Introduction

Once upon a time, when I was just a wee lad with a somewhat unhealthy obsession with everything to do with airliners, Iberia operated a regular service from Madrid to Tokyo with its Boeing B 747-200. As the aircraft lacked the range to make the journey nonstop, it would make a technical stop in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport to refuel. The last B 747 was decommissioned from service with Iberia in 2005, and with that, the Tokyo route was discontinued. Originally, it was penned to resume in 2020, with the delivery of the fabulous Airbus A 350-900 and its impressive range capabilities. But then COVID happened, so that the route was not resumed until early in 2025 to connect Iberia’s hub in Madrid Barajas with that of its OneWorld partner JAL in Narita.

Getting to the Airport

I’ve greatly enjoyed my stay in Madrid. The city has so much to offer and there’s just so much to see. The heat is brutal, though. Yesterday, it even went up to 47 degrees Celsius. But at least it’s a dry heat that is easier for me to handle than when it’s humid.

My flight to Narita departs at 12h30. At 09h45, I check out of the Riu Plaza de España Hotel, turn left and take the stairs down into the metro station by the same name. For journeys to the airport, passengers need to pay a supplement for the metro, which can be directly loaded onto the Madrid travel card. However, the supplement is only valid for the same day and cannot be purchased in advance.

I catch a line 10 train to Nuevos Ministerios, and change there to a number 8 train to Barajas Airport. Just a piece of advice: between the stops for terminals 1, 2, and 3 and for terminal 4 there is a stop called Barajas. That is the town close to the airport. But it’s not in walking distance. So if you’re going to the airport, make sure to alight only at one of the terminal stops.

Check-In

Iberia and its OneWorld partners operate out of Terminal 4, which is an impressive building that makes Iberia the envy of all European airlines by merit of the sheer abundance of space available at its hub.

Business Class check-in is on counters 780 to 799. I’ve already checked in online on the app. From check-in it’s a short walk to Fast Track security, which is completely segregated from the general security screening area. I’m seriously becoming a big fan of those 3D scanners that don’t require you to take all your stuff out of your bags.

From security I follow the signs for the S gates, which are located in the satellite terminal between the runways. It’s actually quite a long ride of about ten minutes by rail shuttle from the main terminal to the satellite. Passport control to exit Schengen takes place in the satellite.

The Iberia Velazques Lounge

The Iberia lounge is located behind the duty free shopping area. The lounge is quite busy when I arrive, which makes it rather difficult to take any useful photos. I manage to secure a seat by the window, though, where I can watch the traffic while I wait. From exiting the hotel in central Madrid to entering the lounge takes me 80 minutes.

The lounge is rather nice, and there are plenty of food options. More importantly, the lounge extends from the terminal building onto the ramp, which means that I have taxiing aircraft in front of me, and a whole series of widebodies parked on my left and right.

Boarding

Boarding starts at 11h50. As was to be expected, the aircraft is very heavy, so the captain has ordered all carry on suitcases to be weighed as well in order to decide if they will have to offload cargo for us to be within the maximum take-off weight. That probably explains why boarding for the flight starts fifty minutes prior to departure and goes on forever.

There are two airbridges attached to the aircraft, with passengers in Business Class required to use the one on the left to board through the L1 door.

The Seat & Cabin

The seats are arranged in a 1+2+1 configuration. On the uneven numbered rows there are no A or K seats and passengers are seated directly on the aisle. On even numbered rows there are A and K seats, which are more private.

This aircraft has a different cabin to the one of the A 350 I took from Bogota to Madrid. The main difference is that the seats on this aircraft do not have any sliding doors for more privacy.

The seat pitch is comfortable and even in the bed position, the seat is long enough for me to stretch out with plenty of width clearance for the shoulders.

Storage space is somewhat limited. There are two small storage compartments on the side facing the aisle, but they already contain the earphones and the vanity kit. And that’s it.

Wifi is available on board. Business Class passengers get complimentary access for messaging only. The use of other wifi services costs EUR25 for access for the entire duration of the flight. I don’t use any internet services while I’m on board, so I can’t say what the service quality is like.

Amenities

When I arrive at my seat, there’s already a seat cover for some extra padding, a nice, thick blanket, a pillow, and a pair of slippers on the seat.

The amenity kit is small, but unlike many other airlines, the Iberia one contains mostly useful items. In particular, there are some long socks that fit my size 11.5s, and thick eye shades that very effectively block out the light.

The slippers are very nice. They’re comfortable and have a thick rubber sole and are not at all flimsy. They’re also a decent size and fit me comfortably.

Much to my surprise, Iberia also provides pajamas to passengers in Business Class, although I’m assuming that this is only the case on the Narita service, as no pjs were offered on the Bogotà flight, which was also an overnight service.

