RE: Iberia Airlines Feedback
Apr 15, 2008, 8:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 8
RE: Iberia Airlines Feedback
I am seeking feedback from any members who have flown IB-curious about the kind of service provided.
My wife and I are going to Italy and Greece and this is one of the carriers we are considering. Any comments will be greatly appreciated.
dsed
My wife and I are going to Italy and Greece and this is one of the carriers we are considering. Any comments will be greatly appreciated.
dsed
Apr 15, 2008, 8:23 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, Marriott Rewards Platinum, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,385
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
Before posting a general question like yours, it is customary to do a search of existing posts and opinions.
YOu can find quite a bit on Iberia at the "Other European Frequent Flyer Programs."
If you still have questions after your research, do come back with a more specific enquiry.
Before posting a general question like yours, it is customary to do a search of existing posts and opinions.
YOu can find quite a bit on Iberia at the "Other European Frequent Flyer Programs."
If you still have questions after your research, do come back with a more specific enquiry.
Apr 15, 2008, 8:53 am
#3
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,396
dsed, welcome, also, to FlyerTalk. Please follow the discussion of the OP's question to our Other European Airline... forum, Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.
Apr 15, 2008, 8:58 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1P
Posts: 448
All of the flights were overnight flights so I was sleep for much of them. But when I was awake the service was standard coach/economy service you'll get on just about any airline. Not good, not bad. They just dished out the food and brought you drinks. I don't ask for much when I travel so take that FWIW.
The food was HORRIBLE though so you might want to get a bite before you board or bring some snacks on with you.
DJB
Apr 17, 2008, 4:24 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: IB Platinum, LH FF, JK Gold, FB Plat, PC Plat/IC Amb, Hertz #1 PC
Posts: 207
Just a few tips about IB.
Do not expect too much flying coach, I think IB has very good fares out from USA but is just a seat on a plane, no PTV or IFE, just a couple of movies and standard food.
Regarding intraeuropean flights, the same, well here you'll have a pay for food service, but for a 2 hours flight you'll be able to deal with
Connection at MAD is easy and T4-T4S terminals are brand new.
1 to 10 scale I'll put jus a 5. BA will have 8 for me in comparison.
Business Class will be in average wih LH or AA but below BA for long haul.
Do not expect too much flying coach, I think IB has very good fares out from USA but is just a seat on a plane, no PTV or IFE, just a couple of movies and standard food.
Regarding intraeuropean flights, the same, well here you'll have a pay for food service, but for a 2 hours flight you'll be able to deal with
Connection at MAD is easy and T4-T4S terminals are brand new.
1 to 10 scale I'll put jus a 5. BA will have 8 for me in comparison.
Business Class will be in average wih LH or AA but below BA for long haul.
Apr 17, 2008, 5:05 am
#9
Join Date: May 2005
Location: BRU
Programs: A3/Gold, BA/Gold + other less precious metals
Posts: 2,641
Just a few tips about IB.
Do not expect too much flying coach, I think IB has very good fares out from USA but is just a seat on a plane, no PTV or IFE, just a couple of movies and standard food.
Regarding intraeuropean flights, the same, well here you'll have a pay for food service, but for a 2 hours flight you'll be able to deal with
Connection at MAD is easy and T4-T4S terminals are brand new.
1 to 10 scale I'll put jus a 5. BA will have 8 for me in comparison.
Business Class will be in average wih LH or AA but below BA for long haul.
Do not expect too much flying coach, I think IB has very good fares out from USA but is just a seat on a plane, no PTV or IFE, just a couple of movies and standard food.
Regarding intraeuropean flights, the same, well here you'll have a pay for food service, but for a 2 hours flight you'll be able to deal with
Connection at MAD is easy and T4-T4S terminals are brand new.
1 to 10 scale I'll put jus a 5. BA will have 8 for me in comparison.
Business Class will be in average wih LH or AA but below BA for long haul.
Also, IMHO, there's a large difference in Business Class (longhaul) between AA and LH - which one would you say IB is closer to (assuming, of course you had experience with both).
Oh, BTW, you're high score on BA - does it include the baggage troubles and late, late flights, or is it purely (in-flight) service based?
Apr 17, 2008, 12:13 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: IB Platinum, LH FF, JK Gold, FB Plat, PC Plat/IC Amb, Hertz #1 PC
Posts: 207
Hey, a couple of movies IS IFE - just not PTVs ;-)
Also, IMHO, there's a large difference in Business Class (longhaul) between AA and LH - which one would you say IB is closer to (assuming, of course you had experience with both).
