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This Iberia A330 Business Class Review is of my recent flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Madrid (MAD). I've flown this and the Madrid-Los Angeles route a few times, which is excellent value in terms of points, especially if taking advantage of one of the periodic Chase 30% transfer bonuses to British Airways Avios, which makes the 75K mile rate equivalent to only 58,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, many of them earned at 3X points per dollar with the Chase Sapphire Reserve bonus on all travel and dining, or 5X points per dollar with the rotating quarterly bonus categories of our multiple Chase Freedom Flex cards. Even better is using the British Airways Travel Together voucher from the British Airways Visa (after spending $30,000 on the card), which works not only on British Airways, but also Iberia, enabling you to bring your spouse, partner, or travel companion for free.
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Pre-Boarding
At SFO, Iberia Business Class passengers have access to the British Airways Lounge SFO. We worked there until about 10 minutes before our scheduled 4:45 pm boarding time, but we should have stayed longer, since as is often the case with this flight, boarding was delayed. Fortunately, unlike last year, the boarding screen at least updated with the later 5:20pm boarding time.
Even so, just as has often been the case with Iberia, we had to wait in the jet way for about 10 minutes while cleaners on board the aircraft finished up.
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Iberia Business Class Cabin and Seat
On the A330, the business class seats are in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration. For solo travelers (or even if you're a couple on a night flight who prioritize privacy and don't need to sit side by side), we recommend 2A/2L, 4A/4L, and 6A/6L, since these seats are closest to the window and have the greatest privacy from the aisle. If you're a couple wanting to sit together, we recommend 3E/3G or 5E/5G, as these seats are close together with the arm rest giving both of you a buffer from the aisle. Aim to avoid the first and last rows that are near the galleys and/or lavatories, since these are subject to more light and noise.
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The seat itself is 26 inches wide, fairly standard for a business class seat, with the usual seat controls. Each seat had a duvet and pillow on the seat. I was in seat 4A.
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The amenity kit had the basics: dental kit, earplugs, sleep mask, socks.
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The mattress pad was placed on the ottoman, which forms part of the bed when the seat is fully reclined. Below the ottoman is storage space for a small item or for shoes.
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I don't care for the placement of the power outlet and headset jack, which is awkwardly positioned near one's knees instead of the better position above the arm rest on Delta A330 Business Class, or Air France 777 Business Class.
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Iberia Business Class Menu and Food
Prior to take-off, we were offered a pre-flight drink of water or orange juice; I was getting hungry at this point, given the boarding delay, so I chose orange juice.
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We were also given menus, and soon after, the purser came around to ask our menu choice for the main course (although not the appetizer; this choice was provided on the spot, when it was being served). On this occasion there was no meat choice at all; only chicken breast, halibut, or pasta.
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Here's part of the wine list for our flight:
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We eventually pushed back about 20 minutes after we were supposed to, although fortunately there was some cushion built into the schedule such that we arrived early into Madrid.
It took some time for the crew to put together the drink and appetizer cart, but once they did come around, I enjoyed a glass of Val de Vid white wine with Iberia's simple but tasty snacks of olives, almonds, and cheese. Sometimes simple is best.
The other standout was the fresh burrata cheese with roasted beets. I often find Iberia's appetizers to be better than the main courses, which in turn are better than dessert.
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For my main, I chose the chicken breast, which was predictably too dry (chicken thigh would be a better option and more forgiving of in-flight reheating), although the naturally sweet squash puree and chard tasted better than they looked.
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I tried the dessert, a chocolate caramel tart, which was nothing to write home about.
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About an hour before landing, the crew served breakfast. This was the breakfast menu:
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There was a good little fruit cup, and excellent orange juice (it seemed close to fresh squeezed, and better than the pre-departure orange juice). I chose the omelet, which as described was sadly plain (no cheese) but otherwise fine, and served with asparagus, potatoes, and some limp bacon. The orange juice was very good, and there was some fruit (unfortunately mostly cantaloupe) as well as bread and croissant. Jam was by Bonne Maman.
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Iberia Business Class Sleep Quality
We like that the footwell area, while narrow, provides a bit more space in flat bed mode, than say Qatar Qsuites, which we find very confining and awkward due to the tray table right above it. Iberia does provide a fabric mattress pad to put over the seat, but don't get too excited; it has no cushion to it, unlike the memory foam pad the JAL Business Class uses. It was so uncomfortable this time that I was very glad to have brought my inflatable mattress pad with me. I still didn't sleep that well, but I definitely got better quality rest than I would have without it.
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The Verdict
International Business Class is mainly about being able to lie flat; you can't expect too much in terms of food and service, especially if you're not flying a top Asian airline such as Singapore Airlines or JAL. I've flown Iberia Business Class a number of times, so I knew what to expect.
Highlights for this flight were the relative privacy of the window seat (2A), arriving about 30 minutes early, the excellent burrata appetizer, and the very fresh orange juice served on board. Challenges were the delayed boarding, the rather long wait for a drink/appetizers once airborne, the hard flat bed (thankfully I had my own mattress pad), and the rather messy lavatory.
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