JDiver

We flew IB6251 MAD-JFK on April 23.

One departure runway is closed at MAD, so departures are under ground control delays; we left nearly an hour late.

My observations of the A330-302 MSN 1835 EC-LUK "Costa Rica" 36 seat Business Plus cabin and experience:

Boarding was fast and easy, but we had to be assertive with the cloud of "gate lice" crowding the gate, even though they were seated far back and had higher boarding group numbers. ¡Con permiso!

The overhead baggage bins in Business had been closed, and were quite spacious; unlike many aircraft out there, the middle bins are just as capacious as the side bins. They are high, so shorter passengers will have a challenge.

Once we were seated the Flight attendants promptly picked up coats for storage in the aft hanging lockers. Pre-departure beverages (including a fresh-tasting, uncomplicated cava) were served, menus and amenity kits were dispensed.

The Purser was very attentive and personable. She spent time with each Business passenger three times during the flight, starting by taking meal preferences on her tablet, explaining Iberia Plus and signing up a couple of passengers on the spot using her tablet, and ending by soliciting feedback and thanking each and every one of us (in Castilian or English).

Flight attendants were thorough and offered from the wine selection at least four times prior to and during lunch, afterwards making two runs with after dinner wines, digestifs, etc. They also offered beverages during the pre-arrival refrigerio service. A bottle of purified spring water was handed out as well.

We booked 7E and G, "honeymoon" seats (198 cm / 78" by 66 cm / 26") at the aft of the main J cabin, as those were the ones available and we preferred both being seated close to each other and having side consoles to protect us from being hit by careless passengers transiting narrow aisles. An attendant lowered the barrier separating the two seats for our comfort; the remaining barrier was perhaps 30 cm high.

We did experience some noise from the galleys aft of us, as well as a clinking sound I identified as metal hangers used in the coat closets. This is a deficiency of these seats, but not a major one.

1E, G at the bulkhead seemed to have significantly shallower foot pockets; fully flat passengers who are tall will not be happy to have this added to noise from the fore galleys. These seats are not STCd for storage in these hollows in the bulkhead, so all hand baggage must go into the overhead compartments.

I like the new business class, though in full upright position, it's less comfortable. He lack of position able footrests (the footbox and lower surface suffice for foot and leg resting) is different, and it may be a very short flyer might find little leg support and the footbox edge just supporting their feet. I found the footbox spacious, though with my size 12W / 45 shoes, not overly generous.

The seat was OK in most positions, even for someone 6'4" / 193 cm, and very easy to operate with intuitive, well illustrated and backlit controls. Moving the seat forward or back is possible, useful for viewing the large built-in LCD flat screen AVOD system, operable iir with touch screen or handset, and for eating from the fore-and-aft fixed spacious and sturdy seat table that wings 90 degrees from its secured position against the seat fore bulkhead. The seat becomes, of course, a fully horizontal bed; console armrests can be lowered for convenience.

Lighting is good, the ceiling light operated by a button next to seat controls and another on the handset - but the backlit logos aren't very large, or visible when lights are on and the handset is fastened by your side, so it's easy to push the FA call button instead. Power is provided by a multi plug (US, Euro, Aus/China, UK) providing, it appeared, 110 VAC and USB 5 VDC as well.

There is small item storage at your hip side by the console tray, and iirc there's a small flat storafpge area below the AVOD LCD. The AVOD system offers a number of options including somewhat interactive moving map that's quite good, but the A340 "tailcam" seems to be missing.

I'll post wines and menu soon.

The salad and starters were good, the chicken verging on dry but palatable, the vegetables overcooked considerably; the mango cake was very nice. The pre-arrival was a nice snack.

All in all, it was a pleasant flight with comfort, good service and food and beverage service. As a very long time AA flyer (who also remembers the IB 747-200s LAX-MAD), I can say that IB service gas genuinely improved over the years, and that I'd rather fly the IB A330 transatlantic than AA in most instances (I do like the "77W" business class) or BA.

(Our flight from LIS to connect was made with the medium range A319 with Club seating - amazing seat pitch at 125 cm / 50"seat pitch, 56 cm / 22" seats two by two across and very generous seat recline. Quite a luxurious one hour flight, particularly compared with the "new, improved" BA rubbish Club Europe 30" seat pitch.)