Iberia Airlines

  About Iberia Airlines

Iberia, legally incorporated as Iberia, Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A. Operadora, Sociedad Unipersonal, is the national flag carrier of Spain. The airline was founded in 1927 and is recognised as one of the old European airlines prevalent. Based out of Madrid, the airline operates a slew of international routes from its base at Madrid-Barajas Airport. Iberia, along with Iberia Regional (predominantly operated by Air Nostrum, an independent carrier based in Valencia) and Iberia Express, are all part of the International Airlines Group, along with British Airways, Aer Lingus and more. Iberia group of airlines cater to the transportation of passengers as well as freight. Some of the other airline-related activities undertaken by the airline include aircraft maintenance, in-flight catering and airport handlings. Currently, Iberia group of airlines cater to about 109 destinations in the world with an additional 90 destinations that are connected, thanks to their codesharing agreements with a bunch of airlines. It is easily one of the best airlines in Spain.

With capital financing initiated by Horacio Echevarrieta and Deutsche Luft Hansa of a whopping 1.1 million pesetas, Iberia, Compañía Aérea de Transportes was formed in 1927. Flight operations for the same commenced in the same year. The company received government sponsorship the following year as they needed the airline to provide for postal transportation between Barcelona and Madrid. Under the dictatorial rule of President Miguel Primo de Rivera between 1923 to 1930, the operations of the aviation companies were combined to operate as a state-owned and controlled public entity directly. This resulted in the merger of Iberia with Compañía de Líneas Aéreas Subvencionadas S.A. with all its independent activities ceased.

Further, with the Spanish War taking place and the series of political unrest that took over the world, Iberia also played a role in providing air transport to the nation. They deployed many aircraft from their fleet. The airline has witnessed quite a flourishing history and has been a part of a major part it too. Over the years, the airline worked towards expanding their business to connect to many other international routes and further introduce newer routes to enhance its demand in the aviation industry in the European Union.

For a brief period of time, Iberia was privatised in 2001 which led to its name being listed on a handful of stock exchanges. In fact, they also introduced their own low-cost carrier, Clickair, operations of which commenced in 2006. The airline's subsidiary helped strengthen their domestic route connectivity until Vueling Airlines came into the picture to pose as a serious threat. Iberia was part of the Oneworld airline alliance. However, they soon withdrew from the airline alliance. Over the years, Iberia has witnessed several big shareholders from entering in the business and ceasing investment. In 2010, British Airways and Iberia announced that they would be signing an agreement to merge and make for combined operations. Following the merger, Iberia and British Airways became the third largest commercial airline across the globe with respect to revenue. The merger brought forth a new company, popularly known as International Airlines Group (IAG), which was established in 2011. Despite the formation of a new company, British Airways and Iberia continue to work under the original airline brands that they are recognised for.

Fleet size of Iberia

As of 2020, Iberia's fleet size stands at 84 aircraft. It is an all-Airbus fleet which has variants from the European-manufacturer's aircraft family. Part of the airline's fleet is 11 Airbus A319-100s, 14 Airbus A320-200s, six Airbus A320neos, 11 Airbus A321-200s, 12 Airbus A330-200s, eight Airbus A330-300s, 16 Airbus A340-600s and six Airbus A350-900s. They have also made a few orders such as four Airbus A321neos, 12 Airbus A320neos, eight Airbus A321XLR and 14 Airbus A350-900s. As the Airbus A340-600 is all set to retire, they will be replaced with the Airbus A350-900s that have been ordered by Iberia. Although in the past, Iberia did have a mixed fleet which comprised of Boeing aircraft along with Convair 440, de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide, Douglas DC models, Fokker F28 Fellowship, Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, McDonnell Douglass DC-10, Junkers and more. However, they opted to transform their fleet into an all-Airbus to enhance the aircraft's efficiency and better accommodation for in-flight services and cabin classes.

