Iberia Airlines Iberia Plus - IB at FCO: Terminal 3 Check-In....Priority Lines? Carryon limits?

I'm flying on an AA award ticket on IB out of FCO. It's a tight departure (10:15 AM on a Sunday after departing from a cruise). One of our tickets is in business and the other in coach.

Will there be any special check-in lines/security lines for those with a business ticket? Can I drag my spouse along with me since we're traveling together?

I'm flying on an AA award ticket on IB out of FCO. It's a tight departure (10:15 AM on a Sunday after departing from a cruise). One of our tickets is in business and the other in coach.

Will there be any special check-in lines/security lines for those with a business ticket? Can I drag my spouse along with me since we're traveling together?

Check in yes, security No special lines.
Yes you can bring your spouse to business line in IB.

Thank you wpj! I appreciate it :-)

Yes, there're, next to the main security area entrance.

I'm flying on an AA award ticket on IB out of FCO. It's a tight departure (10:15 AM on a Sunday after departing from a cruise). One of our tickets is in business and the other in coach.

Will there be any special check-in lines/security lines for those with a business ticket? Can I drag my spouse along with me since we're traveling together?

I flew FCO-MAD in December and they had a priority check-in as well as a priority security line. I know they gave us a pass for the lounge. I can't remember if we received a pass for the priority security or if it was noted on our boarding pass. It was very early so there were really no lines for anything. The priority security line was separate from the regular security line.

when Mrs.G3 and I flew FCO-JFK last year, we checked in at the AA Biz Class desk, then bypassed a long line of Y passengers via a separate security line.
They did not give us any special invite to go thru that line, BP was enough.

I don't know, but I juz want to remind that twiggers is asking about IB, not AA, I wonder if there is difference between two airlines' security line. =)

Since the above two posts seems saying about AA not IB.

I don't know, but I juz want to remind that twiggers is asking about IB, not AA, I wonder if there is difference between two airlines' security line. =)

Since the above two posts seems saying about AA not IB.

Confusion abounds.

One major difference in the 2 airline's security set up is that one is in T5 (AA's) and the other in T3 (IB's). =)

And it's only the single post from billgrates3 that is referring to an AA flight. The second of the "above two posts" is correctly referring to IB (AA doesn't fly FCO-MAD).

Regarding the question of whether IB has an elite security line one FTer says no, but two others say yes (and I'll put my money on Alice11 anyday, she's an FCO expert ;) ) This is a question that I had, so thank you Twiggers for starting this thread. And buon viaggio.

I'm flying on an AA award ticket on IB out of FCO. It's a tight departure (10:15 AM on a Sunday after departing from a cruise). One of our tickets is in business and the other in coach.

Will there be any special check-in lines/security lines for those with a business ticket? Can I drag my spouse along with me since we're traveling together?

It is a bit tight. You will want to be amongst the first to get off the ship. If you have status take your elite card with you. They should give you at least one pass to the I Mosaici lounge which is the one they use at FCO (nothing special). There is a business check in line and the counter didn't seemed crowded at all. Note that they are a bit tight with carry ons, so beware when doing that last minute packing at the ship.

...Note that they are a bit tight with carry ons, so beware when doing that last minute packing at the ship.

Thanks for your post. Could you please elaborate on "they are a bit tight with carry ons"?

I had asked about IB's hand luggage policy on the Other Euro FF Forum but didn't receive any replies echoing yours:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-european-frequent-flyer-programs/1195466-i-need-iberia-expert-few-questions.html

TIA

I'm bumping this up since it would still be appreciated if BlassSJU could elaborate on his comment that IB were "tight with carry ons".

Like the OP I'm also using an AA award to fly IB out of FCO. Can anyone report if they use the body scanners?

Perhaps Twiggers could come back and report on his exerience? :)

Hi there,

This was our recent experience at FCO flying out on IB on an AA award.

The line-up at the IB counter is a little weird. There is one line for coach, a separate line for business WITH bags, and then another little line for business WITHOUT bags.

Everyone in front of us was having their carry-ons weighed. When we got up they just asked us if we "thought the bags were under 14 kgs." We said yes (of course).

We were given a special pass for security. The security line had ZERO people in it and it was very relaxed and easy. Just a regular metal detector.

