Iberia Airlines Iberia Plus - IB vs AA to Madrid-which is preferred?

I am trying for 2 business class award seats to Madrid in October 2012,originating in Kansas City. I can fly either AA or Iberia TATL. AA is from Dallas, Iberia is from Chicago. Both options have decent connections.

Which business class seat is preferred by those who have flown both? Comfort of the seat for sleeping on the overnight flight going to Madrid is important. Second is the quality of the meals.

Take whichever you can get. Business class awards are no longer easy to get.

would go for the IB flight, as they have full flat beds. The beds in the 767 of AA are declined.

I would go for IB too. They have full flat beds, and the food is really nice.

Word of advice, business class awards are awfully hard to get in IB TATL flights, so the sooner, the better.

I've been calling AA every day since Monday to see if the business seats are loaded in yet for Oct. 23, the day I'd like to fly outbound to Madrid. So far, they are not. Nor are business seats on AA metal. Econ seats are available on both AA and IB for Oct. 23, but I want business.

I'll call every day until something opens up.

I would go for IB too. They have full flat beds, and the food is really nice.

Word of advice, business class awards are awfully hard to get in IB TATL flights, so the sooner, the better.

I agree that IB has the better product. I don't agree with "the sooner, the better." What IB doesn't do is make significant numbers of business class award seats available far in advance. Close to the day of travel, it can be very easy indeed.

I just looked at the nonstop flight from LAX to MAD - business class award seats are available tomorrow, Monday, and Wednesday. (I think these are all the days on which the flight operates in the next week.) And on the days in the next week when the LAX flight does not operate, there are business class awards available on IB via ORD.

The later, the better.

I agree that IB has the better product. I don't agree with "the sooner, the better." What IB doesn't do is make significant numbers of business class award seats available far in advance. Close to the day of travel, it can be very easy indeed.

I just looked at the nonstop flight from LAX to MAD - business class award seats are available tomorrow, Monday, and Wednesday. (I think these are all the days on which the flight operates in the next week.) And on the days in the next week when the LAX flight does not operate, there are business class awards available on IB via ORD.

The later, the better.

Unfortunately I cannot wait until later. The flights will coincide with a cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon, flying in to Madrid and staying 2-3 nights precruise, then staying in Lisbon 2-3 nights post cruise. I don't want to pay for the cruise and then find out I cannot get award flights to Spain.

Right now, AA is releasing some business seats every day for the next calendar day. The earliest date showing J availability is Oct. 14, 9 days before I'd like to fly. Perhaps IB is doing the same thing.

Given the need to be in BCN for specific dates, I'd book AA now.

Given the need to be in BCN for specific dates, I'd book AA now.

I'm willing to book on AA metal, but there are no business seats available, only coach. The earliest day AA has J seats in October 2012 is Oct. 16. They appear to be adding 1 seat each day. Maybe in 7 days a seat will open for Oct. 23. I could book one J seat and one coach and hope the second J seat opens up for my husband to move up to.

An AA csr told me if I book both seats in coach for 20K miles each, and then business opens up, I can add 30K miles each and switch to J seats without a charge. She said I can call on the phone to make this change and won't be charged for the phone call. Is this true?

I would pick IB for the seat and overall cabin comfort, and AA for the food and service.

An AA csr told me if I book both seats in coach for 20K miles each, and then business opens up, I can add 30K miles each and switch to J seats without a charge. She said I can call on the phone to make this change and won't be charged for the phone call. Is this true?

Yes. You can also change carrier and routing free of charge on AA award tickets, provided that your origin and destination stay the same. So if you book AA, and seats on IB open up later, you can switch if you wish.

Telephone booking charges only apply to the original booking. There's no fee for calls to make changes.

Yes. You can also change carrier and routing free of charge on AA award tickets, provided that your origin and destination stay the same. So if you book AA, and seats on IB open up later, you can switch if you wish.

Telephone booking charges only apply to the original booking. There's no fee for calls to make changes.

If I book the original outbound flights online in econ, then business seats open up, and I have to call to add he miles for those seats, will I be charged for the phone call? The AA csr said no, but I'm not sure I believe her. I don't see a way to upgrade from coach to business online, only by calling.

Note that it is well know that IB often cancels intl. flights, leaving passengers in a lurch, sometimes close to departure. This happened to me recently; IB wanted me to return a day later-luckily AA was willing to book us on their MAD-DFW flight. The seats may not be as comfortable, but you are much less likely to experience something like this with AA.

Iirc, you can change dates (or even airlines, if available,) without any charge, and "upgrade" Coach to Business awards without any charge - but changing origins or destinations will cost $150 change fee (or in some instances require redepositing miles and issuing a new award ticket), as long as the changes are made within a year of securing the original award. The American AAdvantage Forum has a useful Wiki, FAQ and more information about the AAdvantage terms and conditions. (N.B. Changing to BA will incur whopping fuel surcharges).

