Iberia

[turtlemichael]

I see in a different thread, a trip from MAD to BCN on Iberia is described by the poster as the trip from hell.

Nested within an award trip to Europe in the middle of the year I am doing a mini paid flit on Iberia around Spain over 10 days. It's Madrid-Granada-Santiago de Compostella-Barcelona. Really looking forward to Granada and Santiago in particular.

I booked the trip on the Iberian site at a great rate (under 200 euros) 3 months ago. Since then, Iberia have changed every leg at least once and in one case 4 times. My routes are now totally different. As it's 3 months to go still, I am wondering how many more times it might change. As each change involves lots of emails and time on the phone I'm beginning to think the 200 euros was false economy.

I should add that Qantas premium desk has helped me sort out a couple of issues going well beyond the call of duty.

As I have never flown Iberia, and certainly not domestically, has anyone here had the honour? I am beginning to fear that it's a airline version of Fawlty Towers and the chances of getting from Madrid to Barcelona, via now 5 flights in roughly the order I want and reasonably on time, is a long shot. What's the consensus on Iberia? In a year's time might I be looking back at this trip as an "experience"?

 

[Danger]

I'm planning a RTW trip in May and June and two or three legs would be with Iberia. From what you've said, I'm having second thoughts. If there website is anything to go by, though, I wouldn't be surprised if the flying experience was less than pleasant.

 

[d15.in.oz]

I had two flights with IB late last year, both operating with their “long distance European” service standards. [Food & drink for free, down back.]

• Flight 1; was a red eye, involving the usual unexcited type of red eye crew (i.e., do the service, then hang out in the galley for the rest of the flight.) My chair was also broken, and row 12 (in front of me) was on a weird angle so the pitch was atrocious. [Key highlight of the flight was that the FA’s let the toilet paper run out, because they didn’t check regularly enough.] Oh yes, this involved a refuel in BCN, so officially it was also a MAD-BCN flight.
• Flight 2; day time flight, crew was responsive and friendly - sat in the front row of economy, I think it was an A319 {I really need to pay more attention to these details to be able to post properly on this board} and as it had adaptable business/economy seating, I scored great leg room this time.

Madrid airport (OW terminal) is an amazing space! (Let alone the whole of Madrid.) So enjoy your trip to Spain, it’s an incredible country!

 

[kelpie]

My Iberia story was interesting.

A flight from Madrid to Brussels took 10 minutes longer than normal. So what, you say.

Well we were descending into Brussels, and deep in my subconscious it registered that the wheels hadn't been lowered yet (no noise). We got closer (still no wheel noise), closer (nope) and then within metres of the tarmac, almost as if the pilot was looking for contact with the tarmac, he too realised the wheels weren't down.

*SUDDEN AND REALLY LOUD BANKING NOISE*

Up we went, at a rather sharp angle, and along came the announcement from the pilot...

"Air traffic control have asked us to go into a holding pattern, there is too much traffic in front of us..." (*cough* bull****...)

I never heard the wheels being retracted.

We then did 2 laps of the airport and lo and behold the wheels popped out, and we were able to descend and touch down.

Quite funny now, but pretty hairy at the time...

 

[garyjohn951]

Have flown Disc Economy with Iberia on 5 occasions. I would rank it as Jetstar plus. It has allocated seating which Jet* now has, it has on going thru baggage [a plus], the crews vary graetly, but so do qantas........
Food -drink are all add-ons but so is jetstar and many other Europe airliners and at 200 euros you are on a great deal.
And yes Madrid airport is so big.

 

[Altair]

I am using IB for my honeymoon, Mid-March and Mid-April, and I was always nervous about using it.
I am doing MAD-CMN, CMN-MAD-SVQ and GRX-MAD for a TG flight to BKK.
After talking to Kiwi Flyer I have concerns only over the CMN-MAD-SVQ connections as the TA told me the MCT is 60 minutes and I have 90....90 to go through immigration, collect bags, clear customs, go to transfer desk and change terminals....what was I thinking?
Having the bags make the GRX-MAD-BKK connection on IB 3 hour connection should be enough I hope....
I will do a trip report on the honeymoon flights as there have been several requests for one....

 

[turtlemichael]

I will do a trip report on the honeymoon flights as there have been several requests for one....

I'll look forward to it

 

[Evan]

Everybody just wants to know how much space there is for 2 in the toilets

 

[oz_mark]

Everybody just wants to know how much space there is for 2 in the toilets

Honeymooners should be past that stage.

 

[Mal]

The only time I considered Iberia for a flight, I ended up booking BA instead.

Would have been lots more status credits too for a lower price if I had've flown Iberia. (2 leg Iberia trip vs a 1 leg BA trip)

Got to the airport and looked at the monitor. BA flight was ontime, Iberia flight cancelled. Seeing I had important family business to attend to that afternoon, if I was on Iberia, I would have been stuffed.

Delays and cancellations happen all the time with lots of airlines. This was just my only experience with Iberia.

 

[ozmerish]

I've flown IB in J both long and short haul a few times.

Never had any issues with crew or service. Always found ground staff helpful.

Would fly them again.

 

[Shano]

Did a couple of domestic flights on IB a year or so ago (BCN-OVD return) in Y.

Flight was uneventfulm and service OK, although seat pitch must have been fairly small as no matter how I sat, my knees were hard up against the seat in front of me.