Iberia

Iberia is Spain's flag carrier, based at Madrid-Barajas and part of the IAG group alongside British Airways, Aer Lingus and Vueling. It flies as a Oneworld member, which matters most for connecting passengers earning or spending miles across the alliance. The network leans heavily on Madrid as a hub between Europe and Latin America, with a thinner but growing set of routes to North America and a dense short-haul map across Spain and the wider continent.

Flying Iberia is largely a question of which leg you draw. Short-haul is a straightforward two-class operation; long-haul to Latin America is where the airline puts its better cabins and competes hardest. The recent push to fly narrowbody A321XLRs across the Atlantic makes the experience more variable on some thinner long routes, so the aircraft on the day shapes the trip more than the brand does.

SeatMap.app publishes Iberia's single-aisle and widebody configurations. The short and medium-haul fleet runs the A319, A320, A320neo and A321-200, each in a two-class layout with a flexible business cabin up front and economy behind in a standard 3-3 arrangement. Business on these is a European-style product: the same seat frame as economy with the adjoining seat kept empty, rather than a separate wider chair.

The long-haul aircraft are where the cabin classes broaden. The A330-200 carries business and economy; the A330-300 and the A350-900 add a premium economy cabin between the two, with the A350 holding Iberia's newest business product in a 1-2-1 layout that gives every seat aisle access. The published A321XLR sits between these worlds: a narrowbody flying long sectors with a dedicated lie-flat business cabin and a single-aisle economy, so the long-haul comforts are real but the cabin is narrower than a widebody.

Long-haul business on the A350 and the newer widebody refits is the standout: direct-aisle seats in a 1-2-1 layout, a sliding privacy element, lie-flat beds and a proper meal service with a Spanish slant. Premium economy on the A330-300 and A350 is a separate cabin with a wider seat, more recline and more pitch than economy, useful on the long Latin America legs. Economy across the fleet is functional rather than generous: standard recline, seat-back screens on the widebodies, and a tighter feel on the busiest single-aisle services.

Short-haul business is the honest weak point: an economy seat with a blocked neighbour and a better meal, not a distinct cabin. Wi-fi and in-seat power are more reliable on the long-haul aircraft than on the older narrowbodies, so manage expectations on a short hop and pack a charged device.

On the widebodies, the front of each cabin and the bulkhead rows give the most space but trade footwell storage and early boarding noise; rows beside the galleys and lavatories at cabin ends are worth avoiding for traffic and light. On the A350 and A330-300, the premium economy cabin is small and sits ahead of economy, so its rear rows can back onto a galley, so check the published cabin layout before committing. In economy, aim for the forward section of the rear cabin, away from the galley and toilet clusters.

On the single-aisle aircraft, exit rows and bulkheads carry the extra legroom, but exit-row seats often have fixed armrests and no under-seat stowage. Light sleepers should avoid the last few rows near the rear galley. On the A321XLR's long sectors, a window seat well forward of the wing gives the quietest ride; the very back rows sit closest to the service area.