Has anyone flown Iberia Business Class recently on a trans-atlantic trip? I've read previous threads which state that service is not that great. But, those threads were from '03. Any new info would be greatly appreciated.
I didn't fly transatlantic but I had a flight from Tenerife to Madrid. The plane was a brand new A340-300 - woooow! On all other intra European flights I had some tiny strange planes (I guess some McDouglass?). Service was lousy! The lounges a catastrophe, and on Tenerife, Iberia didn't even have a lounge! For me: No Iberia if I can chose another airine.
The post you reference was made over a year ago, did it take that long to find out that IB J seats are a spacious 51" and not the 48" that I guessed them to be? I admire your diligence in eeking out that extra 8cm for IB, they need every bit of it. Of course AA doesn't have any J service on its international 757 fleet as they are sold as Y, being considered unfit for a J product trans-Atlantic. In any case IB has mostly refitted its fleet by now, if it is on schedule, and the new J seats should be on all the prime routes. Maybe the worst of the new J seats, in classic IB fashion, but a huge improvement over the old seating.
IB announced in late 2004 that F was being discontinued. Then a few weeks later it announced that F would be kept on select planes (I suspect the 747s). All newly delivered plances (such as the A346s) are being configured without F but using the new-J seats. Last time I checked F was still available MAD-JFK and MAD-MIA (the only routes I personally care about). I'll fly IB F westbound but not eastbound, and I won't fly IB in J or Y; and that's my opinion on IB in a nutshell.
Actually once again you are wrong. The new IB's lie-flat seats are spaced 61 inches apart from each other and they are lie-flat. They certainly are not even close to being the worst lie-flat J seats out there. The seats are flat at an angle, but such angle is even better than Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, and
Singapore's J-Class angled flat beds.
Moreover, the new BusinessIntercontinental Class features an onboard bar.
I'm booked on IB in C class MIA-MAD in November. Flyaow shows this flight as a 747-300 operated by Air Atlanta. Any info on this flight/aircraft? Something tells me it's not so good, but I'll keep an open mind.
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
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I've been on the wet-leased Air Atlanta 743 before and it is in pretty good shape with a refurbished interior (few years old). The F seats are identical to IB so they have been refitted to IB spec; presumably the J seats are also that way -- but don't get excited, this means they are the old J seats that IB uses and not the new that it is advertising. Opinions about it vary but its about the same as the AA 757 F domestic F seats which AA sells as Y for trans-Atlantic travel. Fine as a seat, unacceptable for sleeping. Sometimes these wet lease planes are pretty bad, but in this case I'd say it is as good as the rest of the IB fleet. The other MIA-MAD flights using A343/6 may have the new J seat which would be much more comfortable (or they might not).
I've been on the wet-leased Air Atlanta 743 before and it is in pretty good shape with a refurbished interior (few years old). The F seats are identical to IB so they have been refitted to IB spec; presumably the J seats are also that way -- but don't get excited, this means they are the old J seats that IB uses and not the new that it is advertising. Opinions about it vary but its about the same as the AA 757 F domestic F seats which AA sells as Y for trans-Atlantic travel. Fine as a seat, unacceptable for sleeping. Sometimes these wet lease planes are pretty bad, but in this case I'd say it is as good as the rest of the IB fleet. The other MIA-MAD flights using A343/6 may have the new J seat which would be much more comfortable (or they might not).
Please do not give your opinion when it is clear that you have no clue about what you are saying. First of all, none of AA's 757 aircraft First Class seats have legrests. ALL OF IBERIA'S INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLASS SEATS HAVE LEGRESTS, EVEN THOSE OPERATED BY AIR ATLANTA. The 747-300 aircraft operated by Air Atlanta on behalf of Iberia have very comfortable Business Class seats, very similar to the ones that Swiss has on their A330 aircraft, and they have a seat pitch of about 51 inches. Pictures of these seats can be found at wwww.airliners.net.
Lastly, AA's 757 First Class seats have a meager seat pitch of 38 inches. AA's 757 F seats and Iberia's 747 C seats are two different worlds. Have you even flown IB's C?!?!?!?!?!
