The Trip - Ecuador & Peru

Having decided to go to Ecuador and Peru, on checking flights (always OneWorld preferred) it seemed that flying with Iberia from Madrid gave the best options, with connections from the UK with either British Airways or Iberia. We opted to fly to Madrid on the Friday, stay overnight and leave from there on the Iberia flight 6453 direct to Quito, scheduled to take 11 hours and 10 minutes, flying an Airbus 340-600. It had been a long, long time since I had flown Iberia and was looking forward to checking out their recently updated business class offer. We were lucky enough to be able to secure seats 2E and 2G - front row middle seats. For this trip I had booked direct with Iberia and I had no problems selecting seats on any sector, whether BA or Iberia. I’ve not long booked another trip though with Iberia to Cuba, but for this, despite being a BA Gold/OneWorld Emerald cardholder, I either received error messages when selecting seats or laterally “your fare does not allow for advance seat reservations”. I tried unsuccessfully to contact Iberia by email and went through a fruitless call where they ultimately hung up, all with no success to book seats, and finally contacted BA who deal with seat reservations excellently and efficiently, no bother at all.

Madrid-Barajas Airport

Although delayed on the way to Madrid with British Airways (and a great experience in the first class cabin as Club Europe - you can check out the review here), we had a really lovely afternoon and evening in this incredible city, staying overnight at the Gran Melia Palacio los Duques. We woke at 7:30am in the morning, had an amazing breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant (you can check out the full review on my website here) and left for the airport around 9:45am using Uber. It was a reasonably quick journey (around 30 minutes) and we arrived at a very busy Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport. Having already received our boarding passes the day before and our luggage being through checked, we navigated our way to the departures area (not that easy it has to be said, the airport was incredibly busy) and to the fast track security. From there we found we had to go down to the lower level where we took a train to terminal 4S where we were due to leave at 11:50am.

Iberia Business Class Lounge

We went to the Iberia business class lounge located in that terminal, again this was very busy but was well furnished, modern and everything you would expect to find there. As well as the usual drinks stations, there was a limited amount of snacks but some hot food too. We left there just after 11am so we never saw what happened at lunchtime. There were no boarding announcements in the lounge but there were very clear signage boards throughout announcing flight departures. Our flight to Quito was departing from gate S21, showing to board at 11:20am - we left the lounge at 11:10am and although the gate was located actually only a few minutes away, by the time we got there all priority boarding seemed to have been completed and we were able to board immediately.

In flight

Getting on the plane we found that the business class cabin was already quite full. There were 46 seats in Business Plus (12 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration) and 300 seats in economy (2-4-2 configuration), 346 in total across only two classes. Having the two middle seats at the front gave us good access, there was enough space (though quite narrow) and if you were travelling alone you could raise a divider for privacy. The seats were comfortable, there was a decent sized TV screen with a good choice of films and there was in seat power in both a plug socket and USB. My only immediate comment was that the space did seem narrow and a bit lacking in storage - there was a small storage area next to the seat, but really only a few inches wide and then a two-level (small) storage area to the right of your head. The tray table was decent, it folded down from the side wall of the seat and offered some flexibility and was easily raised out of the way to exit the seat.

All seats looked decent, travelling alone you would be best placed at the single window seats - as with the middle dual seats, each row alternates how the seats are staggered, so if you want to be away from the aisle slightly you would opt for even numbered rows for the middle seats and odd numbered seats for the window seats. Despite the window seats being single, a couple squeezed into one as they seemed intent on being very intimate (not in an inappropriate way, but they obviously couldn’t bear to be apart). The man only eventually left the woman just before take off, then I heard the steward asking the man behind me if he would move after take off as the couple were separated and were “very much in love”. Thankfully the queasy feeling subsided before lunch was served. For completeness, the man behind obviously refused to move as the couple stayed apart (well for about 5 minutes anyway).