Baggage Allowance

Iberia maintains a baggage allowance policy that is predominantly followed by a majority of global airlines. The checked baggage that the airline accommodates is 23 kg, which can be exceeded the maximum to 32 kg. Depending on the ticket type and cabin class, the passenger will also receive bonus pieces of baggage that can be carried. Beyond 32 kg though, the airline will charge a fee of 60€ per baggage. Passengers travelling from the economy class are allowed to carry one piece of checked baggage. As for full economy and business class passengers, the number of baggage that can be carried for free is two. Business plus class passengers have the best resources as they can carry three pieces of checked baggage with them. While the checked baggage provisions are quite convenient, the airline does expect passengers to be very careful of the dimensions of their baggage. The maximum dimension of checked baggage cannot exceed 158 cm. It is very important for passengers to follow this specific clause as the airline will reject or ask the passenger to send the baggage as cargo.

In-flight services

Iberia's in-flight services are one of the best in the airline industry. Owing to the number of cabin classes, the facilities have also been upgraded. Thanks to their fleet turning all-Airbus, the aircraft has the best amenities such as better seats, excellent seating configuration, more legroom, new in-flight entertainment systems, to name a few. Further, passengers can also enjoy lip-smacking Spanish and global cuisine as it comes with their in-flight meal menu. You will be welcomed with a glass of alcoholic beverage as a smiling flight attendant will help you settle in, ahead of your journey.

Popular routes and top cities for Iberia

Iberia is one of the few airlines in the world to have phenomenal connectivity with South American destinations. The airline boasts a long list of international routes that connect to some of the biggest cities in the South American continent. Following this, Iberia also has a good presence in the European and South American market. Although the airline hasn't explored much of the Asian market yet, they do have a few codeshare agreements with airlines that directly connect with Asian countries. Airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines and Hainan Airlines have codeshare agreements with Iberia. Some of the top cities that Iberia connects with on the international route includes Algiers, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Bogota, San Jose, Dubrovnik, Havana, Prague, Quito, Cairo, Paris, Marseille, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Athens, Budapest, Tel Aviv, Florence, Milan, Rome, Tokyo, Kuwait City, Luxembourg City, Mexico City, Marrakech, Panama City, Oslo, Lisbon, San Juan, Stockholm, Zurich, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Montevideo and Caracas. Further, their domestic route is also quite strong with connectivity to about 26 destinations in Spain. These include Asturias, Barcelona, Bilbao, Granada, Madrid, Las Palmas, Palma de Mallorca, Granada and San Sebastian, to name a few.

Why travel by Iberia?

Iberia Airlines has built quite a reputation for itself as one of the top European airlines. With its rich and illustrious history, the airline has triumphed through various challenges and also become the largest airline in Spain. Ever since its merger with British Airways and the formation of International Airlines Group, Iberia's domestic route and international route connectivity has expanded. They are now able to accommodate newer routes and reach to bigger cities and destination across the world. It is not just their route expansions that have enhanced over the years. They have also worked towards bringing the best in-flight services and cater to all the travel needs of customers. Iberia's fleet has also been transformed into a kind that accommodates diverse cabin classes, is well-equipped and is more efficient in terms of fuel and engines.

With a means to make the passenger's travel diaries less cumbersome, the airline has also introduced various online benefits. These include web check-in facilities that can be found on the official website of Iberia. Travellers can book an Iberia flight ticket on their website and find the same in various other travel portals too, thanks to its presence worldwide. The airline has also installed programmes that enable passengers to get an update of their flight status as well as Iberia's flight schedule. This would further help them with their booking. Further, the airline's other perks include the fact that they have put all necessary and important details regarding the flight, the baggage allowance and in-flight services.

The airline also has a bunch of mileage programmes that passengers could consider if they are frequent flyers. Again, details can be found on the airline's official website. Their tie-ups with hotels in a few international destinations would come in handy as gives passengers discounts on their accommodation too.