Background. I flew this aircraft (A340-600), ORD – MAD last night, in Turista Premium. My experience mostly follows that of the Points Guy in his excellent article, already cited. I would add a few details that might help orient others, based on my personal experience. I measure 6’1” / 185 cm and weigh 77 kg / 170 lbs, so that conditions my experience. Also, members of the crew said that this was their first time on the A 345 with TP, so this may explain some hiccups.

The flight was full and apparently quite a few of us got upgraded to Turista Premium – at least 10 names were called to the check in counter and given new boarding passes. Mine was one!

The Seat is comfortable, brand new, well-padded, and obviously larger than the seat in Economy. As the seatback is higher, and the headrest raises higher and the winglets fold in well, it does give good support for sleeping. Trays are mounted in the armrests. Pillows are a bit larger than in Economy, and the blanket is better-made than those red things in Economy that leave lint all over your clothes. The very useful footrest has already been complimented by Points Guy’s readers. There is a gap of about 10 cm / 4” between seats, leaving room for tray tables stowage and a very small drinks platform just large enough for two small glasses, handled very carefully. One minor quibble: it seems that to return seats to their “full upright position” you have to press the button with one hand, and pull the seatback into place with the other. I assume this was not my mistake or just my seat, as I saw others doing the same.

The Food seemed to me almost exactly like Economy, although the crew said there are small differences. Two choices at dinner – chicken or pasta, although the chicken had run out after Rows 11 and 12. Served on plastic dishes and plastic cups, on plastic trays, just as in Economy. Although the Points Guy liked it, Señorío de los Llanos is the cheapest of the cheap of Spanish wines. From La Mancha (not even Valdepeñas), and the white is an Airén, the most common grape in Spain. One airline bottle limit per PAX on this flight.

Breakfast is hot in both Business and Economy, but in Turista Premium it was cold. We were supposed to get a warm ham and cheese sandwich (“sandwich mixto”) but the flight attendant explained that the oven was not working properly and “on the way over (to Chicago) we nearly burned up the plane…” Thus our hot dinner the night before had been brought from the Business galley and our breakfast was cold.

The bathroom / toilet / head / loo – there is only one for TP passengers, located in row 15 on the right side of the aircraft. This means that passengers from the left side either: go through the galley at the back of TP, which is a problem when meals are being prepared or cleared away; step over the three passengers in Row 11 middle seats; or just tough it out. Since the door to the TP toilet is outside the TP seating area, it is an open invitation to Economy passengers to pile in. In fact, those passengers have little indication that this toilet is not for them. (I could be wrong on this. The toilet could be intended for all passengers and just located near TP.)

Other. You do get over-ear earphones, which is a giant step up from the plastic ear buds you get in Economy. But the Iberia entertainment system just keeps showing the same program, month after month. Does not affect just TP, but rather all classes.

On our flight the captain addressed the crew only in English. Could this be a new Iberia “policy?” Is the captain simply trying out some of his expensive English lessons paid for by AIG? Or are they actually rotating in some BA crew, as AIG had stated it would do some years ago?