I hadnt bothered to check the TSAs airline list before our trip because I dont remember the last time I flew an airline that didnt participate in it. With that said, Ben is probably too young to remember the lines after 9/11. Nice review, thanks. I've never been but I know it's considered to be easily the worst of any major US airport. Im seeing the same. On top of that, Wi-Fi speeds were excellent. But those restrooms looks so disgusting. one of the best deals in points and miles, Many countries have dropped all COVID-19 entry restrictions. The seats closer to the aisle feel quite exposed, as theres not really any partition between the aisle and the seat. The seats are fine, the food is generally good. But on the whole, dinner definitely exceeded my expectations. 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. 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). Even from Chicago take a look at what a similar date as I flew would run later this year: Yeah disgusting and those prices are PER PERSON. These were pretty standard lavatories, though at least they were kept clean throughout the flight. Wait, say what? As you can see, Iberia has opted to operate flights to America solely using Airbus aircraft. Check out Iberiasfull calendarto scope out the dates. So you'll want to pick your seat carefully, because there are winners and losers. I dont really understand the star rating system here. Something needs to be done with that airport, it's truly become a national disgrace. Let's take a closer look at this great opportunity to exchange shoveling snow for tasting tapas. Plan: Surf 3 hours (100 mb) Price 15 euro. I think there's probably a historical reason for that. Airline: Iberia Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 Flight #: IB3167 Route: London Heathrow (LHR) > Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD) Date: September 26, 2021 Duration: 1hr 52mins Cabin and Layout: Iberia business class, 31-seat capacity across 8 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration Seat: 3J To kick off our trip to Oman, we first flew Iberia business class from Miami to Madrid. Just note that to do this, both of your accounts must have been open for at least 90 days, and they also must be active (meaning you've earned or redeemed Avios in some way). It's far from the fanciest lounge in the world, but the space as a whole is impressive. The TV selection was great as well, including a full season of Modern Family, The Handmaid's Tale, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Despite having CLEAR, it still took 45 minutes to get through security. The 4 or 7 pm flights the dinner is more what you would expect in a premium cabin, at least pre-COVID. While the one tray dinner service looks better than the current Club World offering by British Airways, it is still sad to offer a "premium economy" meal to your business class passengers. @Mike Truly. Fly from Louisiana on American Airlines, United Airlines, Iberia and more. But airlines dont have a star rating (apart from the Skytrax scam). You won't find a cheaper way to get Europe using miles than with Iberia. We arrived at Miami Airport at around 8PM for our 10:45PM departure to Spain. It's comfortable, the food and service are good to great, and it has everything you need to arrive in Europe feeling refreshed. Iberias A330s have solid staggered seats in business class, with excellent Wi-Fi and good entertainment. As is the case with so many airlines, it appears that the boarding time posted on boarding passes isnt actually the time that boarding is intended to start, which sure is frustrating. Flying out of Chicago, New York City, or Miami, you'll even have access to American's Flagship lounges, which are among the best business class lounges in the U.S. And Iberia has its own lovely lounge in Madrid for international business class departures. Though Iberia hasn't published a calendar for 2021 yet, my searches indicate that it'll start on January 13 next year. Why is that? I am guessing Denver Air Connection participates in precheck. Check here before booking an award fare. That 100 mb lasted me 30 minutes haha. Learn here how to apply. Curious how long we expect the covered food practice to persist? For the past few weeks, every time I look on Iberia.com for Madrid to JFK for April 22 it shows nothing but BA flights. Shortly after boarding, each passenger was offered headphones. Earn $900 bonus cashback(90,000 points) after spending $6,000 in purchases within three (3) months of card membership approval. I chose and before I know I have a glass of cava and not one but TWO Red winesall at once! ast month from Miami to Madrid is the WORST Business class experience EVER! There was also a map feature, which is the main way that I use inflight entertainment. I flew MAD-SDQ business class and it was absolutely terrible . That line is incredible at Miami. But no more. Iberias A330-300 business class cabin consists of 29 seats, in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration. Then the cheaper airlines saw the money in this and started to sell bags by the kg (like Ryanair). I acquired these Iberia Plus Avios by transferring them from British Airways Executive Club, which is possible as long as both accounts have been open for at least 90 days. Lucky, I regularly fly this route, as I am based on Miami and my parents live in Madrid! 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. . 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. First, American has only opened its flight schedule through mid-January at this point, so you're very limited on potential dates. ans hiw could we possibly want coffee when we had not even been able yo finish our CAVA! I think the point here was about weighing carry-on, rather than checked bags. It's all about expectations vs. what the experience is actually like. I always forget that Iberia's chart is peak and distance-based, so sometimes you end up paying up to 15k points less! On the bright side, some of Iberia's flights between the U.S. and Spain the airline's new Airbus A350 planes. Im not exaggerating when I say that Ive never even seen a security line half this long before. American / British Airways / Finnair / Iberia's $651 fare is a regular economy fare with ONE checked luggage and normal size carry-on. Thats no longer the case. 