Spanish flag carrier Iberia is owned by British Airways parent company IAG. It’s a member of oneworld, and part of the same transatlantic joint venture as American Airlines. They have a nice business class product, and right now they have amazing business class award availability from several U.S. cities starting in the fall and extending through end of spring.
For instance here’s availability in business class for two passengers Chicago – Madrid in February:
And here’s Miami – Madrid in February:
And New York JFK – Madrid in February:
For Chicago and New York Iberia charges just 34,000 miles each way in business class.
The great thing about Iberia is that when you use Iberia Avios to redeem for Iberia flights they charge fewer miles than British Airways or American does and they do not add the same substantial fuel surcharges as a BA redemption.
Chase and American Express points transfer directly to Iberia. British Airways points transfer to Iberia as well provided your Iberia account has been open 90 days or longer and has earned even one point.
And of course you can spend 57,500 American AAdvantage miles each way and connecting flights to the U.S. international gateway city, and connecting flights beyond Madrid to elsewhere in Europe, are included without additional miles.
This is a great opportunity to use American or British Airways miles to Europe next year with very good availability and low cost.
Gary,
My search yields 34K points pp +$69 each
Where am I not looking?
And we think American tourists are going to be allowed in Europe in February?
LOL.
February 2022.
It could be free and no one would be going. Genius of a post!
Are their West Coast routes seasonal only? Or are they just a worse deal because of the distance? Would love to take advantage, but hate having to book two separate itinerary’s to make it work.
any word on when IB will resume flights to IAD?
Awesome! Only downside is that you can’t legally fly there. Details, right?
@ken kercher – you’re seeing the miles price I told you to expect, what am I misunderstanding in your question
Caveats
My recently past experiences attempting to use AA miles on IB between ORD-MAD in BC was not accepted by IB. Has that changed since May, 2019?
Although my ticketed class of service was downgraded when IB changed equipment 4 days before flight MAD-ORD in June, 2019, IB elected to ignore EU reg 261 requiring a 75% refund, until I tired of the BS of hearing crickets and requested the Ambassador’s intervention in January, 2020; the refund was made immediately. BTW-I am still waiting for my almost $3K refund from this past March. (This taught me a lesson I had known for years, but took a chance and lost–do not buy IB tickets from a third party, as they will just point to each other with you in the middle.)
Note that all EU carriers are not equal. IB BC far lower than Lufthansa or SWISS. IB PE is pathetic-serving the same stalag chow as provided in coach; no pre meal cocktail service; FAs hesitant to offer any service between meals.
Frankly, given the equivalent cost of BC seats, I would forgo IB and fly Lufthansa to Frankfurt of Munich; connect to Madrid. Indeed, Lufthansa’s inter-Euope BC flights far better than domestic U.S. FC (catering and service).
@ Ken Karcher and @Mark – You’re missing Gary’s point here. He’s suggesting we use IB Avios, not AA miles, in which case it’s only 34K one way Biz. That’s a great deal, and there are lots of seats available
And @Mark – I think there will be many who disagree with you that LH biz is better than IB biz
merci
I’m still waiting for Iberia to start up the IAD-MAD route that they were supposed to begin in July of this year.
@Charlie and @Andrew: Iberia is planning to start non-stop service to Dulles Airport on April 1, 2021. Source: https://www.flydulles.com/iad/dulles-international-returning-airlines
@Chuck: Good to hear! Dulles hasn’t had a single nonstop flight to Madrid since the end of United’s seasonal service in early October 2019, and it looks like the gap will extend another seven months with Iberia starting its new service on April 1, 2020 and United resuming seasonal service on May 1, 2020.