Iberia Business Class – where do they stand?
So earlier this month I was travelling to Omaha, in order to visit Warren Buffett’s Annual General Meeting. To get there, I flew with Iberia over Madrid to Chicago and then with a domestic flight to Omaha. As I wanted to have a relaxing trip and enough space for myself I decided to try out Iberia’s business class. Here I will give you some information about this flight and the Iberia business class. What did I like and what not?
The IFE screen in the Iberia business class
If you want to see the whole experience, feel free to watch the video I made about Iberia’s business class on Youtube:
First of all let’s start with the service on the ground. I did not have much time to test the Business Class lounge at Madrid Barajas airport, because I was already late. However I could throw a quick glance at it and I have to say that it is certainly one of the better lounges. It offers a decent variety of food, plenty of space and a very good atmosphere. It can get a bit crowded, though, especially, when a lot of flights to the US and South America leave during the same time frame. By the way, you can access the lounge through a duty-free shop.
From my own experience at Barajas airport I can give the following piece of advice: Plan with enough time between your flights. The airport is huge. To get from T4 to T4s you have to perform a marathon, including many escalators and even an underground train.
The hard product
The hard product is very, very good. I would say it is better than what BA has to offer (okay, their business class faces a LOT of criticism) and absolutely on par with, let’s say, Etihad’s business suite (I will write about that later). Yes, the Iberia business class is not the same, but the overall product is very good.
You access the plane, an Airbus A340-600, through a separate bridge, which adds to the exclusiveness. I received a very warm welcome by the crew, which was very professional, but at the same time not getting on one’s nerves, by asking every two seconds if everything is alright. I absolutely liked their approach to their tasks – helpful, polite, dedicated, but not pushy.
My seat was right next to the window, 4L. This was very nice in terms of privacy, you are not bothered by any “traffic” at the aisle. I strongly recommend those true window seats if you want to sleep well.
Great food, but one downside
Foodwise Iberia did a terrific job – it was simply excellent and so was the selection of wines. I tried a Rioja, which was fantastic (see the video for more about that).
The starter in the Iberia business class
Overall this was one of the most relaxing flights I have ever had. I felt very refreshed after arriving in Omaha and the same day, I wasn’t tired at all. This tells you a lot about the quality of Iberia’s business class. I could sleep very well during that flight – and this is certainly thanks to the 2 metre fully flat seat they built into their plane.
There is one little downside about Iberia’s business class: onboard internet connectivity. While they give you a voucher, it only grants you 4 MB of internet downloads – which is disappointing. And if you want to pay, there is no flat rate option, like Etihad offers for around 22 bucks. Surfing the internet you would end up paying hundreds of dollars.
For me that was not much of a problem though, because on this flight I did not want to use my laptop computer at all. I just enjoyed the great service, the good food and the possibility to catch some good sleep.
My conclusion – is the Iberia business class competitive?
Great job Iberia, it was a wonderful experience! Would I recommend the Iberia business class product? Absolutely! Would I choose Iberia again? Yes!
Want to know how to get tickets for Warren Buffett’s annual general meeting? Read my article here:
How to visit Warren Buffett’s Annual Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska 2017?