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Iberia Will Bring Its New Airbus A350 to Chicago

Oct. 25, 2018
2 min read
A350-900-Iberia-MSN219-take-off-006 (1)
Iberia Will Bring Its New Airbus A350 to Chicago
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Iberia took delivery of its first Airbus A350 in June and placed it on the New York (JFK) - Madrid (MAD) route in August. Today, the airline is announcing that it's adding the new aircraft to its Chicago service.

Starting in May 2019, Iberia will fly its A350 nonstop between Chicago (ORD) to Madrid. It also announced it will fly the aircraft between Buenos Aries (EZE) and Madrid in February 2019.

The Spanish airline has ordered 16 A350-900s and have already received two from Airbus, it will take delivery of three of them in 2019 and the remaining through 2021. The jet is known for its increased fuel efficiency and upgrades to passenger experience like a more spacious cabin and better overhead storage. The jet will bring down the average age of Iberia's long-haul fleet that includes older Airbus A340-600s.

TPG staffers have reviewed Iberia's A350-900 in both economy and business — while they both have solid hard products the soft product has plenty of room for improvement.

The aircraft contains a business class cabin with 31 lie-flat seats in 1-2-1 formation.

Iberia business class on the A350-900. Image by Lori Zaino / The Points Guy.

You'll find 24 seats in premium economy in a 2-4-2 layout and 293 in coach in a comfortable 3-3-3 configuration.

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Iberia economy on the A350-900. Image by JT Genter / The Points Guy.

The airline also announced it would be increasing service to the Latin American cities of Lima, Montevideo, Quito and Rio de Janeiro.

If you want to check out the new long-haul aircraft, you can use a variety of miles on the Oneworld carrier including American miles and British Airways or Iberia Avios. One-way in business will run you 57,500 American in miles in taxes and fees or 30,000 miles in economy.

Featured image by DOUMENJOU Alexandre - MasterFilm

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
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Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
  • Annual Fee

    $325
  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.