Oh, BTW, you're high score on BA - does it include the baggage troubles and late, late flights, or is it purely (in-flight) service based?
Also, IMHO, there's a large difference in Business Class (longhaul) between AA and LH - which one would you say IB is closer to (assuming, of course you had experience with both).
Oh, BTW, you're high score on BA - does it include the baggage troubles and late, late flights, or is it purely (in-flight) service based?
Trust me, IB is miles away for Business Class product, specially for the angled flat seat and meal menus served onboard during the last months.
Apr 17, 2008, 12:49 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: BCN
Programs: BA Gold · A3 Gold · DL Gold · VY apologist
Posts: 8,545
I recently flew AA long-haul J for the first time in years and was blown away - the new slidey-seats weren't bad, food was pretty good and service was better than I expected. IFE also better than OK. Overall, it was vastly better than a UA F long-haul I had a couple of weeks before.
I think IB Business+ is slightly better than the new AA J. If you get a bulkhead with the fully-flat seat, it's extremely comfortable. Bad food seems to be plaguing lots of airlines in J these days, so won't comment other than it's par for the course (I don't care for the food on BA but it may be a preference thing). MAD is a dream to transfer in compared to most other European hubs (maybe excepting AMS).
My higher-than-average opinion is very likely due to the fact that I have lived in Spain for five years now and know what to expect for customer service: I understand the FAs and ground staff aren't being rude; they're being Spanish, and are considered professional. Like it or not, it's the way it is.
A couple of weeks ago I left a duty-free bag on board an aircraft and only realized it as I was on my way to board my ongoing flight. I stopped at the lounge desk and asked the attendant if he thought it was still there, and whether they would hang onto it for me until my next trip through MAD. His response: "I'll check and see if we can get it back for you." He didn't tell me how sorry he was that I forgot my bag, he didn't patronize me. He just made a call and ten minutes later a security guy, who ran over from T4, caught up to me and handed off the bag. This didn't surprise me, though it still made me happy. But I know a lot of people on FT would have concentrated on the fact that the lounge attendant didn't really care that I had lost my duty free or not. That's the difference.
I think IB Business+ is slightly better than the new AA J. If you get a bulkhead with the fully-flat seat, it's extremely comfortable. Bad food seems to be plaguing lots of airlines in J these days, so won't comment other than it's par for the course (I don't care for the food on BA but it may be a preference thing). MAD is a dream to transfer in compared to most other European hubs (maybe excepting AMS).
My higher-than-average opinion is very likely due to the fact that I have lived in Spain for five years now and know what to expect for customer service: I understand the FAs and ground staff aren't being rude; they're being Spanish, and are considered professional. Like it or not, it's the way it is.
A couple of weeks ago I left a duty-free bag on board an aircraft and only realized it as I was on my way to board my ongoing flight. I stopped at the lounge desk and asked the attendant if he thought it was still there, and whether they would hang onto it for me until my next trip through MAD. His response: "I'll check and see if we can get it back for you." He didn't tell me how sorry he was that I forgot my bag, he didn't patronize me. He just made a call and ten minutes later a security guy, who ran over from T4, caught up to me and handed off the bag. This didn't surprise me, though it still made me happy. But I know a lot of people on FT would have concentrated on the fact that the lounge attendant didn't really care that I had lost my duty free or not. That's the difference.
Apr 18, 2008, 10:51 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Manhattan
Programs: 40 46'N 73 57'W; AA Gold; CO Silver
Posts: 381
We flew JFK-MAD-JFK over MLK Day weekend and had a very pleasant experience. The livery of the A340s was a pleasant, professional dark gray and the plane very clean. Food was nothing special and no IFE, but it was more important to us not to have a grimy plane.
Madrid Airport's Terminal 4 for Iberia is beautiful, gleaming new, and extraordinarily well architected to take advantage of the plentiful Spanish sunlight. You will have to take the train from T4-S to T4 to transfer from an overseas flight to a Schengen flight (could take time if the immigration line is long- was 20 min for us because Iberia has many Latin America flights arriving in mid-morning in addition to the USA flights), but you'll enjoy the terminal.
Considering Iberia's reputation is subpar, we were impressed.
