Iberia Airlines Premium Economy Reviews

Iberia Airlines is the flag carrier of Spain and a well-regarded global carrier. The airline is divided into three ticket classes, i.e., ‘Business’, ‘Premium Economy’, and ‘Economy’. Iberia Airlines’ Premium Economy receives both positive and negative reviews. While some passengers are satisfied with the amenities offered by the airlines, consider the ticket cost. Others are quite disappointed with the food and beverages catered to Premium Economy travellers. The long-haul flights of Iberia are considered much better than short-haul flights by Premium Economy travellers.
This blog reviews all the essential elements necessary to provide a comprehensive view of Iberia Airlines’ Premium Economy.
Booking Experience Reviews of Iberia’s Premium Economy Passengers
There are various methods which can be opted by the passengers to book Iberia Airlines flight tickets. The customer experience of all these methods is mentioned below:
- Official Website: The passengers find it extremely convenient to book flights through the Iberia Airlines official website. The website provides options for travellers to book tickets in advance. Customers can also change, cancel, or update their booking by using the ‘Manage your booking’ section. Iberia also provides a visually enhanced seat map containing layouts to allow flyers to choose their preferred seats. A decent number of Premium Economy passengers prefer this method for booking flights.
- Oneworld Alliance Benefits: Flyers can redeem Oneworld Alliance Benefits to buy Premium Economy Seats on Iberia Airlines. This method is also used by several passengers as they can make significant savings by being a frequent flyer. Premium Economy travellers not only buy tickets, but they also enjoy amenities such as lounge access if they are on Emerald or Sapphire tiers within the Oneworld Program by choosing this option.
- Travel Websites: Premium Economy Travellers usually don’t prefer booking flight tickets via third-party websites. However, travel websites can be used to compare prices of different airlines. It is always better to book through the official website as it is more reliable in times of delays, upgradation, and cancellations. In some past cases, Iberia’s premium economy was cancelled at the end moment, but the flyers were shifted to American Airlines without any cost. Travel websites might not be the best options in such situations.
Overview of Iberia Airlines’ Premium Economy Fleet
This table encapsulates all the basic information of Iberia’s long-haul and short-haul flights that provide Premium Economy seats. A tabular comparison of the width, pitch, size, approximate cost of the seats, etc., is included here:
Name of the Fleet | Number of Seats | Seat Width, Pitch, and Recline | Privacy Level | Premium Economy Class Features | Approximate Cost of Travel |
Airbus A330-300 | 21 Premium Economy Seats | 18.7” Width, 37” Pitch and 8” Recline | Separate and Quieter Cabin and Seats with side tables offer more privacy | Wider leather seats, Adjustable headrests and footrests, Increased legroom, 12” HD touchscreen, Iberia’s noise-cancelling headphones, and Charging ports | $800-$2,500 |
Airbus A350-900 | 24 Premium Economy Seats | 19” Width, 37” Pitch, and 7.1” Recline | Separate and Quieter Cabin with wider seats | Adjustable headrests and footrests, Increased legroom, 12” HD touchscreen, Iberia’s noise-cancelling headphones, Bluetooth Connectivity and charging ports | $1,290-$4,290 for a round trip |
Airbus A350 | 28 Premium Economy Seats | 18.5” Width, 36”-42” Pitch and 7.9” Recline | Wider Seats with Wings attached to the headrest, Envolopin Structure of Seats | 13.3” HD Panasonic TV Screen, Adjustable headrests and footrests, Increased legroom, Iberia’s noise-cancelling headphones, and charging ports, WiFi Access, Reading Light, Bluetooth. | $1,290 to $4,290 for a round trip |
Ground Experience of Iberia Airlines Premium Economy Travellers
The dedicated employees present at the airport offices of Iberia Airlines provide efficient services to premium economy travellers. They assist the travellers from check-in to lounge access to safe boarding. The amenities provided to the Premium Economy passengers on the ground level are as follows:
- Fast Lanes: Iberia offers Fast Lane services to its Premium Economy passengers. This service is usually appreciated by the passengers as it reduces time and maintains comfort for the customers.
- Priority Boarding: The Premium Economy passengers also enjoy the facility of Priority Boarding. They board the flight hassle-free in group 2 after the Business Class flyers. This relaxed boarding process receives a positive response from the passengers.
- Exclusive Check-in: Iberia has its exclusive check-in desks. These desks provide a more organised and less time-consuming check-in to Premium Economy flyers. However, some customers report online check-in issues and also claim that the staff is unhelpful in resolving such issues.
- Baggage Allowance: Passengers of Premium Economy are allowed by the airline to carry two baggages along with a personal item. Iberia has received an immense number of negative reviews for its below-average baggage handling services. The airline is frequently accused of misplacing or damaging luggage. Several customers have also not received timely and satisfactory compensation from Iberia.
In-Flight Cabin Experience of Premium Economy Class
The in-flight cabin experience of Premium Economy Class flyers can vary extensively from one fleet to another. A fleet-wise analysis of reviews made by passengers is presented below:
Airbus A330-300
This flight is primarily used by Iberia Airlines for long-haul flights. This Airbus offers a wide array of facilities to the Premium Economy passengers. It has a separate and quieter Premium Economy cabin and Seats to ensure privacy. These services include wider leather seats, adjustable headrests and footrests, increased legroom, a 12” HD touchscreen, Iberia’s noise-cancelling headphones, and charging ports. This fleet receives mixed reviews, as some of the travellers are satisfied with these services, while others don’t find the services worth it. They can’t trace any prominent difference between Economy and Premium Economy Class.
