Flight: Iberia IB 6275 from Madrid to Chicago
Equipment: A359 (Airbus 350-900)
Class: Business
Seat: 3E – 3G, Middle Aisle
Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 78″. Seat width: 26″
Iberia used to operate this route using Airbus A346 in the past and recently upgraded it to an Airbus A359. The business class seats and configuration stayed the same with a 1-2-1 direct aisle access to all seats. The middle rows are better for families traveling together and we got the “honeymoon seats” where the middle seats are really close together and the arm rests face the aisle.
Lunch service started soon after takeoff. I opted for white wine with olives as appetizers while Karen went for wine with nuts.
I chose the beef tenderloin with sauteed potatoes while Karen went with grilled salmon with soy and ginger sauce. Both of the entrees were just ok and nothing remarkable.
For dessert I had the chocolate and cherry cake and Karen went with raspberry ice cream. Both were delicious and saved the otherwise mediocre lunch service.
After lunch I laid down the seat in bed mode and went to sleep. I slept well for about 5 hours before the flight attendant woke me up for snacks.
We had the Spanish omelette for the light meal accompanied with some fresh fruit.
Bottomline:
Seat: *****
Service: ***
Food: ***
Being fully flat with direct aisle access for all seats satisfied the requirement for my ideal long haul business class. The cushion was firm enough for me to have a good sleep on the flight.
The service was unimpressive and forgettable during the flight. The attendants were not rude but were not very cordial either.
The appetizer as well as the entree was nothing remarkable. I’ve had much better food on transatlantic flights on other carriers
Overall, it was a mediocre flight but again because of excellent redemption opportunities for transatlantic flights compared to other carriers, I see myself flying with Iberia again in the future.