We were given amenity kits, this included a pair of socks, an eye mask, fragrance, moisturiser, lip balm, comb, shoe horn, shoe storage bag, toothbrush, toothpaste and earplugs. All seemed decent quality but having just checked out of the Gran Melia Palacio los Duques with everything being Clarins, it was a slight let down. There was a decent sized blanket and pillow which were easily stored in the overhead locker above the seat, albeit the locker wasn’t particularly deep. There were no sleep suits but gone are the days I think when you can expect these in many airlines’ business class (especially British Airways) though as Qatar Airways still offer these I tend to bring one of those to change into after take-off. Though a daytime flight, with flying time just short of 11 hours I’m sure there’s going to be a snooze in there somewhere.

Our coats were taken and we were given a menu card. I had pre-ordered a vegetarian meal, but on the normal menu there were a number of choices of starter for lunch, with the alternative of a light meal. There was copious choices of drinks and just before take off we were offered a choice of orange juice, water or sparkling wine. I opted for the Cava, very refreshing albeit there wasn’t quite time to drink it all before take off. We were advised by the captain that the flying time was due to 10 hours and 48 minutes. We took off just after schedule at 12:12pm; due to arrive into Quito at 4pm local time.

I don’t normally drink much other than water during a flight, maybe a glass of fizz on take-off or a G&T usually if flying BA for some reason (Tanqueray gin maybe). There was a great selection of other drinks however with Iberia and quite an extensive wine list, but not really being a wine drinker can’t really comment on the quality. There seemed to be no shortage of it however and the crew were generous with offering top-ups.

Orders were taken for lunch immediately after take off and we were given a token for 4MB free WiFi - prices were (to connect up to four devices) $4.95 for 4MB, $9.95 for 10MB, $19.95 for 25MB and $34.95 for 45MB - there was no option for an unlimited length of flight. It did work, initially, but was very patchy throughout.

There was one toilet at the front, this was clean and functional but not luxurious in any way (no flower in the flower holder). I don’t mean this to sound negative in any way, but I think clean, function and grey actually probably sums up the whole plane. Service was attentive, there were a good number of (all female it seemed) cabin crew, all of whom spoke perfect English too.

The crew came round with table cloths to set up for lunch, followed by hotel towels. Drinks were served with a choice of nuts or olives. My vegetarian selection was buffalo mozzarella with sliced tomatoes and topped with sun dried tomatoes for starter, balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the side. There was a wholemeal bread roll with margarine and the crew came round with a further choice of hot rolls and olive oil. I tend not to drink on flights, maybe a glass of fizz to being with, so selecting just sparkling mineral water the attendant left a large bottle of Sierra Natura Con Gas - this kept me going for about an hour. Service throughout was excellent, the starter was taken away and my main course brought. It was clearly some sort of vegetable/nut/tofu cutlet (with a tomato sauce), served with fruit cous cous and the most neuked mangetout I have ever seen. If anyone knows exactly what the main dish was, answers on a postcard please. You’re probably detecting that the main course was not the highlight of the flight. There were various offers of additional drinks throughout the meal, and further breads which I declined.

Desert for the vegetarian meal was a bowl of mixed fruits, having had that though (and having to call the crew because my video screen mysteriously started dripping something onto the foot rest) I was offered an alternative desert with I had of raspberry ice cream with optional biscuit topping - this was really delicious. I declined offers of sweet wine (and coffee/tea/liqueurs) and the meal finished, allowing me to go back and watch Glass, the film. I was offered more drinks again and the crew came round with Guyvlian chocolates. Apart from the questionability of the main course, the meal experience was really good overall, especially very friendly, genuinely warm service.

The inflight entertainment system was ok - it was a bit awkward navigating through the touch screen and the in-seat remote control didn’t really seem to help with this either. We were offered airline headphones, but having once had a very uncomfortable experience with BA on a long flight to San Francisco with sore ears from the headphones (I remember it was a toss up keeping on wearing the headphones or missing out on a great film) I used the Bose headphones we always now taken on a long haul flight. I thought at first the sound was muffled and was part of the film, until I realised it was going on a bit long and it actually wasn’t part of the script. Thinking the airline socket was at fault, I was about to try the headphones in the adjacent socket until I realised that I just hadn’t plugged them in properly, needing to use the Bose adapter. Once I did that the sound was perfect. I bought the headphones the Apple store in San Francisco - they were expensive but the noise cancelling functionality is great and they are so much more comfortable than those BA ones all those years ago.

