Iberia returns to Washington with new Madrid flight
Iberia will return to Washington with a new flight to the U.S. capital from Madrid.
The Oneworld Alliance carrier will resume flights to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on May 1, Iberia said Wednesday. The route will operate four-times-per-week initially. On July 6, the service will increase to five weekly flights that operate on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Iberia last served Washington in 2010, when it ended flights from Madrid, according to Cirium schedule data.
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news!
The airline will fly an Airbus A330-300 between Madrid (MAD) and Dulles. The aircraft are configured with 29 business class seats, 21 premium economy seats and 242 economy seats.
In the U.S., Iberia partners with American Airlines, which has a hub nearby at Washington's at Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA). That airport, however, focuses mostly on domestic traffic and is unlikely to produce feed Iberia's service at Dulles, located about 30 miles to the west.
Washington joins Boston (BOS) among U.S. cities receiving new service from International Airlines Group-owned (IAG) carriers in 2020. The Iberia route complements low-cost carrier LEVEL's planned new service between Boston and Paris Orly (ORY).
British Airways, IAG's largest airline, has yet to announce any new U.S. routes next year. The Oneworld carrier has been on a tear the past few years, adding Charleston (CHS) in South Carolina, Nashville (BNA), New Orleans (MSY) and Pittsburgh to its map.
"With the launch of flights to Washington Dulles, our eighth U.S. destination, we are strengthening our presence in the United States," María Jesús López, chief network development officer at Iberia, said in a statement. "This new route allows us to meet the needs of our corporate and premium customers as well as those of people from the greater D.C. area coming to Spain on holidays."
Iberia is the latest international carrier to add Washington Dulles to its map. Cabo Verde Airlines is due to begin service in December, and SWISS will connect the U.S. capital and Zurich next March.
Related: United Airlines adds 3 more routes to growing Washington Dulles hub
Dulles has also added Alitalia, EgyptAir and TAP Air Portugal to its roster of foreign airlines this year. The international growth is part of an effort by the airport to grow passenger numbers to more than 30 million, from 24.1 million in 2018, over the next few years.
Iberia will compete with United Airlines between Madrid and Washington.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | Earn 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere |
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- Simple earning structure
- Bonus categories
- Annual credits
- No foreign transaction fees
- Flexible redemption options, including transfer partners
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- Fewer bonus categories than some competitors
- Lacks premium perks
- Limited-time offer: Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles—75,000 miles once you spend $7,500 in the first 3 months, and an additional 75,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app