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. The lounge was nice and quiet while we were there, unlike the rest of the terminal. Dismissive aircrew , never again. 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. }(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? 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 Just under 90 minutes before arrival the breakfast service began. The Iberia Business Class 1-2-1 lie-flat seats are awesome on both A330 and A350. When it's time for bed, it's easy enough to recline all the way back into bed mode. Learn here how to apply. This was That line is incredible at Miami. Iberia occasionally runs promotions, slashing the amount of miles it takes to fly in economy or business class to get to Europe and back. ), so I selected the latter. And the space underneath the ottoman isn't large enough to accommodate anything larger than a pair of shoes or a small bag. Despite the rushed service, the food was better than I remembered (see Iberia MAD-SJU Business: Great to Fly Direct). I think the point here was about weighing carry-on, rather than checked bags. Is that true??? Instead, consider booking separate awards from your departure city to Chicago or paying for a positioning flight separately. Any idea what's going on with AAdvantage redemptions on Iberia? 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? I finally figured out this would be the main way to dispose of trash on this flight! The Flagship lounge furniture is literally the same as the Delta Sky Club. Then amenity kits were distributed, which contained earplugs, eyeshades, socks, a comb, a dental kit, and some lotion and cream. Everything was served at once, and each individual item was covered. Six, seven? In fact, playing around on the site I find that there are no tickets listed for ANY Iberisa flights after Mar 27, 2022. Thanks for sharing and I look forward reading the rest of the trip report especially the Qatar's experience on the 787-9. For 2022, it has 18 A330-200s and two A330-300s in its fleet. It was 6:00AM after all. Its unsightly and wasteful. Wearing a mask and the lack of an individual air nozzle also didnt help with creating a good sleeping environment. Critically, there's no constraining footwell on the single seats. One was very nice and the other undrinkable. . Let me let you in on a points-and-miles secret: Iberia business class is one of the best deals in the sky. As on my MAD-ORD flight end of January it was still charged per MB. For example, you can book this ticket from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Brussels (BRU) for just 88,000 miles and less than $61 USD. Thanks for the review. Iberia's business class is comfortable and solid, with lie-flat seats and great food onboard. I do believe that Ben could make this concept more clear by putting a short explanatory note under each rating. For an old seat, I found it comfortable but not overly impressive. Traveling for spring break? You may be thinking that this sounds great, but who in the world has Iberia Plus Avios sitting around? Chicago to Madrid Costs at Least $2,052 One-Way in Business Class Other airlines charge much more for a transatlantic Business Class award seat. The seat back pocket does allow for more knee room on these Recaro designed seats, and could be the reason that it felt so spacious. They better get back on trackthat was basic cabina service in Iberia at best! Fairly, in Europe you can't have worst Carriers then IB and AZ. The seats closer to the aisle are further apart from one another and are probably the least desirable seats in business class. And then there's the console table itself, which has a small storage area. 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 lowest-priced days are highlighted in green. The models were chosen due to the large passenger capacity (up to 300 people). 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. So please don't try this without speaking to your doctor first. A round-trip award ticket from ORD-MAD in business class will set you back 115,000 miles per person (plus ~$225 in taxes and fees). We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. The calendar view stops abruptly at March 27, 2022. Eye of the Flyer may receive a commission from the links below. In this part of the terminal there was a single checkpoint open makes sense, eh? 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. I think there's probably a historical reason for that. complete guide to booking business class flights using Iberia Avios. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Food. Thrifty Traveler Premiummembers get award space alerts like this one first, along with cheap domestic and international flights. Coffee, tea and water offered often . I was a bit confused.they offered two choices of meal.and WHAT wine would I like with that! 