The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Iberia Plus Avios For Max Value

- January 7, 2018September 17, 2018

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Along with British Airways and Aer Lingus, Spanish airline Iberia is owned by IAG. Though all 3 of these airlines use Avios as their points currency, the Iberia Plus frequent flyer program is distinct.

Avios is complicated — the points are all “Avios,” but each airline’s version of Avios has its own award ticket availability, options, prices, and booking method. That means the same flight can get 3 different Avios prices and fees, while some flights may be bookable with one airline but not the other.

Now, U.S.-based travelers recently have reason to celebrate: Chase Ultimate Rewards has added direct transfers to Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub, in addition to previously available British Airways Executive Club transfers. These direct transfers are simple and instant.

We’ve previously showcased the best ways to redeem British Airways Avios as well as Aer Lingus AerClub Avios.

Now, let’s find the gems in Iberia Plus Avios!

Iberia Business Class — Iberia business class. Photo by Stefan Krasowski/Flickr/CC BY 2.0.

Table of contents

Iberia Credit Card Partners
- Iberia Visa Signature® Credit Card
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards
The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Your Iberia Plus Avios
Guide to Spending Iberia Plus Avios
Summary

Table of Contents

Iberia Credit Card Partners
- Iberia Visa Signature® Credit Card
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards
The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Your Iberia Plus Avios
Guide to Spending Iberia Plus Avios
Summary

Iberia Credit Card Partners

Iberia Visa Signature® Credit Card

Chase has launched the Iberia Visa Signature® Credit Card. You earn 3 Avios per $1 on Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, OpenSkies and LEVEL, and 1 Avios per $1 elsewhere.

Using the card on the Chase Iberia portal you get a 10% discount on Iberia flights. Also, $30,000 annual spend earns a $1,000 companion discount voucher.

Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards

Collecting Chase points by using Chase credit cards is one of the best ways to earn Iberia Plus Avios points, because Chase points are:

Very easy to earn
Transferable to Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio)
Transferable to many other airlines and hotels!

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

CHASE CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card How We Get $1,000+ Value From Just 60k Pts >	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months That's worth $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards. 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide. $0 foreign transaction fees Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $95
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	Earn $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase - it's automatic. 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases & balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.99% - 25.74%. Annual Fee: $0
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants. Access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select Annual Fee: $450

Recommended Chase Cards (Business)

CHASE CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card We Get $1,600+ of Value Using This Card >>	Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months That's $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year: Travel, Shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines. Annual Fee: $95
Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card 21 Benefits This Card Offers Biz Owners >>	Earn $500 bonus cash-back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases Earn 2% cash-back on the first $25,000 (combined) spent at gas stations and restaurants each year 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 15.24% - 21.24% $0 Annual Fee
Business owners: For more detail, see our Chase business credit cards article, or in-depth business credit card guide to make an ideal choice for your situation.

The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Your Iberia Plus Avios

1. Iberia 25th Anniversary 25% Off Award Sale

In Spring 2017, Iberia launched a limited-time 25% off award sale on any Iberia flight on any route to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

The sale long ended, but these discounted prices still are popping up in searches. The U.S.-Madrid routes can price even cheaper than the regular prices listed below!

2. Short Round-Trips/Multi-City AwardsThat Price Like One-Ways (Iberia and All Oneworld Airlines)

Iberia Plus awards are distance-based for total distance flown, not priced by segment like British Airways Executive Club.

First, this means you won’t be penalized for making connections.

Second, you can fit a short round-trip or multi-city destination into an award that would be a one-way in other programs.

3. Short U.S. Trips for 11,000 Avios (American Airlines)

Trips under 600 miles price at 11,000 Avios in economy. You can fly round-trip from New York to Boston in that distance, and many other major U.S. city pairs work the same way.

If you can find award space, you can string together several flights on 1 award:

Distance in Miles	Economy	Full Fare Economy	Business	First
1 – 600	11,000	19,250	22,000	33,000
601 – 1,000	12,000	21,000	24,000	36,000
1,001 – 2,000	17,000	29,750	34,000	51,000
2,001 – 4,000	23,000	40,250	46,000	69,000
4,001 – 5,000	28,000	53,000	64,000	96,000
5,001 – 8,000	42,000	81,500	100,000	150,000
8,001 – 12,400	65,000	123,750	150,000	225,000
12,401 – 14,000	75,000	143,750	175,000	262,500
14,001 – 18,000	100,000	200,000	250,000	375,000
18,001 – 25,000	120,000	225,000	270,000	405,000
25,001 – 30,000	132,000	244,000	290,000	435,000
30,001 – 35,000	143,000	265,750	315,000	472,500
35,001 – 40,000	166,000	299,500	350,000	525,000
40,001 – 50,000	190,000	332,500	380,000	570,000

4. Off-Peak U.S. East Coast to Madrid in Business Class for 34,000 Avios (Iberia)

Most airlines charge a minimum of 30,000 miles one-way to get from the U.S. to Europe in economy.

