Iberian Defence REWRITTEN
 Dec 18th, 2000
(Apr 28th, 2001)
Advantages:
Good food, reliable, new planes, helpful staff, online booking .
Disadvantages:
Some delays sometimes experienced and some staff can be a little rude .
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Food Quality
Customer Service
Punctuality
Space
Value for Money
more
  danieletheridge
About me:
18 Dec: Merry Christmas to one and all!
Member since:17.12.2000
Reviews:188
Members who trust:159
Review rated by 10 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
This review received a counterstatement by a party concerned
Read Comment
I fly Iberia a lot as I have relatives in Spain and I never seem to find any problems with them. Iberia is the Spanish airline, which has been running for many years and has a fleet of some 150 aircraft. Iberia recently launched their new website, with a new layout and better presentation. You can now use the CyberTicket facility to buy your tickets on the internet.
Carrying 75% of Spain's passengers, Iberia are well-known for the quality and service they provide. They have also forecast a growth of 15% this year, and have recently floated on the stock market. But now, more about the airline...
Iberia have just launched a new First Class - with fully reclining seats in to beds. I have tried these out, and trust me, they are very comfortable. With a selection of films and programmes to watch, you will not get bored! And with miles between seats, there's room to stretch! You can also fly Business Intercontinental, which has large, comfortable seats to recline in to. With a selection of the latest films and TV programmes on your personal screen, it's all great. I've flown business to Caracas, too!
And, of course, Economy Class. This is better than most airlines, including BA, Sri Lankan, SAA... The seats are quite comfortable, and there is space to recline - I'm 6 foot 2 and have little trouble getting in between the seats. If you're flying out of Spain, you'll find the food is usually quite or very good. Fresh, made on the same day and generally a pleasure to eat. And in First and Business, on longhaul flights in their brand-new planes, it gets better, with real china dishes, and some really divine food.
Iberia is currently renewing its fleet, as it was a little dated. But, all DC-10s have been phased out and the delivery of the Airbus A-320s to replace them are well under way. You will find the Iberia fleet are very modern and pleasant to fly in. Iberia does not have a shining reputation, but out of the 50-odd times I have flown with them, I have had no problems. This is because Iberia have recently have some troubled years with very empty flights and financial problems. But, they have recovered, and are now working to rebuild their reputation.
Iberia will, however, admit that it's staff are hardly the friendliest in the industry. All the cabin crew are fine, it's just the ground staff at Mdrid Barajas - its main hub - are somewhat irritable. The company are working to sort this out but some can be as bad as the easyJet staff on Airline! The staff that don't snap your head off are very helpful and always willing to help someone with problems.
Iberia are very good with disabled people with facilities ofr them on each of their aircraft. Their modern, new fleet is also very safe and a clear, informative safety video is given in English and Spanish on every flight. If the flight is leaving a country that does not speak English or Spanish, and announcement will also be made in the native language. They seem to have developed a reputation for running late and having many delays, but from my experience this is not the case. I have only ever been delayed once on 50 Iberia flights I have made - that's only 2%. So not bad, is it?
Iberia are cutting costs - ten years ago they had 150 staff at Heathrow, and now only 18 remain - they get bmi british midland to do the handling for them. Iberia tickets are very cheap, and they have an extensive route network. They are the main carrier in Latin America, and the only operator to fly from London Heathrow to Bilbao. You will find many special offers on the Iberia website if you book your seats through the CyberTicket system.
Iberia are a great airline, and I don't see how anyone can complain about the great service they provide. I should know - I've flown with them many times. Go on, give them a go.
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by (80%):
25.11.2003 12:51
very good op - it would be good to try out their first class as i haven't flown with them after they have 'upgraded' their fleet.
13.05.2002 13:20
As I have an appartement on the Costa Blanca I use them frequently to fly via BCN or MAD to ALC, they are not so good when travelling to S-America from VIE, it mostly requires an overnight stay
12.05.2001 11:20
Very useful op, honest and to the point. Cheers, AL.