Late last month, Simple Flying was invited by Iberia to go to Madrid and see the updated cabins on their Airbus A350 Next aircraft, the first of its kind in the world. I flew from Brazil to Spain on Iberia's Airbus A330-300 from Aeroporto Internacional de Guarulhos in São Paulo to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport in business class.

Arrival and check-in

IB6824 has a daily departure time of 15:40 local time. As a business class passenger, I had access to LATAM Airlines' lounge at Terminal 3 at GRU, so I arrived at the airport at 12:45 to enjoy the lounge and capture content for a full lounge review.

Iberia has an exclusive check-in line for business class passengers, and when I arrived, there was one passenger in front of me. Within four minutes, I was checked in, my bag had been tagged, and I had my boarding pass in hand. Because my bag was considered to be outside standard dimensions (it was a sports duffel bag), I had to go to a separate area to send the bag to be placed on the aircraft. By 12:51, my bag had been checked, and I was on my way to security and passport control.

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Security and passport control

Photography and videography are not allowed in the security and passport control areas of the airport, but going through both steps took 14 minutes, shorter than average but not the fastest time I have experienced at GRU. Security rules for international flights departing from Brazil are standard, but one thing stands out for someone who lives in the United States: Brazilian airports do not yet have body scanning technology, only metal detectors.

After sending carry-on items through an x-ray and walking through the metal detector, all passengers go through passport control before going to the gate area. At GRU, there are two lines, one for Brazilians (which I go through because I have dual citizenship) and one for foreigners.

The LATAM lounge

Almost all lounges in Terminal 3 of GRU are located on the terminal's upper level and can be accessed via an escalator shortly after going through passport control. Getting to the lounge entrance was a one-minute walk. The staff at the lounge were amicable and reminded passengers that masks were required in the lounge area, per a mandate from ANVISA, Brazil's health authority, which went into effect on November 25. The lounge was large and modern and provided multiple food and beverage options. I spent about an hour and forty minutes at the lounge before moving to the gate to board my flight.

Boarding and departure

I cut it very close and left the lounge 35 minutes before takeoff and close to the final boarding call. Departure was from gate 332, located at the end of the terminal, and the walk seemed to take an eternity. At the gate, once again, business class passengers were allowed to go through an exclusive line.

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

A few minutes after 15:00, I was onboard and settled at seat 1C, a window seat on the plane's left side.

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

At first glance, Iberia's business class cabin seemed nice, but there is one thing that is lacking and is extremely obvious - privacy. While most airlines do not have doors on their business class seats, some privacy is offered, which was not the case with Iberia. Nonetheless, the seat was comfortable and provided everything needed. Before departure, the crew served beverages to all passengers in the business class cabin; the selection was champagne, orange juice, and water.

Our aircraft pushed back from the gate at 15:42, and by 15:55, we were on the runway and cleared for takeoff.

The seat

The seat came with everything expected in business class. A pillow, blanket, and mattress pad were placed on the seat. To the left of the seat was a small storage area in which headphones and an amenity kit had been placed. Seat controls and the inflight entertainment screen controls were also located on a panel to the left, along with an armrest that could be lowered when in its lie-flat position. At the footwell was a small space in which a pair of shoes could be stowed. The seat had a universal power outlet as well as USB power.

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Inflight

WiFi was available on the flight for similar prices charged by other airlines I have flown on internationally. Messaging was free during the entire flight for business class passengers, and the cost for streaming was €6 for one hour, €13.49 for four hours, and €22.49 for the entire flight. I chose the free messaging package and used it for just a couple of hours before going to sleep, as our arrival was scheduled for 6 AM in Madrid.

Meal service began shortly after takeoff with a hot towel, followed by a drink and the entire meal, which included a plate of vegetables as the appetizer. I chose a fish option with potatoes and a wonderful sauce, and the entrée was delightful. After my meal, I had passion fruit ice cream as my dessert, which also tasted fantastic.

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Following the meal service, I got ready to sleep because of our arrival time and the four-hour difference between São Paulo and Madrid. I am unsure whether the cabin crew would prepare the "bed" with the mattress pad, blanket, and pillow as I did not bother asking and did it myself. After falling asleep, I was only awakened for the second meal service, breakfast, about an hour and a half before landing.

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

I requested the tortilla, an omelet accompanied by potatoes, and spinach sauce for breakfast. The meal also came with a croissant and a selection of bread and beverages.

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

Overall impression

This flight was my first with Iberia, and from check-in to the cabin crew, the staff was great and provided excellent customer service. I enjoyed the meal services, even though a friend warned me before the flight that he did not enjoy Iberia's service. The seat was comfortable and spacious, only lacking privacy. Unfortunately, none of the crew members spoke Portuguese, and none of the announcements onboard were made in Portuguese, the native language of the departing country. Despite this, I would recommend Iberia to anyone considering a flight to Spain and would fly with the airline again.