Prospero

The lounge situation at MAD is in flux at the moment, so you may wish to bear this in mind as you select your flights. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28680236-post400.html

BA’s LHR bound flights leave from Terminal 4S - served by the Velázquez lounge, as do IB’s LHR bound A330/A340 flights, whereas IB’s A320/A321 flights leave from Terminal 4 - served by the Dalí lounge.

rossmacd

Iberia hands down.

South London Bon Viveur

Iberia is better in C in my opinion. Wouldn't have said that a few years ago. MAD is one of the routes that has seen a deterioration in CE catering due to falling into the medium band. My last CE trip from MAD to LHR was very poor indeed. Have used IB on my four trips this year.

Greenpen

I would choose IB over BA in any type of J flight. But, noting the above post about lounge access, the Velazquez lounge is way better than the Dali lounge so we're you to have a long wait you might want to used the former. They do follow Hispanic eating time in the lounges so dinner appears at about 9.00pm.

steve170461

A sad indictment of just how far BA have fallen. Still it looks like one Spanish airline's loss is another's gain.

noubliepas

I'm a huge fan of IB TATL, better seat, more space, better service (although it helps being a Spanish speaker).

corporate-wage-slave

Given the thread title, I presume this is in business class.

I've done IB over the Atlantic and it's a good experience, particularly on the catering side, though personally I greatly prefer BA's window seats over the open aisle seats of IB, others will disagree. IB's other big advantage is on some of the technicalities of Avios usage, it can come in much cheaper than BA, and works better on the USA to Europe direction (so perhaps BA out, IB back, for example). So I'd have no hesitation in recommending them - and here's the rub - if it was convenient.

So in this case the IB option involves a MAD connection and doing immigration at MIA, plus a further connection. Now as a single traveller I may well be attracted to that if it was a lot cheaper than the BA service, but - for example - I wouldn't want children in tow. MAD has long distances to walk, so has MIA. MIA has greatly improved its connection experience, but still doing it in MCO is going to be much better. At LGW South you end up landside and going airside, but Premium Security at LGW South is good, there is a very good BA lounge at LGW and it's a nice compact terminal. And this is two flights, not three.

However there is of course a new Aer Lingus direct service to Miami, with an existing summer service Dublin to Orlando, with BA codeshares on both. They pre-clear at DUB for the USA. That's probably where I'd start, particularly with children or non frequent flyers.

AlanA

Many thanks CWS

Richmond_Surrey

Are all Iberia A340 1-2-1 in business now? Just deciding if it's worth paying extra for business on LHR-MAD one way. Already have a ticket for MAD-LHR on BA 777.

ratypus

Flew the Iberia A340 LHR to MAD the other week - yes it is 1-2-1 now and really very nice: comfy seat, big screen (and, unlike BA on the return 777, they actually turned the IFE on!), and good catering - whereas BA in CE is now a "medium band" cold salad plate, on IB we got (even if on a single tray) a full hot meal of beef, with salad started and pudding & cheese and several wine runs...really impressed for a short intra-Europe flight


Having done this short run, I'd be happy with IB business in future, especially travelling solo if you get a window-side solo seat (note: NOT the alternating solo seats which border the aisle directly...)

Richmond_Surrey

Thanks, going to book it now. There's good availability for Avios on this route. Almost every flight available on BA and IB.

BA6501

Yes the cabin refit has been complete for a while now.

Raffles

Sitting on the runway in Madrid in 5A heading to London :-) Not bad at all, and your feet are not in a cubbyhole!

nivsy

Always Iberia. Also the T4s lounge is actually very good.

Jamier45

Iberia all day, I actively avoid the BA flights now.