The attendAnts were not pro active but thats ok. I think there's probably a historical reason for that. To be fair Iberia has announced they are going to refresh these seats and the new ones will have doors (everyone seems to want doors nowadays). Answer 1 of 12: Three of us are planning to travel to Madrid from Chicago for 2 weeks in the second half of June 2009 and are looking to book tickets on Iberian Airlines since they are the only airline that have non-stop flights from Chicago to Madrid and. MIA is horrible for the lines and how slow they move, and the lack of TSA-pre came as a shock to me too. IB isn't known for it's cleanlyness. The last one. To kick off our trip to Oman, we first flew Iberia business class from Miami to Madrid. With that said, Ben is probably too young to remember the lines after 9/11. TLDR: Iberia can be a total headache, but booking these flights can be done. Fly from Fayetteville on American Airlines, British Airways, KLM and more. I was no longer enrolled in CLEAR since I dont remember the last time that I was at an airport where CLEAR actually saved any time. Cava for me, thanks. That's all you can ask for. Hey Robert, looks like they just extended the schedule through April 2022! And oddly, there's a massage function on the seat. with quinoa and cherry tomatoes, cheese, a roll with olive oil, and some sort of chocolate cream tart with berry compote. Every Iberia business class seat is equipped with a 15.4-inch screen. Last month, it was Glad to hear theyve improved the WiFi. From front to back, the entire lounge is decorated with a simple yet elegant style. 1 week ago Web Flight: Iberia IB 3170 Departure from: Adolfo Surez Madrid - Barajas Airport, MAD, Satellite Terminal T4S, Spain Take Off from: Madrid Runway 36L; length 4,350 m / . Why dont they? Kyle Potter is the executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, covering everything from aviation news to travel deals to in-depth guides on using airline miles. I got some work done on my laptop, and the fast Wi-Fi made that pretty productive. While I could have booked this flight directly through British Airways Executive Club, that would have come with $700+ in carrier imposed surcharges. #36 out of 74 Airlines 285 reviews. I'm 5 feet 10 inches and had no issues stretching out, but I can't imagine the space being an issue for anyone under 6 feet 6 inches or even taller. About 45 minutes before landing the captain announced that wed soon start our descent, and that we should be arriving early thanks to a strong jet stream. Inside Iberia Airbus A350-900 Business Class (Madrid - YouTube. What a luxury to fully extend. Even a small backpack will have to be put in the overhead compartment. Instead of adding another segment to the ORD-MAD award, consider one of the following options: Unfortunately, adding a connecting flight on American within the U.S. likely isn't possible here for three reasons. I've found the Iberia staff generally very good on ORD-MAD and MIA-MAD routes, often providing me two glasses of wine if I indicate I don't know which one to have. Every single request and interaction I had was met with a quick smile and a nod somewhat curt, but polite. Their lounge in Madrid is third-world, and ended up going to the gate early. Shortly after boarding, each passenger was offered headphones. Well, as long as you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points or American Express Membership Rewards points, you do. Iberia currently operates 3 different aircraft on flights between Madrid and the United States the A330-200, A330-300, and A350-900. Redeeming just 68,000 Chase or Amex points for a round-trip, business-class award flight from the U.S. to Europe is a fantastic deal, especially considering that many programs would require a similar amount (or even more) for a one-way ticket. IB crew can be a bit disinterested, though they are generally much nicer to my Spanish-speaking husband than me even when I make an effort to speak a little Spanish. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. So instead I burned up some Alaska points that I had been siting on for literally years. It's probably not going to win any awards anytime soon. Agree that the IFE is solid, and the food is also generally good, and even better on flights departing MAD. All I could ask. Curious how long we expect the covered food practice to persist? And there is seemingly endless legroom. You'll pay a bit more for the longer flights from Miami (MIA) at 42,500 Iberia Avios each way, but it's still a bargain. One was very nice and the other undrinkable. Use the interactive calendar available on Expedia to see the cheapest Iberia (Castrillon OVD - Canary Islands VDE) ticket prices during the weeks surrounding your travel dates. The seats are fine, the food is generally good. We alertedThrifty Traveler Premium members last week to wide-open award availability to fly Iberia business class from the East Coast to Madrid (MAD) through spring and into summer 2023. I slept through breakfast so no shots of what was offered but considering how dull the rest of the food was I doubt I missed much and was just as happy grabbing breakfast in the lounge in Madrid as we had a number of hours before our next connection. 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