The Service & Crew

The crew on this flight are great and mixed Spanish and Japanese. Announcements are made in Spanish, English, and Japanese.

As soon as I take my seat, one of the crew comes to welcome me aboard. He asks me if there’s anything I’d like to drink and what size pajamas I’d prefer. He returns a short while later with a glass of water, the menu for the flight and the pjs.

Shortly after, the cabin is readied for our imminent departure. At 12h49, we slowly push back from the gate. Flight IB281 has started its long journey of thirteen hours and forty minutes across Europe, Central Asia and China to Japan.

We slowly make our way out for departure. We turn onto the active runway 36L. It’s hot again outside, so this ought to be interesting. The engines spool up, and very slowly we lurch forward as we start accelerating down the runway. Our take-off roll takes 59 seconds and then, very gingerly, we start our ascent.

Once the seatbelt signs come off, the service continues with the distribution of scented hot towels.

The purser comes to take my order for the main dish. He addresses me by name and we even have a bit of a chat about where I’m travelling to.

The Meal – Lunch

At 13h25, not quite thirty minutes after take-off, the lunch service begins. The crew pass through the cabin with the drinks trolley. To accompany the drinks, there is a choice of almonds, olives stuffed with tuna or Spanish cheese. I request a Coke Zero and some olives.

The empty dish for the olives is removed and the crew start serving the first course. I ask for the zucchini with goat cheese and pesto, which is served with a crispy, crunchy bread roll and olive oil. It’s a light, simple, but nice dish.

For the main course, I have the pasta with goat cheese, which is rather good. The pasta is nice and thick and they’ve managed to heat up the dish without the pasta drying out and turning crispy. The sauce is rich and flavourful.

The dessert is white chocolate mousse with raspberry. It’s a very classic combination that always works well. With that, I have a coffee with milk, which is served with a small piece of dark chocolate.

Two hours and thirty minutes after take-off, the meal service concludes. As the crew pass through the cabin clearing away the trays, they hand each passenger a small bottle of still water.

Initially after the meal service, the lights are dimmed low. It’s only about seven hours into the flight, roughly around the midway point, that the lights are turned off completely.

I don’t usually watch any films on a plane, mainly because they rarely manage to capture my attention long enough. However, on this flight Conclave is available, which I’ve been curious about for a while. And I must say, it really is good, as evidenced by the fact that I watch it from start to finish. Apart from it being an interesting plot, there’s also the fact that among the actors are the fabulous Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rosselini. After that, I turn off the screen and head off to Noddy Land for a few hours.

Second Service – Breakfast

About 75 minutes out of Narita, the lights gradually go on again and the crew start their breakfast service. I ask for the omelette served with mushrooms, ham, and kale (blergh!). With that, I ask for a crispy roll and some olive oil. Croissants, butter, and jam are also available. There’s also a bowl of fruit on the tray. And to drink I have a still water and coffee.

Arrival in Narita

Forty minutes out if Narita, the mighty A 350 dips its nose and we start our descent into Tokyo. The temperature is 31 degrees Celsius on the ground and it’s very humid, the haze making it difficult to see anything until we’re already quite low.

Eventually, we touch down just after 09h00 in the morning. We’re running slightly ahead of schedule, and taxi to our stand at Terminal 2. At this time of the day, the airport is fairly quiet. It gets busier in the afternoons.

Immigration and customs are a breeze, so that I’m already landside by 09h50, just in time for my shuttle to the hotel at 09h55.

Getting to the Hotel

My layover in Narita is nine hours, so I’ve booked a day room at the Narita Hilton. The complimentary shuttle to the hotel runs hourly at 55 minutes past the hour. In addition, during peak times the shuttle service increases to every thirty minutes. The shuttle leaves from bay 26 at arrivals level. There are maps just by the exits to guide passengers to the right bay.

Conclusion

This concludes another pleasant long-haul service in Iberia Business Class on their newly introduced Madrid to Tokyo route. Starting with the painfully obvious, I just want to reiterate that the A 350 truly is a beast – what a magnificent piece of machinery!

The service and food offerings on this flight were good. The crew were friendly. Nothing ever seemed too much. The pajamas were unexpected. They were also rather comfortable.

I enjoyed the food. What is noticeable about this service, though, is that it is clearly oriented to a Western clientele. There were no Japanese options on the menu, except for the ominous Japanese Rice, which, curiously, had no further description explaining what exactly made it Japanese.

The seat was okay, and comfortable also in the bed position. However, it did feel a bit tight, mainly because your legs are tucked in the hollow of the seat in front. That made arranging the blanket around the legs a bit difficult.