Is Iberia premium economy worth it on the Airbus A330 from Madrid to Dallas?
Quick take: With improvements to the food and beverage offering, this could be a great premium economy product.
Pros
- There are comfortable, wide seats with great legroom in an intimate cabin.
- It offers a comprehensive mix of new-release movies and lightning-fast Wi-Fi.
- This is an excellent way to redeem Avios.
Cons
- Madrid's Terminal 4 remains a stressful and confusing airport to transit.
- Passengers must pay for all spirits and snacks.
- The prearrival meal was not suitable for premium economy.
Here at TPG, we regularly promote what a great deal it is to book Iberia flights across the Atlantic using Avios. In business class, you can part with just 34,000 Avios on off-peak dates to get from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., or Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Spain — one of the very best sweet spots of any airline loyalty program.
Premium economy is also a great redemption option if you don't have enough Avios or can't find the availability in business class. But how does the product compare to other leading airlines flying between Europe and North America?
After a mostly impressive experience in Iberia's new business-class suites on the Airbus A350 to Mexico City International Airport (MEX), I decided to try the premium economy product from the airline's home at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Here's what the experience was like.
How to book premium economy on Iberia
Round-trip cash fares in Iberia premium economy are usually only 50% more than the cost of a regular economy ticket. Business class is usually around three times the price of premium economy. This makes premium economy a savvy investment if you are looking for extra perks and comfort but can't stretch to business class.
Award availability is readily available on this route, and the Iberia Plus website has a handy calendar view feature that will show you all dates with availability, along with the peak or off-peak prices.
We booked this flight on an off-peak date for 31,750 Avios, plus $131 in fees, taxes and surcharges.
Here are the ranges of airfare and award redemptions in all three cabins on this route over the next year.
| Round-trip prices | Economy | Premium economy | Business class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $731 to $2,600 | $1,290 to $4,290 | $2,170 to $7,540 |
| British Airways or Iberia Plus Avios | 42,500 (off-peak) to 50,000 (peak) Avios, plus $230 | 63,500 (off-peak) to 87,500 (peak) Avios, plus $252.47 | 85,000 (off-peak) to 125,000 (peak) Avios, plus $296.70 |
Avios are one of the easiest currencies to earn, and there are three Avios-branded credit cards available, including:
- British Airways Visa Signature® Card
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card
Each card offers 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Avios are worth 1.4 cents each per TPG's November 2024 valuations, making the full bonus worth $1,050. Each card has a $95 annual fee and earns 3 Avios per dollar spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Level. Plus, you can earn 2 Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel and 1 Avios per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Additionally, at least one Avios program partners with all major transferable currencies. (Remember, you can transfer Avios between any Avios programs at a 1:1 rate.)
The information for the Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card and Iberia Visa Signature Card have been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The following cards all currently offer strong welcome bonuses that you could easily convert to Avios at a 1:1 rate:
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
- American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Checking in to premium economy on Iberia
I commenced my journey by flying on Iberia from London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) to MAD.
Iberia does not offer priority check-in for premium economy passengers, creating a less-than-premium experience. Nonetheless, there was no wait to check baggage at the regular economy line.
Passengers in premium economy, whether booked with cash or Avios, are entitled to check two pieces of baggage weighing up to 50 pounds each. They can also take a full-size carry-on bag and a small personal item (such as a laptop or handbag) on board.
Premium economy passengers did not receive priority security or lounge access on my flight. Although my flight from London arrived in Terminal 4S, just a few gates from my next flight to Dallas, I had to go upstairs, clear security and then return to the departure gate for my next flight.
While Terminal 4's design is visually beautiful, I found the transfer process disorienting and stressful, even after multiple visits.
Hundreds of people were trying to get through security at once, seemingly about to miss their next flight, and the long distances between gates meant a simple transfer could become time-consuming.
Fortunately, the gate area for my flight to Dallas was well set up, with plenty of seating and a calm atmosphere.
Premium economy passengers and Oneworld Ruby customers were invited to board in Group 2 (out of four groups), and separate lanes were set up for each boarding group, resulting in a civilized and orderly boarding process.
How comfortable was premium economy on Iberia?
Iberia operates four times weekly from Madrid to Dallas (Thursday to Sunday) during the winter months, increasing to daily service from April to October. The flight departs Madrid at 4 p.m. local time and arrives in Dallas at 8:35 p.m. local time, around 11 hours later.
| Economy | Premium economy | Business class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin layout | 2-4-2 | 2-3-2 | 1-2-1 |
| Seat pitch | 31 inches | 37 inches | 76 inches |
| Seat recline | 5 inches | 8 inches | Fully flat |
| Seat width | 18.1 inches | 18.1 inches | 20 inches |
| Screen size | 9 inches | 12 inches | 15.4 inches |
Behind the single cabin of 29 business-class seats, the premium economy cabin of 24 seats takes up just three rows and is configured in a 2-3-2 configuration in rows 11 to 14. (Like many airlines, Iberia does not have a row 13.)
My first impressions of the cabin were good because of its intimacy and exclusivity.
Unlike certain other airlines I've flown, I appreciate that the airline has installed a proper divider between premium economy and the economy cabin behind.
I selected an aisle seat in row 11, the front row of the cabin. I recommend these seats, as you will not have anyone reclining into your personal space because there's only a bulkhead in front.
