Oneworld member Iberia currently sells business class tickets for nonstop flights from Madrid to Medellín, Colombia as low as €1,072. The fare applies to trips in November 2021 and early December. In 2022, flights are just €90 more expensive, starting at €1,162. The nonstop flights are offered thrice weekly. For €20 extra, you can add two Spanish domestic flights from and to Barcelona to your trip.
Iberia has some of the worst Covid-19 refund policies out there, as your way to a might require things like an actual Covid-19 infection. Therefore, we strongly suggest booking via ba.com, where you get a voucher if you want or need to cancel your flight.
Worldwide travel restrictions are in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. We strongly recommend gathering detailed information about the travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to your desired origin and destination.
A good start is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. It provides current updates on a country’s immigration policies. Even better, the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map is one of the most useful tools you can find.
You can buy tickets on British Airways’ website for the same price, with the benefit of better rebooking and cancellation policies.
Iberia operates an Airbus A330-200 on its thrice-weekly flight between Madrid and Medellín. This plane’s business class cabin features lie-flat seats arranged in a 1-2-1 pattern.
We expect further shakeups in the airline industry over the following months. Some services might be cancelled, aircraft changed or downgraded. The schedule we describe may very well change.
Search & Book
This deal expires on September 1, 2021. It applies to round trips taking at least five days. Availability is pretty great with multiple flights available each week in November.
The most effective way to find available flight dates is Google Flights (instructions), or our own calendar above. You can then book directly at iberia.com or ba.com.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Iberia issues these tickets in booking class I. Most Oneworld frequent flyer programs will credit at least 125% of your travel distance for these tickets:
- 22,460 Award Miles + 12,478 Elite Qualifying Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 14,974 Avios + 280 Tier Points on British Airways Executive Club
- 14,974 Avios + 1,000 Elite Points on Iberia Plus
- 14,974 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 14,974 Points on Finnair Plus
- 12,478 Avios + 70 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 12,478 AsiaMiles + 120 Club Points on Asia Miles
- 12,478 Award Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 12,478 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 12,478 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 12,478 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 12,478 Award Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 9,982 Points + 16 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 6,988 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
Further, a roundtrip is worth 280 tier points in British Airways Executive Club, bringing you almost half the way to Oneworld Sapphire. This tier enables alliance-wide lounge access amidst other perks.
Iberia’s Business Class
Iberia’s business class layout is 1-2-1, which means that every seat has direct access to an a
Comments (6)
This promotion doesn’t seem to be available anymore + the direct service MAD-MDE doesnt show up on the BA / Iberia websites 🙁
Hi Alain!
Thanks for the advice. Iberia seems to have terminated the MAD-MDE nonstop service. This deal is therefore obviously expired.
Great deal, thanks. But is it correct that BA do not credit any Avios, just tier points? Usually it is the same like Iberia Plus.
Hi Stefan! Thanks for pointing that out. You should get 150% of the travel distance in Avios – we are looking into this.
Some additional remarks. For tickets purchased between 28 May and 30 June 2020, IBERIA allows a free (= no penalty) one-time change until the 15th day before the flight’s departure, but only for flights departing until 31 December 2020 (return can – theoretically – be later). It’s possible to change the departure and arrival times, as well as the departure and destination city (except for the passenger’s name). In case of such “voluntary” (without flight’s cancellation) rebooking, a tariff (class) difference will have to be paid. If IBERIA cancels the flight, rebooking will still be preferred, failing which a refund in “travel vouchers” (bonus) will be enforced. Quite hidden on iberia.com (among the “frequently asked questions”), IBERIA indicates that a refund in money can also be requested, but only by their call center (not by email). From all this, it seems to me that they are not willing to book without paying a tariff (class) difference even if IBERIA cancels the flight. On the other hand, IBERIA’s customer service will presumably be very forced to cancel a ticket by a passenger’s “voluntary” decision, before the airline’s cancellation, because in this case no refund in money is possible, only a rebook with fare (class) difference or a “travel voucher” (bonus) corresponding to the payment. It also follows that IBERIA and similarly “crisis management” airlines can advertise any kind of ticket at virtually for any “tempting” price, can easily get rid of their service (operation) with any subsequent cancellation, and have to reimburse only the ticket price at most. If the passenger is persuaded to “voluntarily” cancel or modify, even a refund is not required. In the meantime, however, this airlines can use free the money collected from passengers for the sale of very “tempting” priced tickets. I see all this necessary to emphasize only because Colombia’s airports will be closed to scheduled air traffic until 1 July 2020 under a presidential decree, with only “humanitarian” flights operating. (We know that these flights are “humanitarian” in the sense that they are not “regular” flights, but airlines sell their tickets for horrible sums at the expense of citizens stuck abroad, through their consulates. Of course, in the sense that it’s not a “regular” flight, the operation of the bombers in event of any war attack could easily be called “humanitarian.”) However, some local Colombian press reports say the ban on scheduled flights will continue until September 1, 2020, as Colombia is currently one of the focal points of the COVID-19 epidemic in South America. I note too, that under the current government measures following an immediate emergency in Spain (from 15 May, 2020), only Spanish citizens are currently allowed to enter Spain freely, and foreigners are still required to undergo a 14-day home quarantine.
Good deal, 2 return trips from Barcelona: Iberia Plus Oro and OW Sapphire for approx. 2,200 euros. But beware: there is no OW VIP Lounge in Medellin (MDE), only *A (Copa Club). Madrid Barajas T4 also has 2 fine Iberia lounges, Dalí and Velázquez.