I do concur IB has a better hard product than AA, better wine, slightly inferior food - and an inferior soft product as regards to anything resembling ground customer service. My last experience was IB wanted to leave my spouse at LAX due to a "ticket irregularity" - flying to BCN on our 45th anniversary, and it took contacting the AA Executive Platinum desk, who had the American Airlines liaison with Iberia intervene - we waited at the IB desk in LAX for well over two hours and barely made our flight. (Amazing how IB staff in FCO and MAD did not find that "irregularity" on the return, and that these were paid I class Business Plus tickets.)

If I book the original outbound flights online in econ, then business seats open up, and I have to call to add he miles for those seats, will I be charged for the phone call? The AA csr said no, but I'm not sure I believe her. I don't see a way to upgrade from coach to business online, only by calling.

Iirc, you can change dates (or even airlines, if available,) without any charge, and "upgrade" Coach to Business awards without any charge - but changing origins or destinations will cost $150 change fee (or in some instances require redepositing miles and issuing a new award ticket), as long as the changes are made within a year of securing the original award. The American AAdvantage Forum has a useful Wiki, FAQ and more information about the AAdvantage terms and conditions. (N.B. Changing to BA will incur whopping fuel surcharges).

I would not be changing the departing city of Kansas City nor the arrival city of Madrid. If I go with IB the routing is MCI-ORD-MAD. If I go AA it is MCI-DFW-MAD. When the return dates become available I will have to pay for the phone call as the only airline flying out of Lisbon is IB to Madrid and then on to the US via ORD or DFW. So I will have $50 in phone fees that I cannot avoid.

Thinking outside the box have you considered BA > LHR and then BA > MAD or > BCN?

Fly AA/BA MCI-ORD-LHR-BCN

Barcelona is a much nicer city than Madrid.

Fly AA/BA MCI-ORD-LHR-BCN

Barcelona is a much nicer city than Madrid.

I spent 5 nights in Barcelona in 2009 after a river cruise in France. I wanted to try a different city in Spain. I'm sure a discussion of which city is better-Madrid or Barcelona-would attract a lively discussion. There's one going on at tripadvisor.

I do not want to fly BA through LHR due to the high taxes and fuel surcharges imposed on award tickets.

Much will depend on which airline has available awards. When I was making my reservations, I found availability on IB, but not on AA.

Be sure to figure in the serious BA fuel surcharges for award flights - 145 GBP per long segment, 15 GBP for short intra-Europe segments - add on about $500 per person plus the usual taxes plus the AAdvantage miles. If you care concerned about $50 in telephone fees, >$1,000 added to taxes and miles ought to make you be very leery os using BA for your award travel.

As for intra-Spain, AVE high speed rail will possibly open the choices of where to spend a few days and which gateway to use. We've used it and ~190 MPH intercity downtown to downtown expands one's possibilities. From LIS to MAD, I would consider saving a hotel night sand enjoying the overnight train - while not high speed, it's an option.

This is what I have booked on hold at the moment:

10/23/12 1 bus class MCI-DFW-MAD on AA metal, 11/07/12 econ return LIS-MAD-ORD on IB metal, into MCI on AA. This will entail a $25 fee for the phone call.

10/23/12 1 econ class MCI-DFW-MAD on AA metal, 11/07/12 econ return LIS-MAD-ORD on IB metal, into MCI on AA. This will entail a $25 fee for the phone call.

I have 3 more days of these flights on hold before I have to ticket and use the AA miles. I was assured that I can upgrade to business class when seats open up, adding more lies in for no charge. I was also told I can change carriers without a charge is business seats open up. I have to believe that over the course of the next 10 months I will be able to get all segments in business on either AA or IB flights.

I'm looking for a pattern as to when AA releases more business inventory. I'm not seeing one. Anyone have experience on this routing?

The pattern is - there is no pattern. Award seats are governed by revenue management, which is a very dynamic system using predictive algorithms (think FICO in the USA) to determine possible demand, etc. and blending that with actual seat sales, etc. Award seats will probably be released at future points, up to very close to departure - again, depending on sales.

I'd extend the hold if possible whilst seeking the second seat, book, get an account with ExpertFlyer or other system that supports notifications and get notified whenever a desired seat becomes available on the transat leg then call and get the upgrade - even if one at a time.

Your changes of carrier or an upgrade will not cost you more, other than the miles required for the new C cabin award.

(Just beware BA for awards, particularly on the transatlantic sectors, as I mentioned above - the YQ / fuel surcharges are awful!)

.

This is what I have booked on hold at the moment:

10/23/12 1 bus class MCI-DFW-MAD on AA metal, 11/07/12 econ return LIS-MAD-ORD on IB metal, into MCI on AA. This will entail a $25 fee for the phone call.