At the gate it was crazy. Damn people are so pushy and I don't know, but MANY people had 4-5 bags....so someone wasn't enforcing the carry-on limits.

Hi there,

This was our recent experience at FCO flying out on IB on an AA award.

The line-up at the IB counter is a little weird. There is one line for coach, a separate line for business WITH bags, and then another little line for business WITHOUT bags.

Everyone in front of us was having their carry-ons weighed. When we got up they just asked us if we "thought the bags were under 14 kgs." We said yes (of course).

We were given a special pass for security. The security line had ZERO people in it and it was very relaxed and easy. Just a regular metal detector.

At the gate it was crazy. Damn people are so pushy and I don't know, but MANY people had 4-5 bags....so someone wasn't enforcing the carry-on limits.

Thank you Twiggers! Very helpful and interesting info and I appreciate your report. :)

Good to hear there are no body scanners.

But I'm afraid that I'm little unclear about your description of the 2 different lines for business pax. When you say there was one line for "Business WITH bags", do you mean by that there was a line for people CHECKING bags, and then a line for people that only had carryon? And that the carryons were weighed (as I assume the checked bags were weighed too)?

I'm sorry for being so dense...

No, not dense! Just me not being clear.

Yes, one line was for business checking bags and one line for business with no checked bags.

The people in front of us had their bags weighed (carry-on bags); however, they might not have been business since they were there before we arrived and there was no line at business.

As I said, they just asked us to estimate the weight of our bags and we agreed with whatever she said LOL They DID NOT measure bags.

I should also say that we were continuing on to LHR and MIA and she printed out our BA boarding passes...so maybe that's why she was lenient? Who knows.

No, not dense! Just me not being clear.

Yes, one line was for business checking bags and one line for business with no checked bags.

The people in front of us had their bags weighed (carry-on bags); however, they might not have been business since they were there before we arrived and there was no line at business.

As I said, they just asked us to estimate the weight of our bags and we agreed with whatever she said LOL They DID NOT measure bags.

I should also say that we were continuing on to LHR and MIA and she printed out our BA boarding passes...so maybe that's why she was lenient? Who knows.

Thanks for your reply twiggers (and your patience with me!). So which line were you in - the one with checked baggage or the other?

I'm asking all this because my goal is to travel without being made to check a bag. So I'm curious if you saw the hand luggage being weighed in the line for people checking bags, or if you witnessed the carryon weighing in the other line (and that's the line I'd be in).

It's very helpful what you've been sharing twiggers. My route will be like yours in that I'll fly in business from a Schengen country to another Schengen and then to the USA.

If I'm not as lucky as you and do get my carryon weighed it's interesting that you were asked if yours was under 14kgs. Since on IB's site it says "in accordance with German Civil Aviation regulations, the maximum weight allowed for hand luggage is 8 kg":
http://www.iberia.com/OneToOne/v3/program.do?prgOid=9465&tabId=3&menuId=02130900000000&language=en&country=US&market=US&IS_ANONYMOUS=true

Which makes me wonder if their 14kgs limit is supposed to be the TOTAL of both permitted pieces, the 1 +1 accessory.

And regarding the +1 accessory policy, I'm planning on bringing one rollerboard at 55x36x20cm (22x14x8in) and a shoulder bag/tote that slides over the rollerboard's telescoping handle.

On IB's site their mention of the allowed 1 additional "accessory" doesn't list any maximum dimensions, it just lists items. My tote is 38x30x15cm (15x12x6in), but of course I'll also have a coat which according to IB is also considered the 1 additional allowed accessory.

I'm nervous that my tote bag might look too big and that they'll make me check the rollerboard. And now I'm also worrying after hearing your report that they were weighing carryon luggage for the business class line - if BOTH pieces combined need to be under 14kgs I don't think I'd make it.

It's interesting to hear they didn't measure your luggage, and that you saw ppl at the gate with alot of luggage (not that that's a good thing in terms of bin space, and boarding time, etc). But I still want to be in compliance as much as possible to guarantee as much as possible that I won't have to check a bag.

So excuse me for being so ultra-needy, neurotic, etc, but may I ask you: if you were me, would you bring the 22x14x8in rollerboard and the 15x12x6in tote and coat and just chill out(!) - or would you downsize your luggage to something less? :confused:

No worries!