Last edited by fly747first; Jun 3, 05 at 7:12 am..
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 10,165
Quote:
Originally Posted by fly747first
Have you even flown IB's C?!?!?!?!?!
I have flown precisely once in J on IB. Learned my lesson and vowed never to fly them again in J....it was that dreadful. Maybe the worst J operated across the Atlantic. However F on IB was quite nice, and I have flown IB in F multiple times (I suppose never again now that F is gone). I try to give IB credit for the things it does right -- and it is improved from past years, particularly for the in-air service -- but otherwise it is awful and people deserve to make an informed choice prior to flying with them. Even the heavily discounted pseudo-J classes offered by the ex-soviet block airlines like OK and MA have more comfortable seats and better food/service than the exorbinantly priced J offered by IB. Not to mention compared to EI at half the price. The new J is IB's last hope to recapture this business but it seems to me that they have made a mistake with it.
I have flown precisely once in J on IB. Learned my lesson and vowed never to fly them again in J....it was that dreadful. Maybe the worst J operated across the Atlantic. However F on IB was quite nice, and I have flown IB in F multiple times (I suppose never again now that F is gone). I try to give IB credit for the things it does right -- and it is improved from past years, particularly for the in-air service -- but otherwise it is awful and people deserve to make an informed choice prior to flying with them. Even the heavily discounted pseudo-J classes offered by the ex-soviet block airlines like OK and MA have more comfortable seats and better food/service than the exorbinantly priced J offered by IB. Not to mention compared to EI at half the price. The new J is IB's last hope to recapture this business but it seems to me that they have made a mistake with it.
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, and yes I agree that IB J Class is not that great all. However, it is incorrect to say that AA 757s have better premium class seats when the seats have a 38'' seat pitch and no leg rests vs. IB J Class seats with leg rests and 51'' seat pitch. I'm sorry but you can't deny the fact that all of IB J Class seats on international flights have leg rests. Moreover, 38 inches vs. 51 inches is quite a big difference.
Basically, you are not basing your opinion on pure facts.
FYI Iberia still offers First Class on select routes and will continue offering it, for now at least, on most 747 aircraft equipped with a First Class cabin.
Location: DFW & SNA; AA EXP-5MM; Starwood Platinum
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MIA-MAD aircraft for July
I am flying J on IB, MIA to MAD in early July. Currently aircraft shows B743- however no F service offered for purchase- just J & Y. Hence, I inquired about moving to the upper deck. CSR said upper deck is restricted to airport control- she could not change my seats and also offered that the entire upper deck is empty at this time. She also said it is quite possible that IB will be switching out the 743 for the A346, but cannot confirm.
Question: Does anyone know the potential for the phasing in of the A346 on this route by July? Would really like to try the new IBC service, but not holding my breath.
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
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New A346 are being delivered about once every 4 months to IB, but I'm sure someone will correct me and say that it is every 118 days. Doubt that MIA will get the next one, and the chance of a new A346 in service by July is rather low....bit more chance to get an uncoverted A343 with a 5 seat F section. Unfortunately the old J seats are very uncomfortable, nothing like the old J seats on BA or QF (which were an order of magnitude better).
New A346 are being delivered about once every 4 months to IB, but I'm sure someone will correct me and say that it is every 118 days. Doubt that MIA will get the next one, and the chance of a new A346 in service by July is rather low....bit more chance to get an uncoverted A343 with a 5 seat F section. Unfortunately the old J seats are very uncomfortable, nothing like the old J seats on BA or QF (which were an order of magnitude better).
I agree. Moreover, on 747 flights where there is a First Class cabin but Iberia is only selling the aircraft as 2-class, they usually close the upper deck and do not allow any passengers to sit there unless Business Class is really full and they need the additional upper deck seats. I highly doubt they will switch your aircraft to an A340-600.
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 10,165
The non-Schengen J lounge at MAD is quite nice (more so now since the F lounge has been made part of the J lounge). Not quite Wing material but better than most J lounges. The Schengen J lounges are abysmal. Presumably both will improve when the new terminal opens at MAD later this year.