10/23/12 1 econ class MCI-DFW-MAD on AA metal, 11/07/12 econ return LIS-MAD-ORD on IB metal, into MCI on AA. This will entail a $25 fee for the phone call.

I have 3 more days of these flights on hold before I have to ticket and use the AA miles. I was assured that I can upgrade to business class when seats open up, adding more lies in for no charge. I was also told I can change carriers without a charge is business seats open up. I have to believe that over the course of the next 10 months I will be able to get all segments in business on either AA or IB flights.

I'm looking for a pattern as to when AA releases more business inventory. I'm not seeing one. Anyone have experience on this routing?

In looking at Expert Flyer service, it doesn't include Iberia. It would search for AA seats on the TATL segments. I may do that. Or I may check myself every day for a while and get an EF subscription later on. Would a basic subscription be enough to accomplish my goal?

I tried to get the hold extended, but AA is only giving me until 12/18 for the outbound ticket currently in econ. The hold for both returns, also only econ at this point, is 12/17. The pattern is on Dec. 25 one business seat on AA 37 MAD-DFW will be released. I just have to try to be the first person to grab it. I'll be on the phone with AA on Christmas morning. I can ask if any biz seats on Iberia opened up, but IB doesn't seem to be releasing any this far out.

I hope AA CSR's are working on Christmas!

Slightly off topic:

I’ve been redeeming AAdvantage miles in direct flights MAD-MEX (which by the way has been one of the best usages I’ve done with my AA miles).

Service in IB is better that AA (in my opinion), but there is a big but… I don’t know why, but you cannot assign seats in the IB segments until you arrive in the airport… This might be a minor issue, but since I’m booking way in advance for complicated dates like December and summer, its becoming a problem when the 4 of us arrive at the airport and there is definitely no more seats but in the middle…

This has happened both in economy and in business, and I’m not sure if it’s a technical issue or its just the way IB complicates the process to desincourage redeeming with them…

Any thoughts?

I may do that. Or I may check myself every day for a while and get an EF subscription later on. Would a basic subscription be enough to accomplish my goal?

Award searching is part of the Basic subscription however Flight Alerts requires a Premium subscription. When you sign up, you get 5-days free of Premium service so you can try before you buy.

With AA status, I have been able to request and have assigned seats (usually by calling). But I don't know if that works across oneworld status tiers or is restricted.

I called IB directly for seat assignment ahead of my flight last summer and was accomodated with good coach seats for the overnight. This was JFK -- > MAD. What happened at MAD was another story and posted on another thread elsewhere.

I flew IB Biz MAD to JFK the summer before last. Great wine selection (hiccup.) Food was not what planned but I liked it. Entertainment so so. Seats were lie flat on a big Airbus and I slept for a few hours very comfortably.

Flew AA Biz JFK to FCO and BCN to JFK and the seats were just as good although I will say I felt slightly more cramped on AA than IB. Food was better on AA as was entertainment. Wine list not as good. Although I did like the ice cream and was permitted raspberry sauce AND hot fudge by a compliant FA.

I'm flying on a 757 MAD to JFK AA Biz/FC and I can't imagine that's as good as IB Biz. One aisle on a flight across the pond seems as tight as a .... 737 transcon.

Go AA.

AA 757 (subfleet designated "75L" unofficially) transatlantic has the standard "NGBC" Business class (not First) seats; they are more spacious than those in the AA 767-300ER, and though they are fully flat reclining, they recline at about a 7 degree tilt from horizontal. Some feel this allows them to slip down, but I have no trouble sleeping in them.

http://www.flyinbusinessfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/AABiz_Class3.jpg
AA NGBC Business seat in two across configuration - 75L, 767-300, 777-200

http://www.businesstraveller.com/files/News-images/Iberia/Iberia-BP-main.jpg
Iberia A340 Business Plus seat

A cada uno su gusto. ;) (To each his / her taste, or à chacun son goût.)

I called IB directly for seat assignment ahead of my flight last summer and was accomodated with good coach seats for the overnight. This was JFK -- > MAD. What happened at MAD was another story and posted on another thread elsewhere.

I flew IB Biz MAD to JFK the summer before last. Great wine selection (hiccup.) Food was not what planned but I liked it. Entertainment so so. Seats were lie flat on a big Airbus and I slept for a few hours very comfortably.

Flew AA Biz JFK to FCO and BCN to JFK and the seats were just as good although I will say I felt slightly more cramped on AA than IB. Food was better on AA as was entertainment. Wine list not as good. Although I did like the ice cream and was permitted raspberry sauce AND hot fudge by a compliant FA.

I'm flying on a 757 MAD to JFK AA Biz/FC and I can't imagine that's as good as IB Biz. One aisle on a flight across the pond seems as tight as a .... 737 transcon.

Go AA.