While Oneworld member Iberia is usually known for its flights to South America, the Spanish carrier serves a couple of Asian destinations, as well. Currently, the airline offers discounted business class fares for their nonstop service from Madrid to Shanghai, China. Return tickets start at €1,395 for the nearly thirteen-hour long flight.
We’ll admit that this is not a new offer. But the significant price drop of more than €100 for some dates seems to be reason enough to update you on this deal.
An Airbus A330-200 will host you on your way to China’s boomtown. Its lie-flat-seats will give you the opportunity to arrive well rested at your destination.
Search & Book
Fare rules do not give any restrictions despite a minimum stay of five days and a maximum stay of twelve months. This means that this offer is most likely based on availability. Because tickets must be purchased at least 60 days in advance, the earliest flight dates are in September.
Google Flights shows reasonable availability throughout the entire year. In January through May 2020, almost all departure dates are still available at the lowest fare. The best way to find suiting flight dates
Mileage
Iberia issues tickets in booking class I. As a result, you should get at least 125% of your travel distance as award mileage in most Oneworld frequent flyer programs. Additionally, this trip is worth 320 tier points in British Airways’ Executive Club, more than half of what you need to get Oneworld Sapphire status.
- 28,714 Award Miles + 15,952 Elite Qualifying Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 19,144 Avios + 320 Tier Points on British Airways Executive Club
- 19,144 Avios + 1,200 Elite Points on Iberia Plus
- 19,144 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 19,144 Points on Finnair Plus
- 15,952 Avios + 100 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 15,952 AsiaMiles + 150 Club Points on Asia Miles
- 15,952 Award Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 15,952 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 15,952 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 15,952 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 12,762 Points + 20 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 8,934 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
Iberia’s Business Class
Iberia’s business class layout is 1-2-1, which means that every seat has direct access to an a
Information & Tips for China
China is the most populous and the third largest country in the world, so naturally, there is a lot to see. The most touristically important cities are the capital of China, Beijing and the financial and trade center Shanghai.
Best Time to Travel
Since the country is vast and extends over several climate zones, there is no best travel time for China. China is connected to Europe through numerous direct flights and the travel time is about 11-13 hours. Flights to China can be found for less than 400€ throughout the year, and there are also often excellent Business Class fares.
A general advice is that travel should be avoided during the Chinese national holidays, which span over the first two weeks of October. During these time tourist destinations are overcrowded with Chinese tourists on their domestic vacation.
Visa for China
Most European citizens will need a visa to enter China.
You can apply for a tourist visa at a Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) in your country. There you’ll hand in your visa application personally and can pick it up again after a few days. There is no faster and cheaper way.
Alternatively, you can apply for a visa by mail. The processing time will be up to two weeks, and you’ll have to pay for extra for shipping.
There are also so-called Visa services available that sometimes offer a faster (and maybe even cheaper) way to get your Visa. Check local sites to find out more.
→ All Dealz for China
Information & Tips for Shanghai
Shanghai is the most important financial and commercial center of China. But not only business travelers are welcome here. Also, regular tourists can get there money’s worth. And this is great because the city is connected to many major airports and therfor we’ll often present you with good deals for flights to Shanghai.
Best Time to Visit
Since Shanghai is located in a subtropical climate zone, spring and autumn are the best travel times thanks to moderate temperatures and a few rainy days. April, May, September, and October are particularly suitable for a visit to the Chinese city thanks to the low rainfall and humidity.
From the airport to the city
Shanghai Pudong Airport is located 40km east of the city center. Probably the fastest and most exciting method is the Maglev. The magnetic levitation train takes only 7 minutes, and with costs of around 5€ it is also a rather inexpensive (and of course faster!) alternative to a taxi, which would cost about 20€.
→ All Dealz for Shanghai
Cover Picture: Danke Raphael