I don’t often fly outside of economy, but when I do, I make the most of it. Fast track, lounge access, buffets, and champagne. All of it. Which, if you ask me, makes me the perfect person to review business class flights.
This time I was flying to Lima, Peru. I’d heard so many great things about the food, particularly the fine dining. And with a great deal that included a week-long stay at the nhow hotel in Lima, I knew I had to visit!
The route took me from London to Lima, with a stopover in Madrid, so I got to experience a few different planes (an A330, two A350s, and an A320) and flight crews across the whole trip – plenty to review, in other words.
In this Iberia business class review, I am going to share my experience of all the flights. From the initial booking to stepping off the plane. It is all written from my first-hand experience, with plenty of photos
TL;DR
Whilst Iberia may not be at the very top of the business class market, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience flying with them to Lima and back. It’s a solid option for Latin American routes and great value too, although it can be on the pricier side for flights to the US. The lie-flat seats on both the A330 and A350 were comfortable, though the mattress pad was on the thin side, and the booths offered a good amount of privacy. Although I didn’t get to try one of the newer suites with privacy screens. The one thing I’d urge Iberia to fix? Their online booking tools. Long overdue.
Pros
- Comfortable lie-flat suites on long-haul flights
- Great lounge at Madrid airport
- Food quality was pretty solid
- Good variety of films on in-flight entertainment
- Excellent value for Latin American routes
Cons
- No champagne (only cava)
- Service felt a little rushed on some routes
- The app and booking management are frustrating
- Madrid airport was confusing to navigate
What is Iberia?
Iberia is the flag carrier of Spain, founded in 1927 and based at Madrid Barajas Airport. It’s one of Europe’s oldest airlines, and the first to reestablish commercial routes between Europe and Latin America after World War II.
In 2011, Iberia merged with British Airways to form International Airlines Group (IAG), making it part of one of the largest airline groups in the world. It’s also a member of the oneworld alliance, which means if you’re already collecting Avios (as I do through British Airways), flying Iberia is a great way to build them up.
Iberia flies to destinations across Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. With a particular focus on Europe and Latin America. It’s an entirely Airbus fleet, with long-haul routes served by the A330 and A350.
My experience
I flew Iberia business class in April 2026, from London to Lima, Peru, with a stopover in Madrid. Across the trip, I flew on three different aircraft: the A350, A330, and A320neo, and got to try out the lounges at both London Heathrow and Madrid.
In this Iberia business class review, I’ll cover everything from the booking experience and lie-flat seats, to the food, in-flight entertainment, service and pricing.
Pre-flight
Booking experience
I booked through British Airways rather than directly with Iberia, as I’m a BA Club member and was putting together a full flight and hotel package. So I can’t speak to Iberia’s own booking portal – though in my experience, airline booking platforms tend to be much of a muchness.
What I can speak to is the booking management afterwards, and honestly, it was frustrating. Despite being partner airlines, my booking didn’t sync well between the two.
With a business class ticket, I should have been able to select my seat on purchase (as I was told by British Airways), but Iberia’s site told me I’d have to wait until the airport. A call to their customer service confirmed the same thing. For the amount of money a business class ticket costs, that really isn’t good enough.
I also couldn’t request my special meal online, which needs to be arranged in advance. In the end, I called the Oneworld team at BA, who managed to sort the meal request for me, but couldn’t resolve the seat issue.
Next time, I’ll book directly with Iberia and see if that makes a difference. I’m not entirely sure whether the syncing issues were down to booking through a partner site, but I’ll be interested to find out.
Check-in
As soon as online check-in opened, the problems I’d had with the Iberia booking portal disappeared, and I could finally pick my seat on the app. Thankfully, there were still window seats available.
At Heathrow, there was no queue at the business class desk, and with the security fast track, I was through and at the British Airways lounge within 10 minutes. The same went for the Lima check-in experience, too.
Airport lounges
Starting at London Heathrow, I had access to all the BA lounges through the Oneworld alliance. I headed to the North Lounge in T5, grabbed a window seat overlooking the runway, and helped myself to the prosecco and buffet spread. A lovely start to the trip.
Unfortunately, my London to Madrid flight was delayed, which meant I spent my entire transfer sprinting through Madrid’s very long airport and missed out on the Iberia lounge entirely.
I did get to try the Velázquez Premium Lounge on my way home from Peru, though the timing wasn’t ideal. It didn’t open until 6 am, and with my flight boarding just half an hour later, I barely had time to look around. From what I could see, it had plenty going for it: a modern, spacious layout, generous food and drink options, and great amenities. I just wish it opened earlier.
To make matters worse, there was no signage to warn you it wasn’t open yet. At 5 a.m., I followed the signs, only to be met with a boarded-up wall and no further information. A small thing, but a little more communication would go a long way.
In-flight
The seats
On both the A330 and A350, I had lie-flat seats, and I found them to be comfy and spacious. The A330 was actually on my London to Madrid leg, which was a pleasant surprise. A lie-flat seat on a short-haul flight felt like a real treat.
The A330 was a little more dated in terms of cabin design, but the seat itself was excellent. I was in 2A, which had great privacy and a lovely window view. The A350s felt more modern, with newer, larger screens, though I didn’t spot any of the privacy suite screens I’d read about. I may have been on older models.
The Madrid to London flight on the way back was on an A320neo, which was a step down. No lie-flat here, just a little extra legroom and a blocked middle seat. Fine for a short hop, but it obviously feels a little disappointing after coming off a plane with your own suite.
