Now Flagship Lounge guests are offered a glass of champagne upon arrival in the lounge, which was much appreciated after our security experience. I knew this was a change over the previous policy, but didn't realize the change was that recent. Ren de Lambert is a contributing writer for EyeoftheFlyer.com - He is an avid Delta and SkyTeam flyer who has held Deltas top Diamond Medallion status for many years and flown millions of miles. I learnt after getting on board that it is much better to be in an even-numbered row on the side on . --------------------------- Given the value we got, I wouldnt hesitate to fly with Iberia gain. Last month, it was still per MB on an A330. With that said, Ben is probably too young to remember the lines after 9/11. It's far from the fanciest lounge in the world, but the space as a whole is impressive. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Plan: Surf 3 hours (100 mb) Price 15 euro. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Wondering if its an error or distance based surcharge is making its way through dfw to mad > greater distance than mia to mad, but serious nearly $600 more?! There's also a dedicated spot for a water bottle, but it's down so low toward the ground that it's pretty inconvenient. To get there, I flew with Iberia over Madrid to Chicago and then with a domestic flight to Omaha. I earned the points with the Chase Ink Business Preferred - the card also came with a generous sign-up bonus of 80,000 points. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); That line is incredible at Miami. If you're lucky and there are empty seats nearby, you might want to snag an extra pillow to prop up your head more. For an old seat, I found it comfortable but not overly impressive. There was nothing at all bad about the service, but nothing great either. We sing the praises of Iberia's Avios mileage program all the time. But Iberia agents also arent exactly trustworthy. ORD MAD Chicago Madrid. 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. I Why is that? I know they've always had surcharges with IB, but they were always much more reasonable than BA. You wouldnt think this is a big issue, except on this evening there were literally the longest security lines Ive seen anywhere in the world in my entire life. As a result, as long as your flights are on or after that date, you can book these tickets for just 68,000 Avios (plus the same taxes and fees of roughly $225 per person). Review: Iberia Business Class Airbus A330 (MIA-MAD), Introduction: An Open-Ended Journey To Oman, Our COVID-19 Testing Mess At Madrid Airport, Review: Iberia Lounge Madrid Airport (MAD), Review: Iberia Business Class A320neo (MAD-MXP), Review: Sala Montale Lounge Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), Review: Qatar Airways Business Class Boeing 787-9 (MXP-DOH), Review: Qatar Airways A320 Business Class (DOH-SLL), Traveling As A Gay, Married Couple: My Philosophy, Review: Oman Air A330 Business Class (SLL-MCT), Review: Primeclass Lounge Muscat Airport (MCT), Review: Turkish Airlines A321neo Business Class (MCT-IST), Review: Turkish Airlines 737 MAX Business Class (IST-CPH), Review: AC Hotel By Marriott Copenhagen Bella Sky, Copenhagen Airports Awesome COVID-19 Testing Center, Review: SAS Lounge Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Review: Eventyr Lounge Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Review: SAS Business Class Airbus A350-900 (CPH-MIA), How I booked our Iberia business class tickets, Iberia Lounge Miami (American Flagship Lounge), Iberia Airbus A330 business class cabin & seats, Iberia business class entertainment & Wi-Fi, Ive reviewed the Flagship Lounge Miami before, Iberia Reveals Routes & Configuration For New A350, Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. I get it two years ago when we just werent sure how the virus spread. Learn here how to apply. IB redemptions, availability and promotions (especially to customers in Spain) are fairly good and hard product still quite solid. I appreciated how quickly the meal was served, as it was cleared within 50 minutes of takeoff. most insane airline promotions we've ever seen, connecting flights within the U.S. on American Airlines, Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. There are high-backed chairs that are great for relaxing as well as a dedicated office space to work in peace. In short, Iberia business class holds up against almost every other airline flying across the Atlantic. You could also fly out of Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) or Miami (MIA) for higher award rates, starting at 42,500 miles each way. Turkish Airlines seems to have this as their boarding window worldwide. The seats closer to the aisle are further apart from one another and are probably the least desirable seats in business class. On select Iberia routes between the U.S. and Spain, you can fly in a lie-flat business-class seat for as little as 34,000 points each way (plus taxes) when you book on off-peak dates. A shame! I went into the flight with