Background & Booking
For awhile now, I had been wanting to try out Iberia’s Business Class product, and so when I saw off-peak award space for March, I decided to plan a trip to Spain. I booked this flight about 7 months in advance. It cost 34,000 Avios, and I transferred from AMEX when they had the 30% transfer bonus. So, the net price was 27,000 AMEX points. Taxes and fees for this flight were about $125. Originally, I was booked on the A330, but a last-minute equipment swap allowed me to try out the Iberia A350 Business Class product, which I was excited about. While not the “Next” Suites on the newer A350s, I still got to try a newer plane, which was nice, and I love how the cabin height feels more spacious on the A350.
Flight Details
Iberia Flight 326
New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD)
Scheduled Duration: 7 hours and 15 minutes
Actual Duration: 6 hours and 58 minutes
Cabin: Business
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Seat: 7L (Window)
Check-In
Twenty-four hours before the flight, I went to check-in and was able to easily add my TSA PreCheck number. The aircraft planning to operate my flight was an A330-200 with just 5 rows of Business Class, and I chose seat 2L, which was a seat closer to the window for some more privacy.
When I woke up the morning of my flight, I saw that the aircraft had changed to an A350-900, with 8 rows of Business Class seats. The computer automatically assigned me 7L, which was fine with me since it was also one of those window seats closest to the window for more privacy from the aisle.
Iberia has two types of seats on the A350, depending on whether it was delivered after late 2022 or before. The newer planes have “Next” seating, which offers a suite door. Both planes have the same business class layout so it’s hard to tell which one you’re on, but the way to check is by checking the Premium Economy Cabin. The A350 with the new suites has a middle row of seats in the first row of the Premium Economy Cabin (Row 11), while the older A350s without the business-class suite do not have middle seats in row 11.
At the Airport & Lounge Access
Iberia utilizes Terminal 8 at New York (JFK), which is home to American Airlines and many of their Oneworld partners. I didn’t have any bags to check, so I just went directly to the TSA PreCheck line. I did see the Business Class Iberia check-in desks near the street entrance, and the line didn’t look too bad.
Business class passengers get access to the Greenwich Lounge, which I’ve visited many times before. This time, it was a bit crowded, and the floors could have used some better cleaning as they felt quite sticky. However, the food options available were quite good, and the main hot dishes of chicken, Vietnamese pork, vegetable stir fry, and chili tofu were quite tasty.
Boarding
Boarding was scheduled 40 minutes before our departure time. I decided to head out of the lounge a bit early to see if I could get a photo of the Iberia A350. I arrived at the gate 5 minutes before boarding, and to my surprise, they were already boarding Group 1, which I was in. So I just hopped into the short queue and got on the plane. All the other groups were already all lined up by zone as well.
As I entered the plane, I found the cabin to be bright and welcoming. I love the higher cabin ceilings on the A350 aircraft, and they have large overhead bins. The cabin reminded me of my flight on the Asiana Airlines A350, as they have similar color palettes.
I was lucky that the plane swap added 3 extra rows of business class, and they didn’t fill them. So, no one was around me.
The Seat
My seat was 7L, which was one of the more private seats, with the seat closer to the window. The odd-numbered rows on the right side of the plane (L) are the more private seats, while the even-numbered rows on the left side of the plane (A) are the more private seats. Couples might like the center seats in odd rows (E)(G) as they are closer together and further from the aisle.
To the left is a table with a cup holder and two small storage trays. The top tray held the decent noise-canceling headset, and the bottom tray held the amenity kit. Beneath that, there is the headphone jack, USB A, and a universal power outlet.
On top of the left armrest, there is a remote control for the IFE, and then above that are the seat controls. The controls were pretty easy to use.
The amenity kit contained socks, an eye mask, hand cream, lip balm, earplugs, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a bookmark.
The tray table came out from the back of the seat in front, which I prefer over the ones that come out from the armrest.
Bedding
A pillow and duvet were provided. Also there was this mattress pad/extra pillow provided that could also be used creatively.
Versatile Mattress Pad
I ended up not using it as a mattress pad since it was comfortable enough. But rather, I used it as an additional side pillow.
In the lie-flat mode, the seat converts to a 76″ flat bed.
In terms of lavatories, there are two at the front of the aircraft for business class passengers. They were kept clean throughout the flight, though they were pretty standard, with no amenities other than hand lotion.