As for sleeping, I found the beds comfy enough, and the mattress provided a little extra comfort, although they were a little on the thin side. Overall, I managed around four to five hours on each long-haul flight. Which is more than I’d ever get on economy. But I think had the mattress been a little plumper, I could have slept a little more.
One tip if you’re booking as a solo traveller: pay attention to the seat map when choosing an aisle seat. The layout alternates, meaning every other pair of aisle seats is next to each other. If privacy matters to you, a window seat is the safer bet.
The amenity kit
The amenity kit isn’t the most luxurious you’ll find in business class, but it covers the essentials: toothbrush and toothpaste, hand cream, lip balm, socks, an eye mask and earplugs.
The eye mask was my one gripe. It was reassuringly thick, but left a gap underneath that let in light, which rather defeated the purpose on a night flight.
The hand cream, on the other hand, was a small but appreciated touch, keeping my hands from drying out in the cabin. And the kit bag itself was a decent size, one I’ll definitely be repurposing for future travels.
The food
As a vegan traveller, I’d requested a VGML special meal for all my flights, so this is based on that experience rather than the standard menu. That said, I’ve always found that if an airline can get a vegan meal right, it’s a good sign for the food overall. My experience with Iberia was pretty solid, with a few slight issues.
The standout was my meal out of Heathrow, which was genuinely the best vegan meal I’ve ever had on a flight. Three plant-based protein sources, tofu, chickpeas and peas, and it felt considered and substantial rather than an afterthought. With a definite Spanish theme.
Madrid to Lima was a step down, though not bad by any means. A lentil starter, mushroom and saffron rice for the main, and fruit in place of a dessert. Perfectly fine, just not as impressive.
Breakfast was polenta and vegetables, which was decent, though I did miss having a milk alternative for my coffee. BA, as a partner airline, offers both oat and soya, so it felt like an odd gap. Hopefully, something Iberia will address.
Overall, though, the meals felt pretty high-end. A cut above experiences like KLM’s premium economy, where the meals felt like economy with nicer crockery. The little touches helped too: proper olive oil on the table, and salt and pepper shakers you could take home.
WiFi
WiFi was available on my A330 flight from London to Madrid, and it worked well. As a business class passenger, I got free messaging, and unlike similar services I’ve used on other airlines, it actually allowed picture sharing on WhatsApp, not just text.
The long-haul A350 between Madrid and Lima was a different story, with no WiFi available at all. Given the length of the flight, that was a real shame.
What made it more confusing was that Iberia’s website states that WiFi is available on all long-haul routes. Whether my flight was an exception or the information is simply out of date, I’m not sure, but it’s worth checking before you fly if connectivity matters to you.
In-flight entertainment
The in-flight entertainment had a good mix of new releases and classics. I watched Eternity, among others, and found plenty to keep me occupied across the long-haul flights.
Screen quality varied depending on the aircraft, though. The A330 screen felt dated, was positioned a little too far away, and the touch screen was unreliable. The A350 was a noticeable step up, with a larger, more responsive screen that was much easier to use.
The in-flight map was functional but basic, which felt a little behind the times compared to other airlines.
Toilets
Business class passengers get their own dedicated bathrooms. They are a similar size to economy but a little smarter in decor, some with a full-length mirror.
That said, the condition varied across my flights. The A330 and first A350 both felt a bit tired and rundown, while the second A350 was noticeably nicer.
My main gripe across all of them was upkeep. They got messy quickly, often ran out of paper, and restocking wasn’t always prompt. For business class, you’d hope for a bit more attention to detail here.
The service
Service was warm and attentive for the most part. I was greeted on boarding and again after takeoff, and on the longer legs was offered a glass of cava to start (annoyingly, no champagne!)
After takeoff, the crew took the time to confirm my special meal request and check when I’d like to eat, which felt personal and considered. They checked in regularly throughout the flight too, and asked for feedback before landing.
That said, there were a couple of niggles. The pre-takeoff service on both outbound flights felt rushed and a little chaotic. On the Madrid to Lima leg, I could hear the crew chatting amongst themselves for much of the flight, which wasn’t ideal when I was trying to sleep. And on the Lima to Madrid flight, my drink was taken away more than once before I’d finished it.
Overall, friendly and mostly attentive, but a little inconsistent across the different routes.
The price
I’ve found Iberia’s business class pricing to be mixed, depending on where you’re flying. On short-haul routes, business class is competitively priced compared to other major European carriers.
However, I’ve noticed that transatlantic routes can sit at the pricier end of the market, whilst longer routes to Latin America can be significantly cheaper. For example, my London to Lima return flight (via Madrid) came to €3,200. Much cheaper than some of the return flights between Madrid and New York.
| Route type | Example | Average return cost |
|---|---|---|
| Short haul | Madrid to London | €400-600 |
| Long haul (Transatlantic) | Madrid to New York | €3000-7000 |
| Long haul (Latin America) | Madrid to Lima | €3000-4000 |
Iberia business class review verdict
Would I fly Iberia business class again? Yes, particularly for Latin American routes. Direct flights from London to Lima with British Airways are few and far between, and routing via Madrid with Iberia is a solid alternative that I’d happily book again.
It isn’t the fanciest business class experience out there, but it is high-end enough to justify the cost, with a distinctly Spanish flair that gives it its own character. The lie-flat seats, the food and the lounge in Madrid all delivered where it counts.
My one lingering wish? Champagne. Cava might be Spain’s drink of choice, but when you’re settling into a business class seat for a long-haul flight, it doesn’t quite hit the same way.
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