Most of their flights were to or within Spain. Coming from abroad, we almost always fly British Airways - I'm one of their biggest fans. Within Spain they've flown Iberia - and once from London to Spain with Iberia. All went well. You'll be fine! Have a wonderful trip!

Any flight can be a disaster these days. Delta did a number on our trip last summer and it was Iberia who came to our rescue. I was even upgraded randomly to 1st class!!! My kids remained in coach and we all had a great experience...of course mine was a bit better!!! I am afraid that the good ole days when they actually cared about your comfort are no longer the norm.

A few weeks ago I flown on Iberia for the very first time. From JFK to Madrid and picked up my connecting flight to Seville. Flew back with them from Madrid to JFK. Had no major problems expect I glad had an early dinner before the flight. Meals on the flights were kind of bad side. On my return flight got out my seat, went to the back were the stewardess were sitting and chatting among themselves and asked for a soda since I was thirsty. My Spanish is not great but I fondly remember the female stewardess saying something in Spanish to a fellow stewardess and hearing the word "American". I ignore it since I did not know was said, happy to have something to drink, smiled and thanked her. But for the price, $435 round trip I really did not have a choice which airlines.

All in all, I can say my Iberia flights were alright. Got me to my destinations on time and with my luggage in tact.

Bill

c,mon madridman!! please stop justifying this rude behaviour just because they are spaniards!! rude is rude in spain, usa and timbuctoo!! my husband(a madrileno) hates flying iberia and he is the first one to tell you that a spaniard would never put up with that kind of treatment from a flight attendent or anyone else, for that matter. i have had a few experiences on iberia that were plain and simply unpleasant, such as ignoring my request for a blanket for my 3 year old, audibly moaning when asked for a glass of water and then told to get it myself!!! unheard of!!! the worst, of course, was when i was on an iberia flight over the atlantic on 9/11 and had to return to madrid. the pilot spoke only in spanish so stop knocking americans who don't speak spanish. once back in madrid, they stopped the plane on the runway and had us descend the stairs, not one of them offered to help me with a baby, stroller and carry-on,(i was traveling alone) thank god a teenager from texas helped me out.
now, by nature, spaniards generally tend to be outspoken, blunt, forthright, etc. but never should rudeness be considered "ok" just because they are spaniards. my husband gets so upset by this because quite frankly, the people he has always associated with are very well-mannered and would be mortified to treat anyone like this or yell for a waiter in a restaurant, etc.

I can't really understand why you're being so obsessed whith Iberia's flights, as if they were the only air company in the world with customers' complaints .

Nowbody has yet written anything here about their official written complaint to the Customers' Union, reasons? Personally, I would have sent it right way but instead... it seems like everybody prefers blaming the workers and that won't help at all.

It is true that being rude or unpolite, etc has no justification but the same thing applies for the customer, it should be a reciprocal responsibility, right?

I've read very serious stories about the crew's behaviour here. Personally, if that had ever happened to me I'd have denounced it immediatly.

Whenever I've had a problem I've been polite and I've been treated the same way. Humans are humans everywhere and if they feel an excess of demands, stressing customers or an overwhelming crowd complaining they do what I've seen in the US as well; and I've been told, literally: "Yo! talk to the hand 'cause the head ain't listening!" now, that's not good, is it? But I decided to keep on talking politely and it finally worked for me; Yes, I might be the luckiest customer in the world . Nevertheless, I don't want anybody to read this post as reply. I think that if you don't like a company, then, the answer is clear... choose the competence (Air Europa, Spanair, etc). Stop using Iberia-BA-AA Holding .

lamar563 wrote: Very untrue. In some cultures it's considered NOT rude to belch/burp after a good meal while in most western civilizations it IS considered RUDE. So really, when comparing cultures you're not always comparing "apples to apples".

One must know and understand two different cultures VERY well (and I don't claim to know the Spanish culture very well - I'm learning all the time) in order to judge the similarities and differences or judge what's rude or not.

To assume that our way is the correct and proper way is ethnocentric, self-centered, and dangerous when judging any another culture before we understand them.

Saludos, MadridMan

hi madridman,
i can assure you i know both cultures extremely well being that my father, grandparents and husband are from spain, i have spent many summers there and i am comletely bilingual, therefore i am very well qualified to determine correct and polite behavior in spanish society. as i have said before, a native spaniard would never put up with that kind of treatment. also, i never said or assumed that the american way is the correct or only way, God knows we have our problems. however, the fact remains that customer service leaves a lot to be desired in spain. i just don't understand why you find that so difficult to accept. no one is perfect!!!

lamar563,

I just read the MadridMan's first posting on this thread for the third time and I'm a bit confused. I don't read anywhere in his post where he justifies rude behavior?!?! I believe what he says is that flight attendants on Spanish carriers might be perceived as less friendly because they don't smile a lot. Also, he seems to be saying that he never perceived them as rude, so much as business-like. Just because flight attendants on Spanish carriers aren't super customer oriented, doesn't make them rude, does it?

now i am sooooooooo scared for the flight...only 9 days

The following quoted text is something I just read in the REC.TRAVEL.EUROPE newsgroup and immediately thought of this thread with regards to cultural differences - including on airplanes. Here you go: