Review of Iberia flight from Madrid to London in Business

The fun begins! A super-tight connection from T2 to T4S. I'd flown in on UX7706 (the 787-9 service from Barcelona).

I've never been happier to see a transfer bus in all of my years travelling!

My business class ticket includes priority security through Madrid's 'Acceso VIP' fast track lane.

A quick ride on the APM (automatic people mover) from T4 to T4S (Madrid's satellite terminal).

Now I've seen some horror stories of the queues at passport control here when arriving off the APM from T4. Today though, it was fairly quiet. I'd asked a staff member about being moved to the front of the queue (they have big signs saying you should ask if your connection is tight) but was told to stay in line as my flight wasn't boarding. Your flight has to be boarding and on last call for you to qualify for this service.

The Iberia Velásquez lounge is located to the left of the duty free stores.

My first ever time in an Iberia business class lounge. Let me show you around…

There's lockers to the right of you, capable of fitting a full IATA-sized wheelie-case.

The main area of the lounge with various seating areas and styles dotted all over.

Tea and coffee are available, Iberia choosing to partner with Lavazza.

Soft drinks and bottled water are in the fridge below.

A self-serve bar is towards the rear of the lounge.

Some lovely premium spirits were on offer, too!

Including my favourite ever rum. This Ron Zacapa Solera rum is truly exceptional!

I'm a sucker for a bowl of olives!

The food selection was minimal but of pretty good quality. I opted for a spinach style pie, Russian style salad, pesto orecchiette and greek salad.

And not forgetting a bowl of Iberia's famous strawberry gazpacho.

The Iberia lounge also has super cool apron views. You can see all sorts when peering out through the windows!

We all rushed down to the gate as the flight showed as boarding. When I and other passengers arrived at the aforementioned gate, the screen showed the flight was delayed by 45 minutes. No announcements were made and the two Iberia agents hid behind the desk. Communication is often poor when Iberia encounters delays.

We were then bussed to a new aircraft. It worked for me today as I was switched from an A330-300 to a newer A350-900, this one named after the Spanish national football team.

Registration EC-NCX

The cabin is light, airy, and arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration.

My seat for this 1 hour, 45 minute leg was 5L.

Iberia provide noise-cancelling headphones even on this short flight, but no amenity kit is available.

The IFE is massive. 18 inches in total and is really crisp and responsive. It's available gate-to-gate.

All strapped in and ready to go! Imagine my surprise when I'm approached by a member of cabin crew who tells me to stop filming as Iberia does not allow photographs or video at any point during the flight. I challenged back at this, stating I was not filming any staff members or fellow passengers. He stated he would get the Purser. The Purser arrived and was very abrasive and rude. She told me it was illegal, as per Spanish law, to film on an aircraft, even out of the window. I let her lecture me for a good two to three minutes before stating I was previously a member of cabin crew for fellow oneworld airline, British Airways. She then smiled and the issue seemed to go away. I was the bearer of a few further frosty looks during the safety demonstration before the crew finally warmed up to me during the meal service. Perhaps they realised I wasn't the sinister individual they had long suspected me of during the boarding process!

We were airborne, with about a delay of just under an hour.

This semi-cradling mode is my favourite when flying business class. It just feels the most comfy to me and I like how Iberia allow you to change and flex your seating position to your liking.

Then the meal service started. My thoughts? Absolutely fantastic - one of the nicest business class meals I've had in as long as I can remember. To start was smoked salmon (albeit a small portion) with black olive tapenade and avocado, a bread roll with Spanish olive oil, and the main event: a mezzaluna pasta stuffed with pumpkin and mozzarella in a sweet potato sauce - absolutely a stand-out dish! To finish, a chocolate and cherry cake, almost mousse like in texture and reminiscent to a black forest gateau. On the drinks front, I steered clear of alcohol and went for a still water and a glass of Spanish orange juice.

A tea and coffee service followed shortly afterwards.

And a little 70% dark chocolate square, too! A nice touch.

In the cruise!

The toilets were spotless. No complaints from me here!

Uvas Frescas hand cream was also on offer in the business class toilets.

I briefly tested the seat in fully-lie flat mode. It was very comfortable but my only slight niggle, the footstool at the end sits ever-so slightly out to the right meaning your body feels a bit off centre. Not a major gripe just something I noticed. You'd definitely get some sleep here on an overnight long haul sector.

Approaching London Heathrow after a strange experience but all-in-all, it was a nice flight overall.

And here, an AvGeek bonus! China Southern's 777 touching down right after us!