Iberia A321XLR Business Class: A Mixed Bag

Hello from the United States, as I’ve completed my quick Aer Lingus & Iberia A321XLR adventure. On the way out, I flew Aer Lingus’ Airbus A321XLR business class, which I’ve already covered. Then for the return, I flew Iberia’s Airbus A321XLR business class on the eight hour flight from Madrid (MAD) to Washington (IAD), which I’ll be talking about in this post. For what it’s worth, I booked this ticket using 57,500 American AAdvantage miles.

The primary reason I took this specific flight is to fly the A321XLR, the longest range narrow body commercial jet in production, which only commenced operations in recent months. I’ll share more thoughts on flying the A321XLR as such in a separate post. It’s cool to note that the jet I flew — EC-OIL — was the world’s first A321XLR to enter commercial service.

So, what was my takeaway from this Iberia business class flight? Honestly, I’m conflicted. There were aspects of the experience that I quite liked, like the cabin design, the technology, and the bedding. But there were also some shortcomings, like the actual seat comfort, and aspects of the meal service. Below I’ll share some initial thoughts, and then soon I’ll publish my full trip report.

Iberia’s A321XLR business class seats are… I’m conflicted

Iberia’s A321XLRs feature 14 business class seats, spread across seven rows, in a 1-1 configuration. The airline opted for the the Thompson Aero VantageSOLO seat, the same seat that you’ll find in JetBlue Mint on the A321LR. My first impression of the cabin was positive, and that it was really swanky-looking. There’s just something undeniably cool about premium configured narrow body aircraft.

Iberia’s A321XLR business class has herringbone seats, meaning that your head is near the window, and you face the aisle.

Unlike on JetBlue, Iberia elected not to install doors at seats. At first I was puzzled by this decision, but I’ve gotta say, that actually didn’t bother me one bit. Due to how these seats are angled and positioned, you basically don’t see anyone from your seat, including the person across from you.

Many people will appreciate that there’s quite a large ottoman you can place your feet on, so there’s no small footwell you have to place your feet into, unlike in some other configurations. Note that unlike on JetBlue, the bulkhead seat isn’t some sort of a “business class plus” product, and it actually has a smaller footwell than the other seats.

The counter by the seat has a fair bit of exposed storage, plus AC, USB-A, and USB-C charging.

On top of that, there’s a fairly large enclosed storage compartment opposite that, which is a handy place to store things during the flight.

Based on looking at the seat, I had a very positive impression. I also had a positive impression when initially sitting in the seat. However, as the flight went on, there were aspects of it that I found to be quite uncomfortable.

For example, the left and right armrests are at different heights, and and also different distances from the seat, so your arm on one side is sort of just dangling, due to the lack of support. Furthermore, the seat feels on the narrow side (and I’m not a huge guy), and you just can’t help but feel a bit constrained.

The bed also feels tight, but then again, at least the footwell isn’t small, unlike with some other seats.

At least the bedding was great, with a comfortable pillow and blanket, and even a mattress pad.

Before I took this trip, I was thinking that I’d far prefer Iberia’s hard product to Aer Lingus’ hard product. But now I’m not so sure.

Iberia’s A321XLR entertainment & tech are excellent

The Iberia A321XLR has phenomenal tech. Each seat has a gorgeous 18″ 4K monitor that folds out. Not only is the picture quality great, but the system is easy to use, and highly responsive.

On top of that, there’s bluetooth audio, so that you can use your own headphones with the entertainment system.

I found the entertainment selection to be solid, with hundreds of movies and TV shows to choose from.

Iberia also offers Panasonic Wi-Fi on its A321XLRs. Iberia Plus members and business class passengers receive free messaging, while a full flight Wi-Fi pass with no data caps cost €20.49. I found that pricing to be fair, and found speeds to be more than sufficient throughout the flight.

Iberia’s business class catering is tasty but limited

I found Iberia’s business class catering to be quite good in terms of quality, but lacking a bit in terms of quantity. Lunch was served after takeoff. That began with a drink service (I had a glass of Spanish white wine and a sparkling water), served with some crackers, meat, and cheese.

Next up, the appetizer and main course were served on the same tray. Of the two starters, I selected the green tomatillo ceviche with roasted sweet potato, avocado, heart of palm, and cherry tomato. Then of the three mains, I selected the grilled king prawns in a creamy seafood sauce served with squid ink black rice and roasted zucchini. They were served with two pieces of bread.

Then there was the choice of two desserts or cheese, and I selected the Catalan cream ice cream with white chocolate sticks and crispy wafer. Yum.

The meal quality was quite good, though the service was really slow — it took 85 minutes after takeoff for the first drink to be served, which is an awfully long time to wait, especially with two flight attendants working the cabin. As a point of comparison, on my Aer Lingus flight on the outbound, the entire meal service was done within an hour of takeoff. The crew was well intentioned, so I suspect they’re still getting used to this aircraft.

What really disappointed me was the pre-arrival meal. We’re talking about an eight hour daytime flight, and the extent of the pre-arrival meal was one of two options, both of which I’d describe as being appetizer sized.

I ordered the cod pie with roasted artichoke and sundried tomato. It tasted great, but it was tiny — there no bread, or side, or dessert, or anything else. I heard multiple people comment about the tiny portion. This has to be one of the smallest pre-arrival meals I’ve seen on any airline, for a flight of this length.

Bottom line

I’m delighted I had the chance to fly Iberia’s Airbus A321XLR, and specifically, the first-ever A321XLR to enter commercial service. Iberia’s A321XLR business class is pretty swanky, with a spiffy-looking and intimate cabin, excellent tech, and comfortable bedding.

However, there were also some downsides to the experience. The A321XLR business class seats feel tight, and I found the main meal service to be very slow, while I found the pre-arrival service to be very limited. I wouldn’t mind flying the Iberia A321XLR again if the price or schedule was right, but it’s not necessarily an experience I’d specifically seek out again. I do still want to fly Iberia’s new A350 business class in the near future, though…

What’s your take on Iberia’s A321XLR business class?