With just under four hours to go, after a snooze (which was ok - bed does go completely flat, though again narrow but comfortable enough) I go in search of a snack. Being at row 2 (but front for the middle seats), it doesn’t take long to spot the trolley on the right hand side of the galley, next to the rubbish bag, but I then look around to see where the rest of it is, or if the trolley wasn’t meant to be for snacks. I sometimes think the BA Raid the Larder (although I now it’s called the Club Kitchen) can look a bit sorry for itself, but if that’s looking sorry then the Iberia version is looking downright miserable. Because of a caffeine intolerance I can’t take dark chocolate any time from mid afternoon onwards, the main thing they had was the leftover Guyvilan chocolates from lunch, throw in a couple of sorryish looking filled croissants (nothing vegetarian), some biscuits, a couple of cans of Fanta and two fruit juices with ice and that was the snack selection. There was word later of there being a mini Mars bar (snack size) but by the time I went back they/it was gone, or maybe it was just a rumour.

I tried to do some Instagram updating but the free WiFi had long gone, so although I’d tried to purchase extra before it just wouldn’t work for some reason and the payment screen just hung. I tried again though and this it worked, I bought 10MB for $9.99 - I don’t think I really did that much before it wasn’t long before I was getting the message about not being connected to the internet. I checked the Iberia WiFi page and it was asking for more payment, so clearly I had used up that data in nothing more than a few minutes. I decided just to wait until we land - after paying some hefty roaming charges when last away, I’d decided this time to rent a mobile WiFi device from Skyroam, which gave unlimited international roaming for a fixed rental cost per day.

With just under two hours until landing, main cabin lights were switched on the crew were readying for what looked like another meal service. By this point the snack tray was taken away, laterally it looked the saddest ever - only thing really remaining was some fruit juice and the filled croissants, which had never gone during the flight, not that surprising as they didn’t look that appealing at the start of the flight either. I think this was really just the main criticism of an otherwise good flight, and can say it’s the only recent flight I can think of where I actually felt hungry throughout, but then I did leave probably about 90% of the unidentifiable vegetarian main course. 

The light meal before landing was much improved on the main lunch but not sure what it is in many places (particularly airlines and one European country which shall remain nameless)  with a vegetarian not being told what they are actually eating. We don’t need a full menu card, but it would be good that a vegetarian tray even had a printed slip showing what it was. It was some sort of vegetarian salad (again answers on a postcard would be good) served with sliced tomato and cos lettuce. There was bread on the side with olive oil, margarine and salad dressing. A Spanish tortilla was being served to other passengers which looked good too. No desert for the normal meal service but there was the ubiquitous bowl of fruit on the vegetarian option.

Flight Review Summary

All in all this was a good flight - it certainly didn’t feel as luxurious as say the likes of Qatar or Emirates but to be fair the pricing wasn’t the same either. As well as Iberia serving the Latin American countries very well, hence very quickly looked like a really good option for flying between Ecuador and Peru, the business class fares were attractive too. Service was excellent throughout, the plane was clean, comfortable and kept at a very pleasant temperature (not too cold but equally not that ridiculous heat that some airlines seem to favour). To me, though never having actually flown Norwegian, Iberia business class felt like it was Norwegian doing business class, but doing it very well, which I imagine is probably what they are trying to achieve. There was none of the bling of Emirates or the finesse of Qatar, but very warm, friendly crew (sometimes lacking with certain BA crew it has to be said) only let down slightly by the vegetarian meals, poor snack tray and the intermittently awkward swipe video touch-screen TV. Apparently there only being one toilet at the front (I think for the whole of business class to use) was a bit odd, but this was only an issue when the on screen messaging indicated that the flight was descending and toilets would be out of use shortly.

Useful links

• Iberia | Official Website: https://www.iberia.com/gb/?language=en

• Tourism - Ecuador.com https://www.ecuador.com/travel/tourism/