Flight Review: Iberia Business Class SCL-MAD on Airbus A350-900

Overview of Iberia Airbus A350-900 Business Class

Iberia is known for its low redemption rates on its business-class flights, and I took advantage of one such rate recently—on a flight from Santiago, Chile, to Madrid. The aircraft was equipped with a slightly older version of Iberia’s business class, which doesn’t have a sliding door, but it was still a comfortable flying experience on a long-haul flight.

However, I fell victim to Iberia’s poor in-flight service, so here’s my experience flying an Airbus A350-900 in business class in April 2024.

How I Booked Iberia Airbus A350-900 Business Class

My husband and I spent four months in South America during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, after which we flew to Europe in April to spend another four months in the warmth of the Northern Hemisphere. Since the South American leg of our trip ended in Chile, the most direct route we could have taken was from Santiago to Madrid.

The flight is about 12 hours long, so I wanted to fly in comfort on such a long journey. Our travels then took us to the Balkans, so we purchased a separate flight from Madrid to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, on Air Serbia for the same day we landed in Madrid.

To book the Iberia flight from Santiago to Madrid for my husband and me, we took advantage of the Executive Club’s favorable award rates and used British Airways Avios. We could have used Iberia Plus to book these flights directly with the operating airline at the same rate, but my husband has been locked out of his Iberia Plus account (and can’t get back in because Iberia’s IT support is less than helpful), so we used British Airways instead.

Both British Airways and Iberia use a distance-based scheme to price out its flights with Avios. The redemption rate on this nonstop flight in business class is 51,000 Avios on off-peak dates and 75,000 on peak dates. We happened to fly on an off-peak date, so we booked it for 51,000 Avios + $123.80 per passenger.

American Express was also running a 30% bonus when we needed to make this booking, so our final cost came to 79,000 Membership Rewards points plus $247.60 taxes for two business-class tickets. My husband earned these points with the American Express® Gold Card (see rates & fees)

British Airways Executive Club is also a transfer partner of Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Wells Fargo Rewards, so there are multiple other ways to get your hands on Avios.

Iberia Check-In at Santiago International Airport

Depending on the day, Iberia operates one to two daily flights between Santiago and Madrid: a red-eye flight and a daytime flight. The award availability we found was on the daytime flight, so we headed to Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in the morning.

We had stayed at the Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago and had free breakfast included as Globalist Guests of Honor. The breakfast was delicious (I can never say no to eggs benedict) but took a while, which caused us to call an Uber later than we wanted, which in turn took a long time to drop off other passengers in the area and therefore was also delayed. Needless to say, the ride to the airport was nerve-wracking.

Finally, the Uber driver dropped us off at Santiago International Airport, and we frantically ran to the Iberia counter expecting to see a line. Luckily, the counter was completely empty, so we checked in and dropped off our two pieces of luggage right away.

In addition to the boarding passes, the check-in agent handed us two passes to the LATAM VIP lounge, but unfortunately, we didn’t have time to check it out because we arrived in the airport later than we planned.

Boarding Iberia at Santiago International Airport

Because we dilly-dallied earlier that morning, by the time we reached the gate, boarding had already started (I assume on time), so we made our way to the premium-cabin queue and boarded the plane via a jet bridge.

A flight attendant greeted me in Spanish and pointed to the aisle where my seat was located. Most of the business-class passengers were already on the plane, placing their luggage away and getting situated for the long-haul flight to Madrid.

Iberia A350-900 Business Class Cabin and Seats

Iberia business class on Airbus A350-900 has 31 flat beds arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration across eight rows. Every passenger has direct aisle access, but the seat design doesn’t include a divider between you and the aisle for extra privacy.

If you’re traveling as a couple, I recommend selecting odd-numbered rows so you can be closer together. Solo travelers not seated by the windows will be better off selecting even-numbered seats. As expected, rows 1 and 8 are less desirable because of their proximity to the galleys and lavatories.

My husband and I chose seats 3E and 3G to be seated closer together, and I didn’t incur any extra charges for seat selection.

In terms of storage, there wasn’t much—just a couple of shelves large enough to fit an amenity kit, headphones and a couple of small personal items. Of course, there’s more storage space under the footwell, but you can’t access it when the seat is in a lie-flat position.

Right underneath the two shelves, a USB charging port, a headphone jack and an international socket were located. A reading light was built into the seat next to the headrest.

The seat control panel was built into the armrest, and a remote controller for the entertainment system was on the inner wall of the seat.

The tray table folded out from the seatback in front of me, and it was big enough to lay out meals, drinks and eating utensils without feeling cramped.

Iberia A350-900 Business Class Bathrooms

This particular cabin layout featured three lavatories in business class: all at the front of the cabin by the galley. I was surprised that the bathrooms weren’t spacious and would be the size you’d normally see on most aircrafts in economy class. I didn’t see any dental kits or other amenities in the lavatory.

Iberia A350-900 Amenities

Iberia Business Class Amenity Kit

The Iberia business-class amenity kit included the following items:

• Hand cream, lip balm and facial mist from Germaine de Capuccini
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Hair comb
• Eye mask
• Earplugs
• Socks

Iberia Business Class Entertainment

Business-class passengers can watch Spanish and international movies and TV shows on an 18-inch HD screen. A pair of noise-canceling headphones had been placed inside one of the storage slots above the side table. I watched “Mean Girls” (2024), and the picture as well as the sound quality were great.

Iberia Business Class Bedding Amenities

Each business-class seat came with a mattress pad, a pillow and a duvet. They had been placed on each seat before boarding began. There were no pajamas or slippers.