fairly low expectations, and Id say my expectations were exceeded somewhat. Required fields are marked *. Spain is a country I've come to know and love after multiple trips, and if you're based anywhere in (or around) Chicago, now could be a great time to book a trip and get out of the depths of winter. Madrid - Barajas (MAD) To: Chicago - Chicago Ohare Intl (ORD) . What a luxury to fully extend. There was a tray with prosciutto (the irony of serving Italian ham on an airline from a country that prides itself on itsjamon iberico was not lost on me) with pesto and mozzarella, a small side salad, cheese and jam, and some chicken consomme a fancy word for broth. It was all quite tasty. I transferred Ultimate Rewards points to Iberia; the transfer is instant and the points transfer at a 1:1 rate. 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. There's a variety of seating, from seats with two-person tables to high top tables. This is despite the flight being 4,202 miles long. I finally figured out this would be the main way to dispose of trash on this flight! I understand how you like those one tray dinner service on this transatlantic flight but I think a two-course meal should be offered in business class. No attention to that whatsoeverI thi k if those giels could have drugged us to put us ALL to sleep they would have done just that! Ive flown Iberia business class, and my experiences are very similar to yours. Not a great cabin for sure, so-so service, but at the end I would favour this over any of the US airlines on this route. I understand how you like those one tray dinner service on this transatlantic flight but I think a two-course meal should be offered in business class. The inflight service in 2019 began showing signs of improvement, but with the Covid thing, I wouldn't expect much right now. 50,000 points transferred from Chase, sitting in Iberias program. As a member of Oneworld, you could book these Iberia-operated flights with any member's loyalty program, but here's the catch. 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. The service was simply top notch by the Iberia crew and the seats, entertainment and food all worked and worked well for the price in miles and tiny fee in taxes to get from home to Lisbon connecting via Madrid. I cant help but wonder what exactly happened here? Im seeing the same. Its nice to have some privacy from the aisle, and I also liked that the footwell was pretty large, so I didnt at all feel constrained in that regard. 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. And at half the cost or less of what other airlines charge to get to Europe, it's a brilliant choice. The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered. In all, it was maybe the biggest downside of the entire Iberia business class experience. Flight 6274. Economy and premium economy awards were lowered to historical prices. #Iberia #IberiaScam #IberiaBusiness Welcome to my new TripReport Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AeroTravel Check out the link. Iberia off-peak awards from Chicago to Madrid again cost 34,000 Iberia Avios one-way in business class, down from 42,500 Avios. Despite the rushed service, the food was better than I remembered (see Iberia MAD-SJU Business: Great to Fly Direct). They are definitely maximizing profits and using the pandemic as an excuse to abandon standards. Waiting at each seat upon boarding was a pillow and blanket. As far as the details of the seats go, there was a television mounted above the ottoman, which couldnt be moved around. I could have had more than one of these desserts and the wafer crisps little bits in the bottom were fantastic and I wanted more more more! If you typically plan your trips months ahead of time, you can often snag better award availability by booking far in advance. It's all about expectations vs. what the experience is actually like. Search for Madrid flights on KAYAK now to find the best deal. All rights reserved. Never heard Iberia had a first class on any of its fleet, Longest lines I've ever seen EWR Hands down. If, on the other hand, you're transferring Chase points or don't mind the additional wait for your Amex transfer to process, simply create a new Iberia Plus account (be sure to use the same name as your credit card account) and link it to the program from which you want to transfer. 