BA v IB in business
#16
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
The lounge situation at MAD is in flux at the moment, so you may wish to bear this in mind as you select your flights. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28680236-post400.html
BA’s LHR bound flights leave from Terminal 4S - served by the Velázquez lounge, as do IB’s LHR bound A330/A340 flights, whereas IB’s A320/A321 flights leave from Terminal 4 - served by the Dalí lounge.
That's the plan at least. To summarise, because I think some people have asked also about the plans for Velázquez:
- Until the end of August: Velázquez 60% closed
- From the end of August until October 23: the refurbished part of Velázquez opens, the other half closes and they work on refurbishing it and on adding more space
During all this time there'll be no showers, rest area or children's area in the lounge.
On October 24 Velázquez should be fully renovated and they close Dalí.
- Until the end of August: Velázquez 60% closed
- From the end of August until October 23: the refurbished part of Velázquez opens, the other half closes and they work on refurbishing it and on adding more space
During all this time there'll be no showers, rest area or children's area in the lounge.
On October 24 Velázquez should be fully renovated and they close Dalí.
#18
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,985
Iberia is better in C in my opinion. Wouldn't have said that a few years ago. MAD is one of the routes that has seen a deterioration in CE catering due to falling into the medium band. My last CE trip from MAD to LHR was very poor indeed. Have used IB on my four trips this year.
#19
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,926
I would choose IB over BA in any type of J flight. But, noting the above post about lounge access, the Velazquez lounge is way better than the Dali lounge so we're you to have a long wait you might want to used the former. They do follow Hispanic eating time in the lounges so dinner appears at about 9.00pm.
#21
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: LON, MAD
Programs: KE MC Premium, BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, AZ FA+, Melia Gold
Posts: 305
#22
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,821
I've done IB over the Atlantic and it's a good experience, particularly on the catering side, though personally I greatly prefer BA's window seats over the open aisle seats of IB, others will disagree. IB's other big advantage is on some of the technicalities of Avios usage, it can come in much cheaper than BA, and works better on the USA to Europe direction (so perhaps BA out, IB back, for example). So I'd have no hesitation in recommending them - and here's the rub - if it was convenient.
So in this case the IB option involves a MAD connection and doing immigration at MIA, plus a further connection. Now as a single traveller I may well be attracted to that if it was a lot cheaper than the BA service, but - for example - I wouldn't want children in tow. MAD has long distances to walk, so has MIA. MIA has greatly improved its connection experience, but still doing it in MCO is going to be much better. At LGW South you end up landside and going airside, but Premium Security at LGW South is good, there is a very good BA lounge at LGW and it's a nice compact terminal. And this is two flights, not three.
However there is of course a new Aer Lingus direct service to Miami, with an existing summer service Dublin to Orlando, with BA codeshares on both. They pre-clear at DUB for the USA. That's probably where I'd start, particularly with children or non frequent flyers.
#25
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,166
Flew the Iberia A340 LHR to MAD the other week - yes it is 1-2-1 now and really very nice: comfy seat, big screen (and, unlike BA on the return 777, they actually turned the IFE on!), and good catering - whereas BA in CE is now a "medium band" cold salad plate, on IB we got (even if on a single tray) a full hot meal of beef, with salad started and pudding & cheese and several wine runs...really impressed for a short intra-Europe flight
Having done this short run, I'd be happy with IB business in future, especially travelling solo if you get a window-side solo seat (note: NOT the alternating solo seats which border the aisle directly...)
Having done this short run, I'd be happy with IB business in future, especially travelling solo if you get a window-side solo seat (note: NOT the alternating solo seats which border the aisle directly...)