Airbus A350-900
The Premium Economy customers of Iberia Airlines state that the seats of Airbus A350-900 are more spacious and comfortable as compared to Airbus A33-300. In terms of privacy and services, also Airbus A350-900 is also much appreciated by the passengers.
The amenities of Airbus A350-900 include adjustable headrests and footrests, increased legroom, a 12” HD touchscreen, Iberia’s noise-cancelling headphones, Bluetooth connectivity, and charging ports.
Despite this advanced infrastructure and facilities, flyers are not content with the quality of services and amenities offered to them in this fleet as well. They claim that there is not much difference between the Economy and Premium Economy Class of Iberia.
Airbus A350
The Airbus A350 Next Generation aircraft of Iberia is prioritised by the Premium Economy Class passengers. This new aircraft is built with cutting-edge technology and caters to the requirements of Premium Economy Class travellers.
It primarily gets positive feedback from the flyers for its facilities such as 13.3” HD Panasonic TV Screen, Adjustable headrests and footrests, Increased legroom, Iberia’s noise-cancelling headphones, charging ports, WiFi Access, Reading Light, and Bluetooth. Although a few negative remarks are given by the passengers for the food quality and beverages available on this fleet.
In-Flight Meals and Beverages Reviews
Iberia Airlines serves two hot meals to the Premium Class Passengers along with some snacks and beverages. There is usually a choice between a non-vegetarian hot meal and a vegetarian hot meal, such as Pasta. On some routes, a pre-arrival meal is also served to the passengers, which usually contains some light food items such as sandwiches.
The Premium Economy customers give a blend of positive and negative reviews to Iberia’s in-flight meals and beverages. Some passengers acknowledge the enhanced food options as compared to the Economy class. While others claim that the quality of food is below average. Not only the quality, but some customers even criticise the airline for serving beverages in plastic glasses.
The complimentary snacks were also chargeable for the Premium Economy Class passengers. According to many customers, the small tapas boxes that are given to travellers in some short-haul flights are also underwhelming.
Iberia Airlines is overall scrutinised for the in-flight meals they serve in Premium Economy. Customers are also disappointed to know that on some routes, “all hard drinks and even snacks are chargeable for the members”, causing no difference between the Economy and Premium Economy passengers.
On the other hand, Iberia’s specially curated meals for vegetarians, vegans, and so on are highly appreciated and known for their scrumptious taste. These meals are served at the right temperature and in proper metallic crockery. This highlights that Iberia Airlines has profoundly improved the in-flight meals and beverages of Premium Economy Class.
Iberia Airlines’ Premium Economy Amenity Kits
Iberia Airlines provides amenity kits to its Premium Economy Passengers. These sustainable kits are designed by Teresa Helbig and manufactured by Kaelis. The products and cosmetics present in the kits are produced in Spain by Uvas Frescas.
Passengers are usually pleased with the airline’s approach towards using sustainable bags and vegan products. However, a few passengers find the contents of the Amenity Kits quite basic and lacking brand value.
The list of products present in the kits is as follows:
- Eye Masks
- Socks
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Earplugs
- Comfort items like a plush pillow and a fleece blanket are also provided
Iberia Airlines offers a decent amenity kit to its Premium Economy flyers. But the passengers find it extremely rudimentary as compared to other international carriers.
In-Flight Entertainment Facilities on Iberia Airlines’ Premium Economy Class
Iberia offers a wide array of In-Flight Amenities to the Premium Economy Class travellers. These facilities range from a 12” to 13.3” TV screen, which offers multiple entertainment options, Bluetooth connections, charging ports, Digital Press, and much more. A comprehensive list of In-Flight Entertainment amenities is presented here:
- 12” to 13.3” HD touchscreen
- Iberia’s noise-cancelling headphones
- Charging ports
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- WiFi Access
- Reading Light
- Digital Press
- Video Games
- Ronda Magazine
These facilities can be enjoyed by the Premium Economy members on Iberia Airlines.
Iberia Airlines Premium Economy Class Service Standards
Iberia provides dedicated flight attendants to Premium Economy passengers. The majority of travellers commend the cabin crew for their professionalism, polite and empathetic behaviour.
The Premium Economy customers have claimed that even during times of conflicts regarding meal services, flight attendants dealt quite calmly and had a solution-oriented approach. They are also proficient in multiple languages and make the non-Spanish speakers feel comfortable.
On the other hand, a few passengers have been disappointed with the cabin crew. They state that the flight attendants were ignorant of them, especially during the peak seasons. The lack of cooperation regarding meals and beverages is another element that leads to pessimistic reviews.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned in-depth analysis shows that Iberia Airlines’ Premium Economy receives mixed reviews from customers. The passengers admire the airport facilities, in-flight amenities, and in-flight entertainment facilities, but are disappointed with the customer service providers and in-flight meals and beverages offered onboard. A close examination of Iberia’s Premium Economy is presented above for more clarity.
To know more about Iberia Airlines, you can also read Iberia Airlines’ Reviews and Iberia Airlines’ Business Class Reviews.
FAQs
The Iberia Airlines’ Premium Economy passengers present a combination of positive and negative reviews. In some aspects, such as seat width, size, pitch, and in-flight amenities, travellers seem to be satisfied with the airline.
No, Iberia Airlines does not offer Premium Economy Class on short-haul flights.
Yes, Iberia Airlines provides noise-cancellation headphones to Premium Economy passengers.
Iberia Airlines’ plane that has the best Premium Economy Class is the Airbus A350-900.
Yes, a buyer uses Iberia Avios to purchase a Premium Economy Class ticket on Iberia Airlines.