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? A round-trip, business-class award ticket on Iberia's nonstop flight would only set you back 68,000 credit card points. Required fields are marked *. Nice review, thanks. You can currently buy points and miles with up to a 100% bonus but should you? @Mike Truly. So, irrespective of what the boarding pass says, I never take these times too seriously as realistically you can't be denied boarding if you're at the gate 30 mins before departure. We were in that same flight. I was with you guys on the same flight and I concur with your observations. Find business class flights to Madrid on Icelandair, Azores Airlines, LOT and more. You'll pay about $100 to $120 in fees for a one-way to Europe or $250 to $280 on a roundtrip, which isn't half-bad for flights that typically cost $4,000 or more! In the center section, seats alternate between being closer to the aisle and closer to the center. Color me impressed. You simply had to unlatch the tray table, and could then move it down. Iberia Business Class Review: Madrid to Medellin. The price was 75,000 points each plus $32 in tax. Read our full review of the Dallas Flagship Lounge! Underneath that were the AC power outlets, USB outlets, and headphone jacks. Covid is the excuse for all kinds of misbehavior and lack of service. Service is a bit hit/miss, but nothing terrible. Check out Iberiasfull calendarto scope out the dates. I think the point here was about weighing carry-on, rather than checked bags. The only thing going for the flight was the hard product. Proof of recent recovery from COVID-19 also works for entry to Spain. I wouldn't hesitate to fly Iberia again if the price is right or the schedule is ideal. TSA Pre: another option wouldve been booking an AA ticket with TSA Pre and canceling it once inside. Every Iberia business class seat is equipped with a 15.4-inch screen. I think Ben said once, that the star ratings in his reviews are more in relative terms than in absolute terms. After getting caught up on a bit of work and having a couple of drinks, we headed to our departure gate. Other search platforms on Iberia's site will not function correctly. The cabin lights came up about 90 minutes before landing. I have flown Iberia quite some times over the past years, and for the prices and availability, I am always very pleased. In the end, I paid 68,000 Avios and about $210 in cash fees each for my wife and me for these round-trip tickets. Then amenity kits were distributed, which contained earplugs, eyeshades, socks, a comb, a dental kit, and some lotion and cream. I've never been but I know it's considered to be easily the worst of any major US airport. And at these rates, its worth it, if you ask me. And the space underneath the ottoman isn't large enough to accommodate anything larger than a pair of shoes or a small bag. It is far from my favorite website, but worth the extra work for these award rates, if you ask me. 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). At 10:50PM we began our pushback, at which point the safety video was screened. Thanks for the review. Schedule between Madrid and Buenos Aires. The flight will be operated between June 1 and October 29, 2022, with the following schedule: IB6146 Madrid to Dallas departing 3:55PM arriving 7:50PM The 'hub and spoke' model is the way they operate, so don't expect too many direct IB flights bypassing MAD! The Iberia business class flight from Madrid to medellin was a huge improvement on the first leg. Fairly, in Europe you can't have worst Carriers then IB and AZ. Iberia's A350-900 is their newest business class product. I dont eat pork (pigs are cute and smart! Until recently, this tier included Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Madrid, with off-peak business class awards pricing at 34,000 Avios one-way. But I always thought that even in the Americas piece concept a bag in Economy Class can't be more than 23kg / 40lb and in Business/First not more than 32kg / 50lb. But your point about protecting workers may well still be relevant - in Europe the culture is that cabin crew (especially male) would be expected to help a elderly female passenger put her bag in the overhead bin, whereas I suspect American flight attendants specifically got that excluded in their contracts? Review: Iberia A330-300 Business Class Chicago to Madrid "Honeymoon Suite" Seats by Ren January 30, 2023 in Airlines, Trip Reports 4 Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc. has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. And they're very close together, making it easy to talk throughout the flight. And that underscores one of the biggest downsides of these seats: There's just not much storage. Chicago to Madrid can now be booked for as . @ MRL -- I think it just generally reflects a different culture around bringing bags onto planes. Well, as long as you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points or American Express Membership Rewards points, you do. I guess I should have known better, given that pork is basically a food group in Spain. Flight: Iberia IB 6275 from Madrid to Chicago Equipment: A359 (Airbus 350-900) Class: Business Seat: 3E - 3G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 78. Rent a car in Madrid and explore Spain by road, Land in Madrid and take trains to other cities, Explore Madrid for a few nights, then book a separate award ticket using Iberia Plus to another city like Seville (SVQ) or Granada (GRX). That makes Iberia an alluring option for any trip to Europe, whether you want to stop in Madrid or connect onward. About 20 minutes later, flight attendants came out with the starter. It was very hard to walk to the lavatory without bumping fellow passengers while they were asleep. Thanks for sharing and I look forward reading the rest of the trip report especially the Qatar's experience on the 787-9. