Tokyo
 

Sorry is this is common knowledge - any hope of Iberia restarting this route and has it typically been seasonal or year round? Thinking it's a good Avios opportunity.

It was already the longest route in the network by far. Highly doubt there will be any far-east flights with Russian restrictions.

Will the new A350s IB just got help this along? BA's LHR-HND routing through the black sea doesn't look much longer if ex-MAD?
Over at the Japan board, there's a post showing an average of 430 Spanish visitors to Japan per day vs 356/day in 2019 so demand has picked back up (at least for now)

On the other hand, perhaps IB flying to DOH suggests not?

The Asian routes were never viable simply for Madrid residents visiting Japan / China (or the reverse). (anybody else in Spain is connecting, too, and that can still be done just as easily in any of the usual hubs)

The routes were about providing Asia to/from Central / South America connectivity that avoids the United States. (visas, hassle, etc.) With Zoom / pandemic changes taking a big chunk of that kind of business travel away, it might take awhile longer for the Asian routes to make sense again...

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35762835-post39.html

Did IAG really had plans to make MAD/IB a 360 hub?

On yesterday's CX to HKG, prices were high and and load factor low. IB code shares with CX to HKG but not HKG to Asia, missing out on revenue.
Demand to far east hasn't dropped but IAG's capacity has hasn't risen back, is trying to capture the Atlantic worth ignoring the high yields from the east?
Wonder how Loewe guys fly to Japan, CX/QR/BA/AY...

Somebody in my family works for one of the major luxury brands in the US. She used to fly to HKG and PVG at least monthly pre-pandemic. Post-pandemic, they simply don't go any more.

Multiply that by enough companies - especially since non-stop flights to Asia on European airlines have to route south to avoid Russian airspace anyhow - and you can't profitably fill J any more.

Maybe a LEVEL BCN-Far east? Particularly if we get the new J seat sold as PE setup hmmm.....

With no Russian overflights, you're really getting to range limits from Madrid. They were able to do it with a 330-200 and while the 350 could make it, it's just way too much plane for the route to be profitable.

Best to just transfer in Doha.

Plus, if you or your employer are alliance-agnostic, you can transfer in IST, DXB, AUH, etc. as well. Not even going out of the way given the current routings.

BCN-TYO shortest distance is 10.5k KM.
BCN-(through GYD-PEK)-TYO (ala BA7) is 12k km.
Used to be able to buy MAD-TYO for 400-500 eur r/t, now it's 8xx lowest for off peak with 1 stop.
BCN-LAX is just under 9.7k km.
LEVEL BCN-LAX 2024 priced at low hundreds off peak to high hundreds peak
The much higher fares to TYO (and that's for 1 stop) can't support the 2k extra distance?

Will avoid QR for OMNI despite wanting to try all the OWs....

Well that's sort of my point. Even if it's technically capable it was always a marginal route. With the added costs of more distance, more complex distance of way more overflight countries, etc... if you can't get high fares for it, why bother. Even LATAM feed will mostly go west through US or Canada.

https://www.elmundo.es/economia/2023...6608b4582.html
So IAG thought about using UX for Asian routes?? huh.
AENA building a new 'Asia hub' in T123..for UX or MU?
With IB and JL both flying to DOH I guess there is now no chance of IB resuming TYO
Oh well

Now there's this:



https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ab90b67f13.png

By October 2024 IB should be getting the first A321XLR. So a few of the big birds will get freed to start trying new things.

According to AeroRoutes, the flight will operate on days 467 eastbound and days 157 westbound.

https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/231219-ibnw24nrt