With Iberia Plus, though, you can get from the U.S. East Coast to Madrid nonstop in business class for just 34,000 Avios one-way.

Routes include year-round service to New York JFK and seasonal Boston service.

Miami service is a bit farther, so it prices at 42,500.

Note that onward connections will increase distance traveled and likely increase the Avios required, but can still be a great deal.

5. Off-Peak Chicago to Madrid in Business Class for 34,000 Avios, Too! (Iberia)

Going by the tape measure, Chicago to Madrid should price as a higher Band 6 award. Instead it is Band 5 just like the U.S. East Coast. That means you can book this route in business class for only 34,000 Avios one-way.

6. New San Francisco Service From April 2018, Plus Los Angeles (Iberia)

Iberia’s seasonal Madrid-U.S. West Coast flights in 2018 will see San Francisco join Los Angeles to give travelers more options.

Because these flights are longer distance, the off-peak price is 51,000 Avios one-way. It’s not quite the screaming deal of the U.S. East Coast…and make sure you watch out for fuel surcharges on the return.

7. Off-Peak Madrid to Shanghai in Business for 51,000 Avios (Iberia)

Madrid to Shanghai is a Band 7 award, pricing in at 51,000 Avios one-way in business. Quite a solid deal for a long flight!

8. Off-Peak Madrid to Tokyo in Business for 59,500 Avios (Iberia)

Madrid to Tokyo jumps into Band 8 distance, but we still think 59,500 Avios is a good option for a nonstop Europe-Japan flight.

For more ways to fly to Tokyo, read our post on flying to Japan using points and miles. (We’ve also got a great Ultimate Travel Guide for Tokyo!)

Guide to Spending Iberia Plus Avios

Traditional airline award charts are priced by geographic region (U.S., Europe, etc.)

In contrast, Iberia Plus prices awards on 3 criteria:

Distance (total distance traveled, rather than adding up segments like British Airways Executive Club)
Peak or off-peak date
Fare class

Peak or Off-Peak Dates:

Iberia Plus has peak and off-peak dates published every year. (Check out their 2018 calendar.)

2018 peak dates are:

December 15, 2017-January 14, 2018
March 23-April 1, 2018
April 27-May 3, 2018
June 13-17, 2018
June 22-September 4, 2018
October 8-11, 2018
October 26-31, 2018
November 7-11, 2018
November 24-26, 2018
December 5-6, 2018
December 11-18, 2018
December 21-24, 2018
December 29-30, 2018

2019 peak dates are:

January 1-13, 2019
March 15-16, 2019
March 19, 2019
April 12-13, 2019
April 17-22, 2019
April 26-27, 2019
April 30-May 1, 2019
May 5, 2019
June 19-20, 2019
June 22-September 15, 2019
October 25-26, 2019
October 31-November 4, 2019
December 5-6, 2019
December 8, 2019
December 14-24, 2019
December 27-31, 2019

How Much Do Iberia Plus Avios Award Flights Cost?

Iberia Plus has separate award charts for every partner airline; you can view them airline by airline here.

For Iberia, British Airways, and Vueling flights, you can save time by using the Iberia Plus Avios Calculator here.

To get a sense of the complexity, here are just the tables for Iberia flights:

**Iberia Peak Season**
Bands	Blue Class	Full Fare Economy	Premium Economy	Business
1 (0 – 650)	5,000	7,500	–	10,000
2 (651 – 1,151)	8,250	12,500	–	16,500
3 (1,151 – 2,000)	11,000	16,500	–	22,000
4 (2,001 – 3,000)	12,500	18,750	–	31,250
5 (3,001 – 4,000)	20,000	30,000 / 28,000*	35,000	50,000
6 (4,001 – 5,500)	25,000	37,500 / 35,000*	43,750	62,500
7 (5,501 – 6,500)	30,000	45,000 / 42,000*	52,500	75,000
8 (6,501 – 7,000)	35,000	52,500 / 49,000*	61,250	87,500
9 (over 7,000)	50,000	75,000 / 70,000*	87,500	125,000
Exceptions	–	–	–	–
Madrid-Barecelona Shuttle	–	4.500	–	9,000
Madrid-London	7,500	11.250	–	15,000