IFE & Wi-Fi
The 15.4″ HD in-flight entertainment screen was quite crisp. There were plenty of movies, recorded TV shows, music, and games to keep you entertained for the flight.
Wi-Fi was also available on the flight. Iberia Plus members (free to sign up) and business class passengers could have free messaging. Or it was 3.49 EUR otherwise. A browse and stream flight pass was 16.99 EUR for the whole flight or 13.49 EUR for 4 hours.
Since I was planning to sleep for most of the flight, I just signed in for the free messaging, which was nice to have.
The Flight
As I was getting settled in, the pilot announced that our time in the air would be a quick 6 hours and 15 minutes. Shortly after I got settled at my seat, a friendly flight attendant came by to offer a welcome beverage of orange juice, grapefruit mocktail, or water. I had to try the grapefruit mocktail, and it was quite good!
The doors closed 5 minutes past our scheduled departure time. One memorable aspect was that I liked the calming instrumental music they played before our takeoff. We ended up taking off 40 minutes past our scheduled departure time.
Dinner Service
Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, the meal service began.
There was a choice of a starter between:
- Grilled Cajun chicken with roasted beets and candied pecans
- Vegetarian caesar salad
And for the mains, the choices were between:
- Braised beef cheeks with creamy polenta and fresh vegetables
- Cod on a bed of chickpeas with grilled prawns
- Handrolled spinach gnocchi in a creamy sauce with ricotta and sautéed spinach
Along with:
- Warm artisan bread, served with organic extra virgin olive oil and butter
One notable item on the whiskey list is the Johnnie Walker Blue Label, which does retail for around $200 a bottle. It was late, and I didn’t feel like drinking, but I did give it a try on my return flight.
I found the chicken appetizer to be a bit bland and dry, but it was fine. I did like the cute salt and pepper shakers they provided. A little souvenir to take home.
The cod itself was alright, but I was surprised by the grilled prawns, which were the real highlight of the dish.
Dessert
As I was wrapping up my main course, the flight attendant came by and left a chocolate that was 70% cacao, and brought out a water bottle.
At this point, the lights were shut off for those who wanted to sleep and this was an hour and 50 minutes after our departure.
At this time, dessert came out. Options included:
- Passion fruit panna cotta
- Vanilla ice cream, served with chocolate crumbles and raspberries
- Cheese selection, served with red grapes and quince paste
I ended up trying both the panna cotta and a side of ice cream. Both were a nice touch to end my meal!
In the galley, there was a snack box with two types of chips, caramel popcorn, pretzels, Kit Kat & Twix, in case you needed a snack during the flight.
After dessert, I headed off to sleep to try to get as much as I could. I got about 2.5-3 hours before I was awakened by the lights turning on for the breakfast service. Two hours before landing, they turned on the lights to begin the breakfast service. I wish they had perhaps waited a little longer so we could maximize sleep time on this short flight.
In terms of napping, I was able to nap pretty well. The lie-flat bed was pretty roomy, and I like how my feet didn’t feel too restricted as there was a gap between the foot cubby and the window.
Breakfast
There was a choice between:
- Plain omelette served with chicken, sautéed spinach, and mushrooms
- Cinnamon french toast with mixed berries compote
I got the omelette and found it to be quite good!
Overall, the service on the flight was quite good, and the flight attendants were friendly and attentive. Definitely better than the service I had on my return flight, and perhaps the empty cabin attributed to that.
We ended up touching down 15 minutes before our scheduled arrival and parked at a remote gate a few minutes early. I really dislike remote gates as we have to jam into a bus to take us to the terminal. On the bright side, you get to see the aircraft from up close and snap a photo, I guess. It didn’t help that it was sprinkling, so it wasn’t the most fun to be out in the rain.
Thankfully, the buses were waiting for us, and immigration went by quickly. I believe it only took me about 30 minutes from when I left the aircraft to when I exited the airport.
The Verdict
Overall, I enjoyed my Iberia A350 Business Class flight and would definitely consider flying them again. The service was really solid, and the food offerings were pretty decent. I would love to try the A350 “Next” aircraft with the suite doors in the future.
Have you flown on the Iberia A350 Business Class cabin before? Share your experience below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking & planning trips. Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