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. However, because the Iberia Plus uses a distance-based formula to calculate the award price, adding an additional connecting flight will increase the number of Avios you'd need. Cheap flights from Chicago to Madrid from $ 597 on Iberia Espaol Cheap flights Madrid Chicago-Madrid See flights Madrid-Chicago Cheap flights Chicago - Madrid from $ 597 Search flight Round trip/Return One way Outbound Return Adult 1 Child 0 Infant 0 Hotels Cars Save with flight + hotel But nothing major. Looks like they just extended the schedule through April 2022! See our Privacy Policy. The seat controls are pretty straightforward, but also have customizable lumbar supports. Iberia business class offers the cheapest way to get to Europe in style using miles. USB power, standard power and headphone plug placed low making it a bit awkward to plug in. Oddly, Iberia handled WiFi much differently on the return flight from Madrid (MAD) to Chicago-O'Hare (ORD). Cold food and one glass of wine only. Will make sure NOT to fly business with them again! Inside Iberia Airbus A350-900 Business Class (Madrid - YouTube. These flights typically start at just 34,000 miles each way whether you book with Iberia or British Airways Avios, which is an absolute steal. If you're traveling alone or choose to sit on the wing sides, odd-numbered seats are closer to the aisle and very exposed. Seat width: 26 Iberia used to operate this route using Airbus A346 in the past and recently upgraded it to an Airbus A359. Theres certainly better bedding out there, but this wasnt bad. 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. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. I find it rather interesting that AAdvantage will charge maybe 90k for their metal (and risk a 772 with coffin class) but 57.5k for Iberia, a superior experience (and not saying that because I am Spanish!). Iberia A330-200 Business Plus LAX-MAD After participating in the fantastic promo that Iberia ran last year, I booked an award Business Class flight from LAX to Madrid on Iberia for my spring break. Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. The lavatories were pretty standard, and werent kept particularly clean. Madrid - Barajas (MAD) To: Chicago - Chicago Ohare Intl (ORD) . Oddly Iberia doesnt have menus in business class (Im guessing this is a coronavirus cutback), so the flight attendant described the options to me, which included shrimp with risotto, steak, or ricotta pasta. Use this wide open award space to lock in a trip to Spain next year in style! You could book the departing flight now for May, but youd have to wait to book the return flight Iberia flights are only available 361 days in advance, so it will be a few months before a return flight in July is available. 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. Related: Fly business class to Europe from 34,000 Avios each way https://thriftytraveler.com/guides/points/chase-transfer-partners/, Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. American / British Airways / Finnair / Iberia also have a $481 fare, but it is a Basic Economy / Economy Light fare. Seats Let's take a look at the seats from a variety of angles. 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. Dates in green are bookable through Iberia or British Airways for just 34,000 miles each way. 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?! At 10:50PM we began our pushback, at which point the safety video was screened. Scroll through the dates and pick the nonstop Iberia business class flight that works! Earn 75,000 bonus points (worth at least $750 in travel) after spending $4,000 in purchases within three months of card membership approval. The price was 75,000 points each plus $32 in tax. You and I must never travel to the same airports (although I admittedly fly domestic 90% of the time). As for T4 in Madrid, it would be so much better if there was decent signage, particularly when wanting to connect. We were in that same flight. A nice touch with the pillow and blanket that were both comfortable. The tray table folded out from the side of the seat in front. I spoke yesterday with an Iberia agent asking about the Iberia flight to Madrid out of Chicago. While not as good as Emirates ICE, for example, it was still solid. Fortunately, Iberia is incredibly generous with what's considered off-peak next year. Luckily, both Iberia and British Airways makes it cheap and fairly easy to change plans if need be. 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. Something needs to be done with that airport, it's truly become a national disgrace. At some point I decided to get up. It will be interesting to fly these jets again once the new seats are installed and if the price stays the same (or lower) in points I will fly this again compared to the current disgustingly over priced Delta Skymiles awards in 2023. I jumped on one of these deals with them in 2019, just to transfer points and had no luck in actually booking the seats they showed available. It's even better on the return flights, as Iberia considers this one their "flagship" routes (up to 3 flights a day) and are departing from their hub (catering above all). Just because one agent tells you something doesnt mean its true. The business class cabin features STELIA Aerospace SOLSTYS seats laid out in a spacious 1-2-1 staggered configuration, allowing aisle-access for all passengers. But the airline charges 57,500 miles each way, so you'll use up a bigger part of your balance as well as some extra fees. Lastly, pre-departure drinks were served in proper glassware, with the choice of water or orange juice. I got some work done on my laptop, and the fast Wi-Fi made that pretty productive. Earn $900 bonus cashback(90,000 points)after spending $6,000 in purchases within three (3) months of card membership approval. In the drinks department, Iberia really prides itself on its wine menu, which is full of Spanish wines. 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. @ Daniel from Finland -- MKLDH's explanation is correct, I will try to add something that makes it clear how I come up with a rating. It's honestly one of the best features of these seats. Take-off 30 Sep 19, 16:45. Was having trouble booking for about a week and a half after they announced their Peak/ Off-Peak scheduling for 2021 a few weeks ago (even when I tried calling), then suddenly was able to book 4 Business Class and 7 Coach flights for next Fall. Need to log in to my Iberia account more often jaja. 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