Club Iberia Plus: A Savvy Alternative to British Airways Club?

Why Iberia's new program might be worth a closer look for oneworld frequent flyers

Despite British Airways' recent loyalty program changes causing concern among frequent flyers, there might be a silver lining coming from their sister airline. Iberia has announced their own program overhaul, and surprisingly, it could offer UK travelers an easier path to oneworld status.

Program Structure and Elite Tiers

Like BA, Iberia is moving to a revenue-based system where you earn 1 Elite Point per euro spent (excluding taxes and fees). However, there's a crucial difference - Iberia is adding substantial cabin bonuses that significantly reduce the actual spending required.

Status Requirements

  • Plata (oneworld Ruby): 3,500 Elite Points or 20 segments

  • Oro (oneworld Sapphire): 7,500 Elite Points or 40 segments

  • Platino (oneworld Emerald): 20,000 Elite Points or 90 segments

  • Platino Prime (oneworld Emerald): 30,000 Elite Points

Key Advantages Over BA Club

1. Generous Cabin Bonuses

When flying short-haul:

  • Economy: 75-150 bonus points per segment

  • Business: 175-275 bonus points per segment

Long-haul flights earn even more:

  • Economy: 150-250 bonus points

  • Premium Economy: 275-325 bonus points

  • Business: 350-600 bonus points

2. Partner Activity Benefits

Unlike BA's new program, you can earn up to 30% of your status requirement through partner activities. Every 10 Avios earned from partners converts to 1 Elite Point. This means shopping portal earnings and other partner activities could significantly reduce your flying requirements.

Oneworld Partner Opportunities

Iberia is taking a different approach to partner flights, offering flat-rate earning instead of BA's distance-based system. For example, a London-Singapore return in Qatar Airways Qsuite business class would earn 5,000 Elite Points - almost enough for Oro status if you also maximize partner earnings.

Important Considerations

  1. Segment qualification only works on Iberia and Iberia Express flights

  2. American Express Membership Rewards transfers don't count toward status

  3. Shopping portal earnings do count (unlike BA's program)

  4. These changes take effect April 1st, 2025

Conclusion

Having recently completed my own journey to BA Gold, I can appreciate how significant these differences are. For UK-based travelers, especially those who:

  • Regularly fly business class

  • Can earn partner Avios through shopping and other activities

  • Don't mind crediting BA flights to Iberia

Club Iberia Plus could offer a substantially easier path to oneworld status. The combination of generous cabin bonuses and partner earning makes it particularly attractive for premium cabin travelers who can also maximize partner activities.

The key will be balancing the easier status earning against Iberia's customer service reputation and the slight extra complexity of managing bookings through a different airline's program. However, for many, the significant reduction in required flights could make it worth the trade-off.

We'll continue monitoring both programs as they evolve. Remember to use our BA Avios Calculator to compare current earnings and help inform your strategy going forward.

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