Paris Orly-Madrid on Iberia in business class : very good

Cette année est a été l’occasion de restaurer une vieille tradition délaissée pendant le COVID : aller fêter mon anniversaire dans une ville étrangère. Après Londres, Bali, Istanbul, Athènes et Dubaï, cette année c’est Barcelone qui l’a emporté, le contexte sanitaire imposant de ne pas être trop ambitieux sur les distances. Les autres villes “finalistes” étaient Lisbonne et Goteborg.

So here we go for 4 days in the Catalan capital, with a focus on the local gastronomic scene.

Here is a rather simple routing of this trip.

And articles related to this trip:

#	Type	Review
1	Lounge	Salon Premium Traveller Orly 1
2	Flight	Paris Orly-Madrid – Iberia – Business Class
3	Flight	Madrid-Barcelone – Iberia – Business Class
4	Hotel	Hotel Arts Barcelona
5	Restaurant	Xerta Barcelone 1*
7	Restaurant	Los Caracoles Barcelone
8	Restaurant	Angle Barcelone 2*
9	Flight	Barcelone-Madrid – Iberia – Business Class
10	Flight	Madrid-Paris Orly – Iberia – Business Class

The purchase of the ticket

Buying the ticket was not easy. The original idea, for reasons of loyalty program optimization, was a business class ticket on Star Alliance. But nothing suited me in terms of schedule.

J’ai ensuite envisagé Air France. Un peu moins cher en éco que Lufthansa ou Swiss en business (!) et hors de prix en business. Pendant longtemps je pensais opter pour du Air France en éco mais vu la prestation proposée j’avais un peu l’impression de me faire avoir.

J’ai fini par opter pour Iberia. Je n’ai aucun intérêt “programmatique” à voler chez OneWorld mais c’était le meilleur rapport qualité/prix avec des horaires qui de plus me convenaient.

Une fois ma décision prise l’achat du billet en ligne a été simple même si je ne suis pas convaincu par l’ergonomie et l’expérience proposée par le site Iberia (même si on est à des années lumières de l’enfer proposé par TAP).

Check-in and ground experience

I check in online and without being fantastic the experience is not catastrophic. However, I only manage to get one boarding pass out of the two.

It will take me 5 or 6 attempts to download my health pass in the Spanish “passenger locator form” before I find the version it was able to read.

I arrive quite early in the morning at the airport. Since my last visit the obligation to wear a mask has disappeared as well as many of the sanitary constraints. The barriers have disappeared in the hallways but strangely enough, 80% of the passengers still have a mask. I don’t think they even know they can remove it, but seeing airline personnel and law enforcement without should tip them off.

No more barrier at the entrance but still dead stores.

I head to the counter to get my missing boarding pass. No one in the “normal” or “business” line.

The agent was very pleasant and asked me why I took Iberia while Vueling (member of the same group) flies direct between Paris and Barcelona.

A bit of a stupid question for a business passenger but so be it…I explain to him all the good I think of Vueling and he admits half-heartedly that he doesn’t think less of it.

We talk about my travel habits and rhythm, he asks me if I know Sam Chui. An angel passes by. It’s the first time I hear that during a check-in.

Anyway, after this nice moment, I go to the security checkpoints which are quite jammed. Luckily there is no one in fast track.

L’affaire sera expédiée en deux minutes et je peux filer au salon Premium Traveller dont je vous ai déjà parlé.

Boarding

The plane arrives at 9:15 am for a departure at 10:15 am… we have time.

This does not prevent from announcing a boarding beginning at this moment whereas it will logically take place only 30 minutes later. The art of making passengers wait in line for nothing.

Finally the boarding begins and the priorities are well respected. All this to find ourselves stuck in the nursery.

This boarding lasts and is only a succession of “stop and go”. Kind of like what I experienced on TAP recently but ” less worse “.

We can finally enter the aircraft

The business class cabin of the Iberia A321

And here I am on board.

Sober cabin of rather flattering aspect.

The legroom is sufficient.

However, I find the seat a bit tough and less comfortable than the one on the new Lufthansa or even TAP which I already found tough…

It’s not easy to make more eloquent pictures because since everyone was stuck in the gangway, there are people pushing behind and I couldn’t benefit from the few quiet seconds I have when the priority passengers board quietly before the others.

The boarding takes a long time, there are obviously problems of room for the cabin luggage.

During this time, the staff warmly and ostensibly greets each passenger, it has been a long time since I have seen this done with such enthusiasm.

Finally we will be ready to leave on time

Flight and business class service on Iberia

We leave our parking point. Hello the “Air France family”.

Then the Corsairs…

And goodbye Orly!

Very quickly the curtain separating the business from the eco is drawn and the drink orders are taken.

As far as drinks are concerned, the choice is limited: water or orange juice, since it is a breakfast service. Personally, I find it a bit exaggerated for a service at 11am…I know that there are no small savings and that a breakfast meal costs less than a normal meal (and that it is often not as good) but still…

The said meal arrives quickly. It does not come with a refreshing towel.

The cottage cheese is a bit heavy and it’s not my cup of tea but with the candied fruits it’s ok.

Bread and croissant are warm but the croissant is greasy and softened.

The bread is correct but not more and served without butter.

The fruits are fresh and sweet.

As for the omelette,it is well cooked but very bland. Fortunately, unlike many others, Iberia provides salt and pepper on its medium-haul flights.