Madrid Airport's Terminal 4 for Iberia is beautiful, gleaming new, and extraordinarily well architected to take advantage of the plentiful Spanish sunlight. You will have to take the train from T4-S to T4 to transfer from an overseas flight to a Schengen flight (could take time if the immigration line is long- was 20 min for us because Iberia has many Latin America flights arriving in mid-morning in addition to the USA flights), but you'll enjoy the terminal.
Considering Iberia's reputation is subpar, we were impressed.
Apr 18, 2008, 12:47 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 212
Coming from someone who flys regularly between specifically MAD and the USA on several different airlines, depending on a) if work is paying b) miles c) upgrades d) other reasons
I must say I am ALWAYS more than satisfied, and usually very impressed, with the Iberia trans-atlantic Business Plus service.
Iberia takes a lot of pride in these flights and usually staffs them with crew members who have a lot of tenure with the airline or what the airline considers its most experienced F/A's. Granted, Alan is correct, there will be a startling difference in the approach to service: Iberia is a very by the book airline, but I have said this before, and I will say it again, sometimes all you need to do is ask, and you will usually be very pleasantly surprised at the result.
The food is almost always exclusively all Spanish-Mediteranean, so if you do not like this type of gastronomy, you will prob not enjoy any of the courses.
The wines are good and consistent.
The seat is pretty advanced, and modern, I like it better than the DL Business Elite seats, for example.
They also offer some pretty decent Business fares sometimes in I class, to add icing on the cake.
I must say I am ALWAYS more than satisfied, and usually very impressed, with the Iberia trans-atlantic Business Plus service.
Iberia takes a lot of pride in these flights and usually staffs them with crew members who have a lot of tenure with the airline or what the airline considers its most experienced F/A's. Granted, Alan is correct, there will be a startling difference in the approach to service: Iberia is a very by the book airline, but I have said this before, and I will say it again, sometimes all you need to do is ask, and you will usually be very pleasantly surprised at the result.
The food is almost always exclusively all Spanish-Mediteranean, so if you do not like this type of gastronomy, you will prob not enjoy any of the courses.
The wines are good and consistent.
The seat is pretty advanced, and modern, I like it better than the DL Business Elite seats, for example.
They also offer some pretty decent Business fares sometimes in I class, to add icing on the cake.
Apr 20, 2008, 6:06 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: American, Delta
Posts: 26
We too recently flew Iberia Business Plus (Bos-Madrid-Rome) and were pleasantly surprised. The seats were better than the ones we have had on American (to Heathrow) and the service on the plane was fine. As others have pointed out you just have to ask. The transfer at Madrid, despite our concerns, went smoothly and no lost baggage! Not bad these days.
Our only criticism is that the phone agents in the US were not very helpful.
Our only criticism is that the phone agents in the US were not very helpful.
Apr 26, 2009, 5:24 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1
Iberia Lounge - BAD experience
Have you ever used Iberia? Well, perhaps you want to shop around little bit longer before you do so!
I am a frequent flyer and I am oneworld member too, which allows me to use big airline lounges whilst travelling.
Of all my experience the worst is Iberia lounge in Barcelona! I was really devastated how poor Iberia lounge and the most importantly “the CCUSTOMER service” in this city.
You can hardly find there any food! All you have is some raisins (exposed in large plates that don’t look very aesthetically either) with some other dry bits and peaces of food; some peanuts and some cheap cookies that are absolutely horrible. The only choice of tomato and orange juice and large bottles of water like if it was some supermarket; coffee machine that always seem to be making tea-like coffee. There is hardly any wine or cava; never ice (or it’s melted since morning!)
The most shocking thing was seeing staff members staring at me every time I went to the fridge for a drink. Once I had a very late flight, they didn’t bother re-filling fridges and in the end came and locked everything up.
You would not believe how tight they are!
I am a frequent flyer and I am oneworld member too, which allows me to use big airline lounges whilst travelling.
Of all my experience the worst is Iberia lounge in Barcelona! I was really devastated how poor Iberia lounge and the most importantly “the CCUSTOMER service” in this city.
You can hardly find there any food! All you have is some raisins (exposed in large plates that don’t look very aesthetically either) with some other dry bits and peaces of food; some peanuts and some cheap cookies that are absolutely horrible. The only choice of tomato and orange juice and large bottles of water like if it was some supermarket; coffee machine that always seem to be making tea-like coffee. There is hardly any wine or cava; never ice (or it’s melted since morning!)
The most shocking thing was seeing staff members staring at me every time I went to the fridge for a drink. Once I had a very late flight, they didn’t bother re-filling fridges and in the end came and locked everything up.
You would not believe how tight they are!