TBH, we were the only business people....so the people in front of us were already there when we walked up and they might have been pulled from the regular line.

Well, this is what we had:

rollerboard (small enough to fit in AA's measuring things)
backpack
small travel purse
rollerboard (slightly smaller than the first one)
duffel bag (aka gym bag) packed full of souvenirs

They didn't give a glance at the backpack or duffel bag and just asked about the rollerboards.

Now, if you could have seen the crap that people were bringing on....one girl in line had 2 rollerboards, a backpack, and a big shopping bag. They didn't say anything.

They bring up the measuring bin thing to the gate, but they never used it (that we saw, but we got on right away.....everyone was pushing and shoving, so I can't imagine they enforced it).

The gate area was a free for all, I've never seen anything like it before. Oh, and getting off the plane in Spain? The plane was taxiing and people walked up to the bathroom and others started pulling bags down and walking up the aisle. It was crazy!

I wouldn't worry about it too much....if anything, kind of hide the shoulder bag behind your back or something....it's not like the US where the security people flag you for your extra items (I'm astounded at what people brought onboard in Europe).

When we boarded IB to MAD last month in FCO, they did not pay attention to carryon baggage weight. As for dimensions and what is allowed, an easy thing to do is to look at Iberia's hand luggage limits:

You can carry on one bag plus one personal item per passenger as long as the carry-on bag fits in the sizer and does not exceed overall dimensions of 45 inches (length + width + height). The maximum dimensions cannot exceed any of the following measurements: 22" long x 14" wide x 9" tall or 115cm (55 x 40 x 12 cm) including wheels, handle and pockets. All carry-on items should be stowed in an overhead bin.

Personal item - includes: purse, briefcase, laptop bag OR a similar item such as book bag or tote that does not exceed 36 inches( length+width+height) and must fit under the seat. (One personal item in Economy.)

Additional items that will be allowed above and beyond the restrictions listed above include:


A woman's purse or small wallet
Outerwear such as coats/wraps/hats
An umbrella or cane
A pair of crutches
A camera, small videocam or binoculars
A laptop
Bag for baby food



(Translated from Castilian.)

As this all pertains to IBERIA, Lineas Aéras de España, it will move from the American AAdvantage Forum to the Other European Frequent Flyer Programs forum.

I do not remember bags being actually measured. The lady at the IB J counter pointed to the sizer. I pleaded and pleaded and finally she budged and allowed me to keep my 22" carry on. I do not remember the agents tagging carry ons with a special tag.

Therefore, a solution may be to split up and have one person in your party stand out of the counter's view with the carry ons and then check in separately. Someone that flies this route more frequently may perhaps shed more details.

Of course they can take your bag at the gate and check it. But again I do not remember any check at the gate for any indication that carry on bags had been screened. I would just be prepared to part with my carry on. Not sure about the exact dimensions (posted above in this thread), but they the sizer is definitely smaller than what's the norm in the states.

No worries!

TBH, we were the only business people....so the people in front of us were already there when we walked up and they might have been pulled from the regular line.

Well, this is what we had:

rollerboard (small enough to fit in AA's measuring things)
backpack
small travel purse
rollerboard (slightly smaller than the first one)
duffel bag (aka gym bag) packed full of souvenirs

They didn't give a glance at the backpack or duffel bag and just asked about the rollerboards.

Now, if you could have seen the crap that people were bringing on....one girl in line had 2 rollerboards, a backpack, and a big shopping bag. They didn't say anything.

They bring up the measuring bin thing to the gate, but they never used it (that we saw, but we got on right away.....everyone was pushing and shoving, so I can't imagine they enforced it).

The gate area was a free for all, I've never seen anything like it before. Oh, and getting off the plane in Spain? The plane was taxiing and people walked up to the bathroom and others started pulling bags down and walking up the aisle. It was crazy!

I wouldn't worry about it too much....if anything, kind of hide the shoulder bag behind your back or something....it's not like the US where the security people flag you for your extra items (I'm astounded at what people brought onboard in Europe).

Thank you kindly twiggers! And the scene you paint, the free for all aspect, my goodness. I wonder if it just happened to be an unusually spirited crowd, or this is the norm for FCO-MAD flights? And thanks again for all the details!

