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This review of Iberia Business Class is on a flight from Madrid MAD to Los Angeles LAX, on an A330-200. Also see our Iberia Business Class Lounge Review for Madrid Terminal 4S. Stay tuned for our video review, coming soon.
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Iberia Business Class Cabin and Seat, A330-200
Iberia's Business Class cabin on the A330-200 has 19 seats, all with direct aisle access in a staggered layout. There are five on the left, ten in the center, and four on the right. Our favorite seats for solo travelers or those who want a window seat are 2A, 2L, and 4A, because these are right next to the window, with counter space on the side of the aisle that provides a little more privacy. 4L is right in front of the lavatory, so we don't recommend that seat. For couples who want to sit together, select 3E and 3G, which are right next to each other and also buffered slightly from the aisle.
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Iberia Business Class seats are 26 inches wide, with an ottoman in front that forms part of the flat bed when the seat is fully reclined.
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Simple seat control presets allow for lounging, flat bed, and back to a fully upright position for take-off and landing.
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There's convenient small item storage for the headset, amenity kit, etc. by the seat at shoulder height.
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The main aspect I didn't care for is the placement of the power outlet and headset jack, which is knee-height, and more awkward to access than seats where this is shoulder height, such as Air France Business Class, EVA Business Class, etc.
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Iberia Business Class Menu and Dining
Once on board, we were offered a pre-flight beverage; I chose water. Menus were provided before take-off.
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Prior to the meal service we were brought a hot towel in a holder, which I appreciate and isn't always the case with business class to/from Europe.
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The crew were happy to give me small pours of a couple of the red wines I wanted to try, which were a good accompaniment to the almonds and Spanish cheese that were served alongside.
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For my appetizer I chose the marinated tofu, since I don't care for veal. The tofu, rice, and avocado were fine, although I couldn't help think that a bit of salmon with it would have been perfect (which I realize would have defeated the point of a vegetarian appetizer).
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Originally I was told that my selection of the lamb couldn't be accommodated because they'd run out, but given my disappointment, one of the crew very nicely was able to find another one for me. At the end of the day, the lamb wasn't that tender, although the Manchego cheese gratin was very tasty and made up for it. Bread rolls were also offered.
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The highlight of the meal was actually the excellent Manchego cheesecake with berry compote and chocolate.
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I tried to get some rest and didn't ask for any snacks or chocolates that the menu indicated were available after the main meal service.
The light meal served before our landing at LAX was fortunately not the chocolate sponge cake indicated on the menu, but rather a simple pasta dish, which hit the spot.
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I did feel like some of the fresh fruit mentioned on the menu, but it seems to not have been catered, as the crew member first looked confused, then promised to try to find some. He returned with a fresh apple and orange, which was perfect.
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Here's our Iberia A330 Business Class video review:
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Iberia Business Class Flat Bed and Amenity Kit
Iberia provides a good sized pillow. As with most European airlines, there is a mattress pad, although it's not very thick, so if the duvet, is added on top of the mattress pad, the duvet's thickness makes for a much more comfortable flat bed. I used my cashmere shawl as a blanket.
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I recommend traveling with your own sleep mask, as the Iberia amenity kit's sleep mask has a rather short elastic band and it's not adjustable the one many first class sleep masks are. Other amenity kit items include a toothbrush, toothpaste, hand lotion, comb, earplugs, and socks.
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The Verdict
We've flown Iberia Business Class a couple times recently, and have been very happy with it compared to other business class products between the U.S. and Europe, especially when we reserve early enough to secure a window seat. I don't care for the low placement of the power outlet or the rather poor WiFi on the flights I've flown, but otherwise the seat and bed are solid, food is fine (wine and dessert were very good), and service was pleasant. It's also one of the better Avios award values between Europe and the West Coast (especially if you've taking advantage of an Avios transfer bonus).
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Is wearing a mask still mandatory when travelling with iberia?
How was the service. Is it still possible to get drinks during the whole flight or only during meals?
Thanks
Yes, at time of writing (January 2023) Iberia still requires all passengers and crew to wear a mask when not actively eating and drinking. It’s not a problem to have drinks during the flight between mealtimes, although you may need to track down a crew member as they weren’t proactively offering drinks. Service on our flights was good compared to other business class flights between the U.S. and Europe, including procuring fresh fruit for me even though it seemed (contrary to the menu) to not have been catered for the light meal.
Is this STILL the case for masks in JUNE 2023???
No, Iberia no longer requires face masks on board. Even Japanese airlines no longer require face masks to be worn.