Iberia Business Class Pre-Departure Amenities

Pre-departure drinks were available during boarding. I ordered a glass of Villa Conchi Cava as no Champagne was on the menu. It’s not the fanciest Cava I’ve had, but it was the only sparkling wine option on board. A selection of red and white Spanish wines was listed in the menu, but I usually go for bubbles when available.

Iberia Business Class Wi-Fi

Iberia Plus members and business-class passengers have access to free in-flight messaging, which includes apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram and Viber. Otherwise, for passengers who need to browse the web, in-flight Wi-Fi isn’t free. The browsing pass cost €13.49 (about $15) for four hours or €24.99 (about $28) for the full flight, so I chose not to connect.

Iberia Business Class Meal Service

I’d like to preface this section by saying that I had never flown business class until 2020, and I’m always super grateful for the privilege to fly in a premium cabin. However, the food and the service left a lot to be desired. So, here it goes.

Lunch

The flight departed at 11 a.m., meaning lunch was the first meal. It started with a snack that included olives, a small cheese and nuts plate, and a package of picos utreranos (small crunchy breadsticks). The whole snack situation was fantastic, and I got another glass of Cava with that.

The following choice of starters was available:

• Smoked salmon served with chives sour cream and bittersweet pickle
• Roasted vegetables with cream cheese, cherry tomato and soy sauce

I chose the salmon, and it was good. I’m a big fan of fishy appetizers in general, so it was a good start to the meal. However, things went downhill quickly.

The following mains were listed on the menu:

• Braised veal in a Porta sauce served with roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus and red onions
• Sauteed shrimps in a creamy lemon sauce accompanied with wild and basmati rice, green beans and roasted cherry tomatoes
• Ricotta and spinach-filled pasta over a tomato and cheese sauce, cherry tomatoes and parmesan

I had ordered the veal, but the flight attendant brought pasta and walked away before I could say or ask anything. I waited a little to see whether anyone would come back and explain what happened, perhaps they ran out of other meals and pasta was the only choice left, but no one came back. So, pasta it was.

The meal was presented in a ceramic plate with real silverware, but the taste was average at best. I’ve had the same meal in economy class on various airlines plenty of times, and this time, it was no different.

Breakfast

The flight was set to land around 6 a.m., so a light meal was served, and the choices were:

• Plain omelet with roasted pork loin served with zucchini and cherry tomatoes
• Pancakes with blueberries, red berry jam and maple syrup
• Seasonal fresh fruit

I’d been asleep when service began, so I wasn’t aware it had already started. I woke up to the sound of clinking cutlery and went to the bathroom, so the flight attendants were aware I was awake. However, no one came by to take my order. In fact, multiple flight attendants were roaming up and down the other aisle, but no one walked by my seat and asked whether I wanted a meal before landing. Finally, my husband asked a flight attendant on his side of the aisle to bring me a plate.

I got an omelet, and again, it didn’t taste particularly good.

After I was finished with my meal, the plane had started to descend, but it wasn’t quite in full landing mode. I placed my tray on the table beside me, and no one came by to pick it up until about 10 minutes before landing. That’s right. The tray with a dirty plate sat there for about 30 minutes before anyone noticed.

Again, it’s not a huge deal for me, and I consider myself lucky to fly in business class, thanks to points and miles, but this level of service was disappointing to find in a premium cabin.

Dining on Demand

The following items were available for dining on demand until an hour and 30 minutes before landing:

• Warm sandwich with grilled chicken herbs with edam cheese and grilled eggplant
• Warm sandwich with provolone cheese accompanied by grilled onion, pickle and tomato jam
• Fresh fruit basket
• Selection of potato chips, chocolate bars and cookies

I didn’t take advantage of dining on demand, so I can’t say anything about the option.

Iberia Business Class Bed

Again, this is where my flight experience lacked service. I haven’t flown in business class on long-haul flights that many times in my lifetime—I’d say fewer than 10 times—but on most of these flights, a flight attendant offered to make a bed for me. On this Iberia flight, no one made an attempt to help me make a bed or asked if I needed assistance, so I made it myself.

The seat controls were pretty intuitive, so I had no problems figuring out how to recline my seat.

The bed is advertised to be up to 78 inches long when fully flat, and there was quite a bit of room in the footwell. I’m short, so I never have issues finding room for my feet, but my husband is about 6 feet tall, and he said he never reached the end of the footwell when the seat was in the lie-flat position. Overall, the seat was quite comfortable for sleeping.

Even though the flight departed at about 11 a.m., about 2.5 hours into it, a flight attendant pulled down all the shades and dimmed the cabin lights. They didn’t come back on until the pre-landing meal service. I don’t remember being particularly cold or hot during the flight.

Overall Impression of Iberia A350-900 Business Class

The Iberia Plus program (and British Airways Executive Club) has some fantastic redemption rates on its own flights, and my husband and I got quite a deal on our tickets to Madrid. However, the service and the food left a bad taste in my mouth. I’d say that this was my least favorite business-class flight, but remember that my sample size is rather small and it’s possible that my experience isn’t the norm.

Final Thoughts

Even though I experienced inferior service on this particular flight and the food was uninspiring, I’m still glad I booked business class for a 13-hour flight across the Atlantic. There’s something to be said about being comfortable on long flights like this, and not having to be twisted like a pretzel in a small economy seat does wonders for one’s well-being on arrival, especially because we had one more flight to catch later that day.

If I have another opportunity to fly business class on Iberia, I would do it again just to see if my flight experience was a fluke. However, there must be a redemption rate discount in the form of a transfer bonus to convince me to book it again.