The amount of legroom was great. I especially appreciated that the passenger in the window seat could easily get up without me having to move on this full flight.
I could manually recline the seatback and pop out the legrest with the touch of a button in the center armrest.
The headrest could be manually adjusted up and down, and the side wings could be pulled inward to rest on either side of my head.
I found the seat very comfortable for taking an hourlong nap on this long daytime flight across the Atlantic.
Rather than having legrests, seats in rows 12 and 14 had footrests that manually folded down from the seatbacks in front. These did tend to get stuck, though.
There was a universal charging point and a USB-C port for each seat in the center console.
The shared center shelf proved handy for resting a drink or placing my phone during meal service, and rows 12 and 14 also had water bottle holders to free up space in the seatback pockets.
The bi-fold table from the center console was large enough for my 15-inch laptop computer.
Amenities in Iberia premium economy
A plush pillow and a lightweight fleece blanket were waiting on my seat.
Premium economy passengers received solid Iberia-branded over-ear headphones and amenity kits from Spanish fashion designer Teresa Helbig in fun pouches. You could reuse them to store a camera, charging cables or reading glasses.
The contents were decent for premium economy, with socks, an eye mask, a toothbrush, toothpaste and earplugs inside.
Wi-Fi was available on my flight across the Atlantic, with free messaging for business class and Iberia Plus members, up to 20.49 euros (about $22.25) for a full flight browse and stream package. I selected the latter and registered incredibly fast speeds of up to 56 Mbps for downloads and 8 Mbps for uploads. This made for a very productive workday up in the air.
On the left side of my seat, a large, crisp touchscreen folded out from the floor.
It was loaded with 66 new-release movies, including "Back to Black," "Dune: Part Two" and "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire."
Five lavatories were shared with the economy cabin behind. Although the A330 flight to Dallas was full in all classes, there was rarely a wait to use them, and they were kept clean.
How was the food in Iberia premium economy?
The crew served guests water or orange juice in plastic cups during boarding. This was a little disappointing because some other airlines serve welcome drinks in proper glassware and offer sparkling wine as an option in premium economy.
About an hour after departure, crews rolled trolleys up to the front of the cabin to serve lunch. Unfortunately, no menus were provided, so each passenger was verbally advised of the two options being beef cheeks or vegetarian pasta.
I selected the beef cheeks served with an orzo and feta cheese salad, an orange sponge cake, a bread roll with butter and cheese on the side, and metal cutlery.
The fresh and light salad appetizer was the highlight of a pretty underwhelming meal. The beef in the entree was tasty and soft, but the presentation was sloppy, and everything was swimming in a gooey mess of mashed potatoes and gravy, a heavy dish for a Monday lunch. The dry dessert wasn't a great way to finish the meal.
Related: Are airline credit cards worth it anymore?
The crew offered a choice of beer, wine, soft drinks or juice to accompany the meal. These drinks were served in plastic cups, again without proper glassware. My seat neighbor asked for some whisky with her soft drink, and my jaw dropped when the crew member said that all spirits require payment.
I've now flown on 10 different airlines in premium economy, and this is the first time I have seen beverages other than Champagne require additional payment.
Related: Is Singapore Airlines premium economy worth it on the Airbus A350?
A few hours after the lunch service, I wandered through the cabin to see if any snacks were available. Snacks are often set up in a galley area for passengers to help themselves. There were none, so I asked the crew if anything was available, noting I had come from the premium economy cabin.
My eyebrows raised again when the crew told me all snacks cost extra.
Midway through the flight, the crew rolled trolleys through the cabin, and I was excited to see them hand out small tapas boxes to the premium economy and economy passengers. These boxes were a fun gift to unpack on this long flight, and I anticipated a bounty of cured meats, sliced cheeses, olives and nuts.
The contents weren't as good as I had imagined. The box contained a small packet of miniature breadsticks, marinated olives and a gouda cheese spread, which I had never seen on my dozen or so visits to Spain. The olives were good, but I only ate the rest because I was hungry.
With no complimentary snacks available and an underwhelming midflight offering, I was looking forward to the prearrival meal. I was hoping for a proper hot meal, given the hour was approaching dinner time in Dallas.
About 75 minutes before arrival, the crew offered a ham and cheese or cheese and tomato sandwich, plus a choice of water or juice.
I chose the meat option and was handed a cold panini-style sandwich in a paper bag — the same as the economy cabin passengers received.
This was not what I'd consider an acceptable second main meal service in premium economy on an 11-hour journey, and it certainly was a disappointing end to the flight.
The crew on my flight to Dallas was cheerful and professional throughout. They didn't pick up on passengers' frustrations about paying for snacks and spirits in the premium economy cabin, and they did their best with what they had available.
Was Iberia premium economy worth it?
Iberia gets a lot of the basics right with its premium economy product. The seats are noticeably more comfortable than those in economy, with more legroom and recline. The Wi-Fi was impressively fast, and the large, crisp screen had plenty of entertainment options.
The significant issues with Iberia's products are the food and beverages. There is nothing premium about charging for spirits and snacks, and I haven't seen this on other airlines in premium economy. None of the food I ate on board was great, particularly the cold panini I had as my second meal.
Given the reasonable cost over economy on the same flight, whether in cash or Avios, it's worth upgrading for the better seat alone. However, you may wish to bring your own food. British Airways may be a better option if you want to redeem Avios for a well-rounded premium economy product.
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