**Iberia Off-Peak Season**
Bands	Blue Class	Full Fare Economy	Premium Economy	Business
1 (0 – 650)	4,500	6,750	–	9,000
2 (651 – 1,151)	7,500	11,250	–	15,000
3 (1,151 – 2,000)	10,000	15,000	–	20,000
4 (2,001 – 3.000)	11,000	16,000	–	21,250
5 (3,001 – 4,000)	17,000	25,500 / 22,000*	25,500	34,000
6 (4,001 – 5,500)	21,250	32,000 / 27,750*	31,750	42,500
7 (5,501 – 6,500)	25,500	38,250 / 33,250*	38,250	51,000
8 (6,501 – 7,000)	29,750	44,650 / 38,750*	44,250	59,500
9 (over 7,000)	42,500	63,750 / 55,250*	63,750	85,000
Exceptions	–	–	–	–
Madrid-Barcelona Shuttle	–	4,500	–	9,000
Madrid-London	6,500	9,750	–	12,750

What Airlines Can You Book With Iberia Plus Avios?

The Iberia website has recently added more of its airline partners for online award searches, though there are a few you still need to call in to search and book.

Oneworld partner airlines:

American Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Finnair
Japan Airlines (search on britishairways.com)
LATAM
Malaysia Airlines (search on britishairways.com)
Qantas
Qatar
Royal Jordanian
S7
Sri Lankan

Non-alliance partners:

Aer Lingus (not an official partner, however you can transfer Avios to British Airways or Aer Lingus)
Avianca (search on a Star Alliance airline website like united.com)
Binter
Interjet
LEVEL
Air Italy (search britishairways.com)
Royal Air Maroc (call Iberia)
TACA (call Iberia)
Vueling

Awards on some of these airlines add fuel surcharges — the highest are typically British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and Qatar.

HOT TIP:Iberia non-Oneworld partner awards are limited by unpublished rules. For instance, you typically must start or end the trip in Spain or have an Iberia flight on the ticket. This means it is not possible to book solely domestic or regional flights on a number of these airlines.

Combining Airlines on Awards

When you mix Iberia and a Oneworld partner airline (or mix 2 Oneworld partner airlines), there is an entirely different award chart that is not subject to peak and off-peak dates (see here).

Iberia Plus Oneworld Multi-Partner Awards
Distance in miles	Economy	Full fare Economy	Business	First
1 – 600	11,000	19,250	22,000	33,000
601 – 1,000	12,000	21,000	24,000	36,000
1,001 – 2,000	17,000	29,750	34,000	51,000
2,001 – 4,000	23,000	40,250	46,000	69,000
4,001 – 5,000	28,000	53,000	64,000	96,000
5,001 – 8,000	42,000	81,500	100,000	150,000
8,001 – 12,400	65,000	123,750	150,000	225,000
12,401 – 14,000	75,000	143,750	175,000	262,500
14,001 – 18,000	100,000	200,000	250,000	375,000
18,001 – 25,000	120,000	225,000	270,000	405,000
25,001 – 30,000	132,000	244,000	290,000	435,000
30,001 – 35,000	143,000	265,750	315,000	472,500
35,001 – 40,000	166,000	299,500	350,000	525,000
40,001 – 50,000	190,000	332,500	380,000	570,000

Summary

Though Iberia Plus is often overshadowed by British Airways Executive Club, smart travelers can move Avios between programs for the best value.

The ability to take advantage of cheaper U.S. to Europe trans-Atlantic awards using Iberia instead of British Airways is reason alone for U.S. travelers to pay attention to Iberia Plus.

And now, direct point transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Iberia Plus make it easy to earn Avios.

2 comments

ron · October 7, 2018 · Reply
hey thanks for this great post. wondering how to search multi city award tickets? do I have to call? Or search point to point on BA (since can’t book one-way awards with IB) , then call IB to book?
- Stephen Au · October 8, 2018 · Reply
  Hi Ron,
  Point-to-point on BA is a great way to do that. Be sure to jot down the flight numbers, times, and dates!

The 8 Best Ways to Redeem Iberia Plus Avios For Max Value