Iberia Airlines

Lohman · Jul 31, 2005

Is it true that Iberia airlines offers a 50% discount to Pilgrims on one way tickets out of Santiago?

Sarah Lohman

ivar · Aug 3, 2005

This is news to me. I don't know if this is something new (I have been away for the last two weeks).

I know that there has been a sight pilgrims discount at some Santiago travel agencies, but from what I have heard this discount only applies to the more "expensive" tickets so it's not a good deal.

I know that Iberia has been cutting prices in general lately after the arrival of the low-cost airlines, but this is not related to a pilgrim discount.

For a list of airlines (and links) flying out of Santiago, please have a look here:
http://www.santiago-today.com/flights-t ... ostela.cfm

If anyone can add to this, please post your message here.

Greetings from Santiago,
Ivar

Peter Robins · Aug 6, 2005

The discount is not new, as people from SE England used to use it on the flight to Heathrow. It's a discount on the normal full fare, so with the arrival of Ryanair I doubt whether it's much used any more.

According to industry gossip http://www.aerovia.com/noticias/noticia ... ticia=6025
Iberia is planning on starting a low-cost subsidiary next year - though whether they'll be any more successful than BA or KLM must be questionable ...

ivar · Aug 6, 2005

Actually it has been rumored that Iberia is interested in buying Vueling Airlines.

When Vueling was confronted with this rumor this week, they denied any such plans.

Let's see what happens.

Ivar

Lohman · Aug 12, 2005

I read it in "Walking the Camino de Santiago" be Bethan Davies and Ben Cole. It literally says "Iberian airlines offers a 50% discount for pilgrims on one way tickets out of Santiago." However, I'd thought I'd check on it since I've heard this book may not be the most reliable source, and the repeatedly called it "Iberian" airlines not "Iberia" airlines.

So Peter, you have heard of people using this discount?

Sarah

Lohman · Aug 12, 2005

Answer found..

I just called Iberia's US offices, and was told that the discount is in fact true. You need a letter from the Archbishop of Santiago proving that you are a Pilgrim, which you then take to the Iberia offices at the Santiago airport. Iberia will then give you half off on airfare one-way from Santiago to anywhere in the world.

Since I am flying home to Cleveland, this means the world to me!

Sarah

Shamanca · Aug 12, 2005

Re: Answer found..

Lohman said:
I just called Iberia's US offices, and was told that the discount is in fact true. You need a letter from the Archbishop of Santiago proving that you are a Pilgrim, which you then take to the Iberia offices at the Santiago airport. Iberia will then give you half off on airfare one-way from Santiago to anywhere in the world.

Since I am flying home to Cleveland, this means the world to me!

Sarah

Wow... last year when I booked an Iberia ticket at the airport from Santiago de Compostella the discount was only for flights within Spain, not for anywhere in the world.

Also... I don't know if that is still the same, but there were just a number of tickets per flight that were on discount.
I would check that first, just in case :wink:

Peter Robins · Aug 13, 2005

the 'letter from the archbishop' is the compostela

I would stress that this is a discount on the full single fare. I just tried a random date on Iberia's site Santiago-Cleveland and got a fare of €800 - even half that is a lot of money, especially added to whatever you pay to get to Europe in the first place. If money is your main criterion, ISTM you'd be better off getting a budget-price return from the US to, say, Madrid - or possibly London and use the budget airlines for London to and from Spain. Of course, booking a return does mean you have a deadline for your return.

Lohman · Aug 16, 2005

Yes, I was more interested in having two one-way tickets. This is my first time walking, and I really had no idea how long it would take me.
After investigated youth air fares (I'm under 25), that plus the train tickets are working out to about the same cost as roud trip tickets from budget airlines, $600-$800.

The one-way tickets will probablly cost me more in the end, but with round trip tickets, if I missed my deadline, or came in too early and ended up spending a week or more on extra lodging and food it would have worked out to the same cost or more. Plus, its the luxury of not feeling rushed during the walk.

But, this is all guesswork for me

Sarah

mpmalba · Feb 13, 2019

Leave it up to Iberia to make it difficult to obtain a discount on their flights from Santiago. You might as well get a letter from the pope also. By the time you get this letter, you won't be able to plan ahead and will just get a discount on full price fares! You should avoid Iberia, and try some of the other airlines instead. I recently lost two tickets on Iberia because of their inflexibility on their cancellation policies.