Following British Airways, Iberia Plus moves to spend-based elite status earning

With just 48 days' notice to members, Iberia Plus will move to spend-based earning to reach elite status on April 1, 2025.

The changes largely mirror those announced late last year by British Airways, a fellow Oneworld alliance member. Both airlines are owned by the International Airlines Group.

While Executive Club members widely condemned British Airways' changes given how much harder it will be for them to earn status under the new system, Iberia's are somewhat more reasonable.

Here's what you need to know about the new Club Iberia Plus.

Related: Is Iberia premium economy worth it on the Airbus A330 from Madrid to Dallas?

Introducing Club Iberia Plus

From April 1, 2025, Iberia Plus will be renamed Club Iberia Plus, and members must reach the following thresholds for elite status:

• Plata (Oneworld Ruby): 3,500 elite points or 20 flights
• Oro (Oneworld Sapphire): 7,500 elite points or 40 flights
• Platino (Oneworld Emerald): 20,000 elite points or 90 flights
• Platino Prime (Oneworld Emerald): 30,000 elite points
• Infinita (Lifetime Oneworld Emerald): 400,000 elite points
• Infinita Prime (Lifetime Oneworld Emerald): 640,000 elite points

Platino Prime is a new elite tier that provides two years of status, four upgrade vouchers and 40,000 bonus Avios.

A new way to earn elite points

Currently, status in Iberia Plus is earned via elite points based on distance flown and fare class. The new Club Iberia Plus will award elite points at one elite point per euro ($1.02) spent, excluding fees and taxes but including carrier-imposed surcharges.

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Like British Airways, Iberia will offer cabin bonuses for crediting flights operated by Iberia, British Airways or American Airlines as follows:

However, unlike British Airways Executive Club, these bonus elite points will be permanently awarded rather than being offered only for the 2025 membership year.

Elite point bonuses are also available for British Airways- and American Airlines-operated flights credited to Club Iberia Plus:

• 75 points in economy (flights under 3,000 miles)
• 175 points in business class (flights under 3,000 miles)
• 150 points in economy (flights over 3,000 miles)
• 275 points in premium economy (flights over 3,000 miles)
• 350 points in business class (flights over 3,000 miles)
• 450 points in first class (flights over 3,000 miles)

While this system is complex, it is also potentially rewarding for those who regularly travel on full-fare tickets and in premium cabins.

Related: On board the world's first Airbus A321XLR, the aircraft that could revolutionize transatlantic travel

Club Iberia Plus members will also earn elite points for qualifying activity with nonairline partners, including booking hotels, rental cars, online shopping and restaurants, at a rate of one elite point for every 10 Avios earned up to 30% of the elite points required for each status level.

Unfortunately, transferring credit card points to Club Iberia Plus will not earn elite points.

Members can also credit flights operated by other Oneworld airlines at the following rates:

How do the changes compare to British Airways Executive Club?

On the surface, there are many similarities between the new elite status models announced by British Airways and Iberia:

• Both commence April 1 and will feature the word "Club" in their name
• Both will provide 1 status point per "dollar" of local currency, whether that be British pound or euro
• Both have set 7,500-point thresholds for Oneworld Sapphire and 20,000-point thresholds for Oneworld Emerald

However, some initial differences between the two new schemes make Club Iberia Plus more attractive than the British Airways Club.

Given that 1 British pound is worth approximately $1.24 while one euro is worth around $1.02, the spending requirement for Club Iberia Plus is nearly 25% lower than British Airways Club's. And the elite point bonuses are generous and permanent in the new Iberia program.

There is also a new Iberia status level, Platino Prime, which offers two years of Oneworld Emerald. If you earn this close to the start of the membership year (i.e., in April or May), you will enjoy Oneworld Emerald for almost three years. No such status level exists in the current or forthcoming British Airways Club.

But the biggest difference between the two new schemes is how other Oneworld flights are credited. British Airways' new system awards tier points as a percentage of distance flown, and these rates are low. Iberia's elite points for flying Qatar Airways and Alaska Airlines are in a much simpler distance-based award chart — and are much more generous.

Bottom line

British Airways Executive Club changes were released between Christmas and New Year when many members (and loyalty experts like myself) were on holiday and were met with furor for the massive increase in the spending requirement for most members to earn Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald.

Due to the difference in value between the pound and the euro, Iberia's thresholds are lower — but there are also just many other ways to easily earn elite points in the new Club Iberia Plus that should make it easier to earn elite status than in the new British Airways system.

Earning status in either program will depend on your travel habits, but if you are considering earning Sapphire or Emerald status in either program (which comes with perks like American Airlines Flagship Lounge access even on domestic itineraries), you may find it easier in the new Iberia system than the new British Airways system.