Hi All!
I just noticed that Iberia Air has flights from the US to Spain. Has anyone used Iberia from the US? What were your experiences? Good, bad, indifferent? How were they for arrival & departure times? Did it take long to get through customs?
Sorry for all the questions, I haven't traveled overseas before so it's all new to me! Thanks in advance!
Living in South Florida, American Airlines is the dominant airline. So, I have been using them and their codeshare partner Iberia near exclusively since moving here three years ago.
Presently, I can fly Iberia nonstop from Miami to Madrid and connect to anywhere in Spain or Europe from there. Also, all AA and IB flights operate into and out of Terminal 4 at Madrid Barajas (MAD). Thus, your international to EU domestic connections are as smooth as possible (a relative term). But, not having to change terminals is a blessing and a BIG time saver. Finally, on this point, bus and train connections from T4 @ MAD are also as good as you could ask for.
If I use any other airline from South Florida, including AA, I have to connect through some place up north before departing foreign. On AA, for me, this means Charlotte or Philadelphia. Both are good airports, with Charlotte highly preferable. Connections interject confusion, time, drama, and uncertainty. So I minimize and avoid them if possible, especially within the US.
As regards actually flying on Iberia, I found a much higher 'value for money' on IB than on any US flagged airline. In my 45-years of flying internationally, they IMHO are among the best for comfort, service enroute, meals, beverages and overall consideration.
The economy seats on their Airbus A330 fleet are at least one-inch wider than any US flagged carrier flying Boeing airplanes. It DOES make a huge difference, not brushing thighs with strangers. Seat pitch / legroom is sufficient.
IMHO, and long experience, Meals are are superior to US airlines and the cabin crew is waaay better at customer service. Plus, all of the cabin crew can actually walk down the aisle without turning sideways or bumping into every seated passenger as they try to squeeze past...I think you understand if you fly US carriers...
The wine is free, even in economy, and it is always Spanish wine. So the Spanish experience starts as soon as you are on board.
The SOLE downside is that all announcements are in both Spanish then English. however, this is also relative. I used to fly UA from Washington DC to Belgium, when I lived there. On that flight, the announcements were all made in English, French, then Dutch. Besides, my Bose in-ear noise cancellation headphones nearly eliminate all outside sound, including announcements.
Final point, I have recently been upgrading my economy tickets to premium economy at check-in. The cost difference is usually USD 250 to 300 each way. But, in return you get a wider seat, that reclines further, with better meals, in a front section of the cabin. You also get an extra baggage allowance. As I regularly bring stuff for donation at the Pilgrim House in Santiago, this helps defray that marginal cost.
Most carriers, US and foreign, are rolling out a version of Premium Economy. Essentially, they took the former business class seats out of storage and changed the configuration from 3 - 3 - 3, to 2 - 3 -2 seats across. The results feel like first class, or what first used to be, at a fraction of the cost.
Hope this helps.
I actually never noticed too much security coming back into America after my international trips. I did notice though in Madrid the airlines going to America were in one section of the airport. Once you were through that portion of security and yes they check your carryon thoroughly taking everything out, you cannot go back out of that area. It wasn't a bother and I surely didn't see it as an inconvenience, it made me feel safe in this topsy-turvey world.
but that would not be exclusive to Iberia. I would give Iberia a BIG
