BenjaminNYC

I guess you haven't traveled in Europe much?

I find IB s/h J to be a solid product, and service is good (if you speak Spanish ).

koksy

My last trip on IB Business class was MAD-LPA last May. The food was streets ahead of anything I have ever had in CE (no slip slap slop CE meals here) as can be seen from this pic I took: http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...y/DSCF0291.jpg and there was even a menu: http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c63/koksy/menu.jpg

Don't bank on the middle seat being free though- every time i've flown short haul business on Iberia, at least 1 row has had a middle seat occupied.

David-A

All I can say is that what I wrote was based upon my expeciences with them.
As such I fundamentally reject your labeling of it as nonsense!

That's very odd! - I've been told (repeatedly) that it is not possible to get a vegetarian meal! Told by cabin crew, ground crew, customer services and ticket sales. Multiple times and the option to request one has never worked in their MMB system - which leads me to believe it only works on longhaul, nor have request supplied from a third party booking system been honoured.

Minor: Isn't the empty middle seat a relativly recent change with IB too?

In my experience of business I'm treated with what I would term contempt in 40% of cases. 20% amazing service - as I said above.

In economy, I'd say I get 40-60% great service, only a noticible tiny minority of 20% with contempt.

This is a big part, along with consistancy, of my rating it above their biz product.

I've have very nice flights with IB. However I've also been publicly, loudly (in english and spanish) mocked or insulted by IB crew. And frequently hear them talking about pax in spanish when they think only I only understand english.

I've then not had letters of complain answered.

I love the place.

gms

I don't follow why IB J is worse than their Y product? In IB Y you get nothing for free (in terms of catering), not even water! So how did you come to the conclusion that J was worse?

David-A

This is the most interesting bit about my experience of IB:

In Y, the vast majority of the experience you get with cabin crew is jolly nice, very (mutually) friendly yet respectfull. Usually they are all trying to be super helpfull for the travel experience.

Where as in J, I've been subject to 4 absolute flights from hell and on others I've heard the crew regularly talking with complete contempt for pax who are utterly in no way demanding at all. Plus many other aspects and issues...


Separately, as a vegetarian, I know that at least there is something on the menu to eat in Y! In J it has never, ever, ever worked for me. And, when I've found my self hungry in J, with nothing available to eat, they have refused to even sell me a sandwich from Y (this has happened 3 flights - I've asked out of curiousty another 2 times and been denied again).

Compare with BA CE, where, if it is last minute and there is no vegie catering crew have been happy to let me have ET sandwiches if available.

OPebble

BA metal CE fares are also £150 each way in May.

IB has definitely moved to T3 since late Feb.

IB MAD T4 lounge really is grotty - jampacked solid and a real job to find a seat!

LeisureFirst

I realize that, but don't think it worth the extra money for someone with status. Quite a few have claimed in the past that IB is significantly better in J than BA CE, particularly in terms of catering, so was thinking I might try it at those prices.
Have you flown IB J shorthaul, OPebble? What do you think?

That contradicts the LHR website which says T2 as well as ba.com, which sayson the "Price Quote" page, when booking a flight on IB metal, under "Additional Features"
What a F-Up.

Anyway, what lounge do IB pax get at T3? Is it the Servisair lounge like BA pax?

I think I'll try IB J going out (hoping for faster baggage delivery etc. at MAD) and stick to BA ET coming back for the Velazquez lounge.

d3vski

Just like to clarify:

Iberia is LHR Terminal 3 NOT Terminal 2 as mentioned by the OP.

So you have access to Cathay, JAL, AA lounges because of Oneworld access rules.

At the moment they are using the Servisair lounge at T3. Ive got no idea what its like, but considering the likes of PIA, Biman Bangladesh, turkmenistan airlines use this lounge, it cant be that good!

virtualtroy

So to add my tuppence worth.... I've often flown LHR/LGW-MAD/BCN and, give the choice, would favour IB over BA in J, though I accept Y is a different matter, not least owing to IB charging for something to eat in the latter.

Why? For short haul, IME, IB does a better job of making it feel like a premium product. The food is more edible, the cabin service is more consistent. Of course, there can be exceptions.

The points made by catandmouse were well put.

jplondon

My experience with Iberia, Y and J, are also really bad. The staff is just no bothered and was rude. Maybe bad luck but I won't try it again unless no other option.

£300 for CE return sound good to me and would get my vote.

bmiStar

The Servisair lounge was OK, although you do shudder when you get to the door and see the long list of other airlines and lounge pass schemes that have access. Bar and snack provisions reasonable (slightly better than I expected) and then there was the newspaper rack, anyone for the Metro? rows of the them proudly on display (other titles were available)

I did notice a side door after reception which had a sign saying "Iberia Business Class" looked very small through the frosted glass.

I often book the IB codeshare outbound for 2 reasons, you arrive at T4 and not T4S, so you do not have to wait 45 mins for luggage, and I enjoy the change of menu and service, which mid afternoon is excellent compared to the BA afternoon tea joke.

I must be lucky, as I have never had a poor IB "C" flight LON-MAD, however my last BA breakfast flight was as poor as they get, I didn't enjoy my new spacious seat, the cooked breakfast was worse than anything from an A road burger van, the Purser had 5 passengers in 5 rows, served and cleared service faster than concorde and then vanished behind the curtain for the duration, ignoring the call bell 3 times over at least 10 mins. I went forward to use the toilet and she was sat reading some gossip title and eating.

Land-of-Miles

FWIW I always found BA MAD flights to and from LCY to have much better service in Y and C than anything from LHR. I can't add too much to the IB vs BA debate except to say that flying IB probably saves you 10 minutes each way in shuttle train and ascending/descending T5 style. When I was a regular on this route my client would only pay for Y so I had to fly with BA for the upgrade (or mess about trying to then rebook myself at T2).

James S

I like IB catering on SH.

Printed menus, with 5 courses (though some served together). Cava or wine with your meal, then a separate trolley with dessert wines, port or brandy, etc.

Flying MAD-LHR it is possible to make the meal last the whole flight, I recall sipping my second cognac as we were descending into LHR.

Also on a breakfast time flight that was delayed 4 hours due to weather at LHR (90 mins of which we spent sitting on the plane at MAD) they managed to switch the catering to a lunch, which was impressive.

I do have horror stories about IB crew (long haul) but that's not for here.

JS

LeisureFirst

In the T3 lounge thread this week it says otherwise: the OW rules are not being honoured - hence my comment.

OPebble

Yes I have flown J on IB SH. Like all flights the service depends on the crew but most of the time they are bad! Impression is that they consider they are doing you a big favour by allowing you to sit in the J cabin. Meal is hurridly served and they then disappear behind the curtain for the rest of the flight. Also if you ring the call bell the attitude is "how dare you disturb us!".

I have flown MAD <> LHR and FRA <> MAD. Unless I have no alternative I won't use IB SH. YMMV.