When we boarded IB to MAD last month in FCO, they did not pay attention to carryon baggage weight. As for dimensions and what is allowed, an easy thing to do is to look at Iberia's hand luggage limits:

You can carry on one bag plus one personal item per passenger as long as the carry-on bag fits in the sizer and does not exceed overall dimensions of 45 inches (length + width + height). The maximum dimensions cannot exceed any of the following measurements: 22" long x 14" wide x 9" tall or 115cm (55 x 40 x 12 cm) including wheels, handle and pockets. All carry-on items should be stowed in an overhead bin.

Personal item - includes: purse, briefcase, laptop bag OR a similar item such as book bag or tote that does not exceed 36 inches( length+width+height) and must fit under the seat. (One personal item in Economy.)

Additional items that will be allowed above and beyond the restrictions listed above include:


A woman's purse or small wallet
Outerwear such as coats/wraps/hats
An umbrella or cane
A pair of crutches
A camera, small videocam or binoculars
A laptop
Bag for baby food



(Translated from Castilian.)

As this all pertains to IBERIA, Lineas Aéras de España, it will move from the American AAdvantage Forum to the Other European Frequent Flyer Programs forum.

Thanks JDiver for the reply.

And yes, the first thing I did (which as you say is easy) was to look on IB's site, which I linked in a previous post.

But on the Hand Luggage page they didn't show the information that you supplied, they didn't stipulate the measurements for the +1 accessory, and implied that there is no additional item "above and beyond" etc that you can bring. Your info mirrors what AA.com says, and the conversions are wrong between centimeters and inches. Very weird!

So just looked on IB's Spanish site, but there I see the same info as in English, not what you posted:
http://www.iberia.com/OneToOne/v3/program.do?prgOid=9465&tabId=3&menuId=02130900000000&language=en&country=US&market=US&IS_ANONYMOUS=true

Do you have a link to the site you're referencing?

But disregarding this issue for the moment, did you then fly on the new MAD-LAX by chance?

I do not remember bags being actually measured. The lady at the IB J counter pointed to the sizer. I pleaded and pleaded and finally she budged and allowed me to keep my 22" carry on. I do not remember the agents tagging carry ons with a special tag.

Therefore, a solution may be to split up and have one person in your party stand out of the counter's view with the carry ons and then check in separately. Someone that flies this route more frequently may perhaps shed more details.

Of course they can take your bag at the gate and check it. But again I do not remember any check at the gate for any indication that carry on bags had been screened. I would just be prepared to part with my carry on. Not sure about the exact dimensions (posted above in this thread), but they the sizer is definitely smaller than what's the norm in the states.

Thanks for your post BlassSJU! ;)

It's really helpful to hear about what other people encountered. And good tip about splitting up your party - but alas, I fly solo....

It would be neat to know IB's sizer measurements, like we know AA's. I imagine IB's sizer would be different since their carryon measurements are different.

For reference:

AA: 22 x 14 x 9 in, 56 x 35.5 x 23 cm

IB: 21.65 x 15.75 x 7.87 in, 55 x 40 x 20 cm

The whole point of my endless questions is that I'm now purchasing a carryon specifically to meet IB's requirements. When it's standing on the floor, measured from the floor to the top of the bag itself it's 20 inches (50.8 cm) and measured with the handles it's 21.6 inches (55 cm), the width is 14 in (36 cm) NOT measuring the side handle which would add another 1.5" and the depth is 8 in (20 cm). Its weight is 2.42 kgs.

But it's a soft side bag made out material like a ski jacket, and I wouldn't think it would hold up at all well if it was checked. Here's the bag if anyone cares:
http://www.lipault.com/product-8-19-22.html
And while I'm at it, here's my "accessory" piece (these 2 pieces will be the only items I'm bringing, but I'll also be wearing a coat - and to the style police out there, I'll buy both items in black):
http://www.magellans.com/store/Shop_by_Brand___Magellan_s___Travel_AccessoriesLB6 35

I think I'll cruise by LAX and look in the TBIT to see if there are any IB sizers landside. I'm assuming that all IB sizers would be uniform, right? I'll post back if I can get the measurements.