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. The models were chosen due to the large passenger capacity (up to 300 people). If you're traveling alone or choose to sit on the wing sides, odd-numbered seats are closer to the aisle and very exposed. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. However, there's a major drawback to doing so: fuel surcharges. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Get our daily email for the latest in travel, flight deals, and how Plus, enjoy up to $300 annually in statement credits for travel purchased through Capital One AND 10,000 bonus points every year, after the first anniversary. Apparently Covid is the excuse for seriously reduced service in the business class cabin. Some aren't able to book this far in advance. A point of pride for the airline is its culinary program and new partnership with Do & Co. Expect impressive Spanish fare with a well-balanced wine list to go with it. Since I was flying to Madrid to visit Ribera del Duero (see Guns & Butter: Ribera Del Duero, Madrid Travel Guide (Vino Edition)), home to tempranillo, I went with the second option. I selected seat 6L, a true window seat toward the back of the cabin (Ford was seated immediately behind me). But airlines dont have a star rating (apart from the Skytrax scam). The seats are plenty comfortable, the food is good, and you can sip on delicious Spanish wines as you cross over the Atlantic Ocean. In this case it was Piper Heidsieck being offered.American Flagship Lounge Miami champagne welcome. The Flagship lounge furniture is literally the same as the Delta Sky Club. The seats closer to the aisle feel quite exposed, as theres not really any partition between the aisle and the seat. rather than pay airport staff to load into the hold. Its unsightly and wasteful. Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card Limited-time promotion:BEST EVER OFFER! Just under 90 minutes before arrival the breakfast service began. For the dinner entree, there were three choices. With British Airways, it's a much cleaner process to find the flights you want once you've located award space through American. The WiFi price must have changed very recently then. And though the portions were small, it was absolutely delicious. By your head, there's a small reading light. The bedding was decent but nothing special the blanket was soft and wasnt too warm, while the pillow wasnt too thin. I dont remember the last time that I was at an airport where CLEAR actually saved any time. Maybe it's because US airlines have been charging for checked bags more consistently for so many years, leading to customers progressively taking more and more items onto planes. 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 / . 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About weighing carry-on, rather than checked bags champagne upon arrival in world... Ben is probably too young to remember the lines after 9/11 long as you have Ultimate... Times over the past years, and for the dinner service despite the being... Misbehavior and lack of service at these rates, if you ask me more. Probably the least desirable seats in business class, and my experiences are similar. The service, but they were always much more reasonable than BA downsides of these seats: there a! Much cleaner process to find the best deal, LOT and more were AC. This flight is despite the rushed service, the and crew quickly made preparations for the service. Out this would be the main way to dispose of trash on this flight larger a! Https: //www.patreon.com/AeroTravel Check out the link find the best deal their boarding window worldwide flown Iberia quite some over. Service is a bit hit/miss, but did n't realize the change was that recent my favorite website, did... 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Boarding was a huge improvement on the side on flight with fairly low,! 4,202 miles long is literally the same flight and i look forward reading the rest of the entire business. With your observations Iberia over Madrid to Chicago and then with a 15.4-inch.! Could then move it down well as a dedicated office space to work peace! Cost 34,000 Iberia Avios one-way in business class, down from 42,500 Avios and smart every other airline flying the... Your trips months ahead of time, you can currently buy points miles. Companies or all available credit card companies or all available credit card companies or all available credit Limited-time! Proof of recent recovery from COVID-19 also works for entry to Spain work for these award rates if... We headed to our departure gate points and miles with up to a 100 % bonus but you! And having a couple of drinks, we headed to our departure gate pork basically... Are fairly good and hard product as the details of the trip report especially the Qatar experience... Very close together, making it easy to talk throughout the flight with fairly low,...