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Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Jamal has turned on the ‘fasten seat belt sign.’ If you haven’t already done so please stow your carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you or in an overhead bin. Also make sure your seat back and folding tray are in the full upright position as ….we watch the deals roll in.
Sorry, I’m just yearning to hear those words again but if you’re confused about what I am talking about…let’s recap.
A few months ago, it was apparent that returning to “normal” was going to take longer than planned. At the time, some subscribers questioned whether it was smart to continue earning miles/points instead of switching to cash back cards. I recommended continuing earning miles/points (and at an accelerated pace if possible) because the airlines would eventually look to frequent flyer programs to fill the seats.
And now, we’re seeing our first glimpse of deals with miles.
IBERIA OFFERS 50% OFF AWARDS
I’ll keep this short so you can spend more time researching the flights.
Iberia Airline is offering an incredible award sale. You have to make the booking by August 30, 2020 for travel between 1 September 2020 through 15 March 2021. You can book any flight in the Iberia network with a straight-forward 50% discount.
Here is the direct link to the Iberia Promotion.
If you’re not familiar with Iberia Airline, they operate an international network from their main base of Madrid-Barajas Airport and they use Avios (yes, the same Avios as British Airways) for their awards. In other words, if you have British Airways Avios then you Iberia Avios because you can move your Avios from British Airways to Iberia instantly.
PRO-TIP: If you have Chase UR or Amex MR then you have Avios also as they are transfer partners.
Iberia uses a distance-based award chart. That means as the distance increases, the amount of miles required for the redemption also increases. I recommend determining the total distance between your city of origin and destination (I use gcmap.com) and match the total distance to the ranges in chart below.
Band (Off Peak) | Distance In Miles | Economy Blue | Economy Full | Premium Economy | Business |
| 1 | 1 – 650 | 4,500 | 6,750 | n/a | 9,000 |
| 2 | 651 – 1,051 | 7,500 | 11,250 | n/a | 15,000 |
| 3 | 1,151 – 2,000 | 10,000 | 15,000 | n/a | 20,000 |
| 4 | 2,001 – 3,000 | 11,000 | 16,000 | n/a | 21,250 |
| 5 | 3,001 – 4,000 | 17,000 | 22,000 | 25,500 | 34,000 |
| 6 | 4,001 – 5,500 | 16,250 | 32,500 | 62,500 | 85,000 |
| 7 | 5,501 – 6,500 | 19,500 | 39,000 | 75,000 | 102,000 |
| 8 | 6,501 – 7,000 | 22,750 | 45,500 | 87,500 | 119,000 |
| 9 | >7,000 | 32,500 | 65,000 | 125,000 | 170,000 |
I assume that most subscribers are US-based so below are a list of Iberia destinations in the US:
- Boston (BOS) – Madrid (MAD) = 3,410 mi
- New York (JFK) – Madrid (MAD) = 3,589 mi
- Washington D.C. (IAD) – Madrid (MAD) = 3,816 mi
- Chicago (ORD) – Madrid (MAD) = 4,202 mi
- Miami (MIA) – Madrid (MAD) = 4,424 mi
- San Francisco (SFO) – Madrid (MAD) = 5,811 mi
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Madrid (MAD) = 5,845 mi
Here is an example of what you will see once you have found a date with availability:
I do not have any miles in my Iberia account so I received this message. But you will see the correct and stratified pricing at the bottom of the screen. Yes, 17,000 Avios and $81 for Business class!!
It’s worth noting that Iberia also operates direct flights to Barcelona from Boston (BOS), New York (JFK), and San Francisco (SFO) so if you’re willing to pay a bit more, it’s open for you.
Here is the weird thing…some cities fall into certain banks perfectly, and with others…I’m not exactly sure what Iberia is measuring. For example, Chicago to Madrid is 4,202 miles thus Iberia should charge 85,000 miles (42,500 with this promotion) for that route. Surprisingly, Chicago is listed in Band 5 which charges 34,000 miles (17,000 miles with this promotion). 17k vs 42,500 is a huge difference!
As always, if you’re conservative with your miles, you can always book an economy ticket for 8,500 miles.
FINAL STAMP
There are some considerations to be aware of for this redemption. It’s a great deal but it may not make sense to transfer hard-earned miles/points to airlines right now given Americans are essentially banned from entering every country on earth and we have no idea when we will be able to enter, what restrictions will look like, what flight schedules will be, or what types of airplanes will be operating on a specific route.
But if you don’t mind a little risk, this is a phenomenal deal.
Finally, even if you’re not going to take advantage of this deal, please sign up for an Iberia Frequent Flyer account (CLICK HERE) if you don’t have one. It’s free and will come in handy in the future.
Is anyone planning to take advantage of this deal?
1TattedPassport 