Deal Alert: Round-Trip Flights to Spain From 17,000 Avios

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

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Iberia is running a mileage promotion for flights from Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD) and New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) with awards costing just 8,500 Avios one-way or 17,000 Avios round-trip. This promotion was launched at the same time as American Airlines expanded its Economy Web Specials to price award flights to Spain as low as 6,000 to 9,000 AA miles each way.

While this is in coach, I can say from personal experience that it's not a bad economy product for a hop across the Atlantic. The pitch is tight but the shaping of the seats allows for enough legroom and there's an extensive in-flight entertainment system and good food.

The downside of this deal: pricey taxes and fees. Iberia charges around $180 round-trip on its transatlantic economy award flights. And with flights to Spain sometimes costing as little as $262 round-trip, you'll want to double-check cash fares for your dates to make sure you're getting a good use out of your Avios.

Short on Iberia Avios? You can directly transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1) and American Express Membership Rewards (1:1) to the Spanish carrier's milage program. In TPG testing, Chase points transfer to Iberia Avios instantly but Amex points take about 48 hours arrive, so be sure to factor in that timeline when planning a trip.

Or, you can transfer British Airways Avios to Iberia Avios at a 1:1 ratio if both your Iberia and British Airways Avios accounts are at least 90 days old and your personal information exactly matches on both accounts.

This promotion is only for Iberia-operated award flights between the selected cities with travel dates from Jan. 14 through March 31, 2019. However, you can book cheap American award flights to Spain — without the steep taxes and fees — through American Airlines Economy Web Specials program.

To book, just head to Iberia.com and plug in your desired dates and departure city and the award prices should appear without having to enter a promo code. Full terms and conditions of the deal can be found here.

Airlines: Iberia
Routes: JFK/BOS/ORD to MAD
Cost: 8,500 Avios one-way or 17,000 Avios round-trip in economy plus taxes and fees
Travel Dates: January 14 - March 31, 2019
Book By: December 31, 2018
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

New York Kennedy (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) for 17,000 plus $184 round-trip:

Boston (BOS) to Madrid (MAD) for 17,000 plus $184 round-trip:

Chicago (ORD) to Madrid (MAD) for 17,000 plus $207 round-trip:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: Doctor Of Credit