Review of Iberia Premium Economy

Iberia’s primary hub is Madrid with flights departing from the architectural beauty that is Terminal Four. While attractive, the terminal and its satellite building require quite a bit of walking to reach many of the gates, and sunlight can stream through heating them up - especially if you are sprinting to your gate!

A train connects the two concourses with one being for non-Schengen flights and the other being for shorter journeys. Moving walkways help, but it can be difficult to make short connections especially if the train is required.

Check-in at the main terminal is easy enough with a priority queue for check-in, which is separate from economy and Business Class. There is no lounge access for Premium Economy, but travellers with top oneworld elite status are still eligible to use the lounges here and in many other destination airports.  

For those with longer connections in Madrid, there are lounges in both buildings. They have beautiful views of the apron although the windows have metal obstructions that keep the scenery somewhat limited. Both hot and cold food selections plus an open bar are available. Transit passengers will appreciate the nap room with dim lights and reclining chairs, and families will find the children’s play area to be a welcome spot to let-loose pent-up energy. Showers are also available. Most impressive is the wine bar, which offers a variety of Spanish wines from around the country with printed information available for each label. Still, lounge access is only available to top oneworld elite status fliers since it is not included in the Premium Economy fare.

Iberia Premium Economy passengers enjoy access to priority boarding.

Most of the airline’s long-haul fleet is equipped with the new Premium Economy seat, which is in a 2-3-2 or 2-4-2 configuration. This means that there is always a middle seat that you will want to avoid unless travelling with a companion. The two seats on the window side of either aisle are always the best options. Select a bulkhead seat if you want to assure no one reclines into your space, but be aware that you’ll need to stow carry-on bags in the overhead locker for takeoff and landing.

Between rows, expect 94 centimetres (37 inches) of space with seats measuring 44-47 centimetres (18-19 inches) wide depending on the plane. The seats recline 18 centimetres (7.1 inches), and there are adjustable headrests and footrests. While these are no match for Business Class, they do provide more stretching room and comfortable recline than economy class. There are convenient water bottle holders and large entertainment screens, too.

The tray table folds out of the side of the seat, and there is a small table between seats for drinks or other items. There are power and USB outlets at each seat, which is important for the long sectors these aircraft operate.

Iberia sometimes keeps the cabin uncomfortably warm, and while a blanket and pillow wait on each seat, it may not be necessary. Curtains separate the Premium Economy cabin from Business Class and economy, but passengers still sometimes pass through them. Lavatories are not easily accessible in this cabin either with Premium Economy passengers forced to use the economy toilets which are located quite far back.

Advance seat selection is only complimentary for passengers flying on a Flexible Premium Economy ticket.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes images, videos and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft Search results also include details such as seat pitch, width and recline. This way you can see the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested, before making your choice.

Iberia is known for its delicious Spanish food, but that does not seem to translate to Premium Economy meals, which have few differences from what is served in economy class.

A meat or vegetarian option is served after takeoff on one tray with a mediocre salad, dessert and warm bread roll. Refills on bread are offered after the meal cart makes its pass. The food quality is decent, but hardly remarkable.

During the flight, however, flight attendants are not proactive checking on passengers so request a drink refill when you can. Before landing, a cold pre-arrival meal is served that varies depending on the time of day. It is very light, and there is no choice between dishes offered.

Special meals are available for pre-order, which can be done online or via phone including vegetarian, low-calorie, Kosher, Halal or children’s meals among others.

Pre-departure drinks include water or orange juice, and once in the air, passengers are treated to Spanish wines including one red or white option. Soft drinks, coffee and tea are available, but hot drinks are usually not an option until after the first beverage service. Liquor is not complimentary for Premium Economy passengers. A bottle of water is a nice touch after the first service. 

The flight attendants can be hit or miss with some being quite friendly and others more reserved. They are friendly if you engage in conversation, but do not expect effusive service. Also, do not expect better treatment in Premium Economy as flight attendants do not seem to differentiate this more expensive cabin from its “tourist” class cabin.

The large screen has a decent selection of movies, sitcoms, documentaries and music in multiple languages. Another nice feature is the 3-D moving map display, which allows you to zoom in to different parts of the world and see your aircraft from varying angles inflight. The screens are designed to tilt when the passenger in front of you reclines their seat. If seated in bulkhead, the screens fold out from the armrest and must be stowed for takeoff and landing.

Noise-reducing headphones are available at each seat, and these are an upgrade over what passengers in economy class receive.

Inflight wireless internet is available on most long-haul flights for a fee, which is based on bandwidth. The signal can be painfully slow at times.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on WiFi and inflight entertainment.

The blankets are soft, but the pillows are not much bigger than economy class. Small amenity kits are a nice touch, but they are rather basic with unbranded products. They include socks, a dental kit and eyeshades.

Families travelling with infants can request a bassinet on long-haul flights to use at certain seats.

On the airline’s European flights, there is no Premium Economy cabin although when widebody aircraft operate short sectors, these seats are worth selecting for their extra space. On medium-haul flights, there is still a hot meal served with the service similar to what one would expect on long-haul flights in economy class.

Similar to other IAG airlines, Iberia is committing to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Even sooner, by 2025, the airline plans to achieve a 10% reduction in CO2 per passenger kilometre. Other sustainability efforts include re-use and recycling efforts on board as well as in its lounges. Passengers can also pay a fee to offset their own carbon emissions.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on CO2 emissions for each flight. Our quality algorithms also give a higher score to flights operated by the most modern and environmentally friendly aircraft.