Planning a trip to New York in business class? Save a lot of Avios and cash by flying Iberia

For those who hate paying large fees but want to travel in comfort, it is worth knowing how to save a lot of Avios and cash when heading to New York in Business Class by flying Iberia.

Remember that you can use a British Airways American Express 2-4-1 companion voucher on Iberia. This means that you can fly Business Class to New York for just 40,500 Avios per person, return.

It was even cheaper, just 34,000 Avios each way, until a devaluation earlier this year, but the Iberia reward chart still offers great value to the US East Coast.

How to redeem Avios via Iberia

This article is a long one, so let’s quickly summarise what you need to know:

• when travelling to the US East Coast, the number of Avios you need is substantially lower with Iberia – from just 81,000 Avios return in Business Class

• if that wasn’t good enough news, taxes and charges are lower and availability is better than if you book on British Airways

• you can now get this pricing when booking at ba.com – there is no need to move your Avios into an Iberia Club account and book via the Iberia website (which is handy given that ‘Combine My Avios’ is down for some time)

• you can use a British Airways American Express 241 voucher (but NOT a Barclays upgrade voucher) when you book Iberia redemptions

• Iberia has its own peak and off-peak calendar which can work in your favour, as UK school holidays are often off-peak – the 2025 Iberia Avios peak and off-peak calendar is here

Why should you redeem Avios on Iberia long haul?

When an Avios collector in the UK looks for a long-haul redemption, British Airways is the obvious choice of airline. However, the Avios and/or taxes and charges can often be very high.

To New York, for example, an off-peak Business Class flight from Heathrow is 160,000 Avios + £375 in fees. This is a LOT of Avios, even with a British Airways American Express 2-4-1 Companion Voucher. You can choose to use fewer Avios but the cash component shoots up quickly.

Avios and/or taxes on Iberia flights are often a fraction of those charged by British Airways – although Air Passenger Duty will be added if your connecting flight from the UK is on the same ticket.

Business Class seating on Iberia is excellent

Iberia has been through a substantial restructuring since being bought British Airways in the process which created IAG.  It has gone from being a joke, if we’re honest, to one of the more impressive European carriers.

Rhys tried out the new A350 Business Class seat on a trip to Bogota in 2024 – click here and see below. It’s a very good product, and the older A350 seat isn’t bad either.

Iberia has no First Class.

If you want to try Iberia Business Class but are short of Avios or time, it runs a few London to Madrid services each week with long-haul aircraft and flat beds in business class. This is because it needs the cargo capacity offered by the bigger aircraft. Finnair does the same between London and Helsinki.

How cheap are Iberia redemptions to the US East Coast?

Iberia has its own reward pricing chart with its own peak and off-peak dates. This pricing applies even when you book Iberia redemptions via ba.com.

From mid 2025, the following rates apply for Avios redemptions on Iberia. The pricing below is one-way:

Compared to British Airways pricing (based on the cost before Reward Flight Saver was introduced), there are substantial differences in the 3,000 to 4,000 mile zone which covers the US East Coast.

Iberia, as you can see above, charges 81,000 Avios off-peak and 118,000 Avios peak for a return Business Class flight to New York.

Before Reward Flight Saver came in, British Airways charged 100,000 Avios off-peak and 120,000 Avios peak for a return Club World flight to New York. This has now increased to 160,000 and 180,000 Avios, albeit with far lower taxes – and the old pricing is still available if you want it.

You need to factor in the cost and time of getting to Madrid, although if you live outside London it is not massively more complex than changing planes at Heathrow.

Travelling to the US West Coast?  This isn’t as straightforward.  London to San Francisco is a Zone 6 flight, for example, whilst Madrid to San Francisco is Zone 7 as it is a longer trip.  You need to do the maths and also compare the taxes.

Of course, Iberia also has plenty of destinations that you can’t reach with British Airways, such as Bogota which Rhys visited on his review flight.

Show me some actual numbers ….

Here’s a screenshot from ba.com showing Madrid to New York in business class:

The cost, on off-peak dates, is 81,000 Avios plus £240 return.

If I was using a British Airways American Express 2-4-1 Companion Voucher, the average cost per person would be 40,500 Avios plus £240, return.

This is not necessarily easy, of course.

• from the UK, you need to fly to Madrid. However, if you are not based in London you will be taking a connecting flight anyway and the saving probably justifies not flying direct from London.

• the London to Madrid flight cannot be booked on the same itinerary as the Madrid to New York flight or you will be obliged to pay UK Air Passenger Duty at the long-haul rate.

• since you will have separate tickets, Iberia is not obliged to look after you if you miss your long-haul flight – although if you fly Iberia from London, it is very unlikely they would abandon you if the delay was down to them

Conclusion

If your mind is pondering a short break in New York or elsewhere on the US East Coast, don’t forget the exceptional Avios value offered by Iberia.

The saving on taxes and charge is HUGE compared to 160,000 Avios + £375 on British Airways, or [a random dynamic number of] Virgin Points + up to £1,044 on Virgin Atlantic.

In return for a detour via Madrid – which is not necessarily a hardship – you can save a substantial amount in both Avios and taxes and charges on your way to New York.

PS. Remember that there is a HUGE amount of one-way availability at 29,000 Virgin Points from London Heathrow to New York in Upper Class at present. Taxes and charges are £518 one-way. You won’t get this deal flying back from the US but this is where an Iberia Avios redemption could help you.