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Every so often, Iberia will offer a sale on its own flights using Avios. This time around, Iberia is offering a 40% discount on economy flights between Madrid (MAD) and New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), or Washington, D.C. (IAD). One-way flights start at just 9,600 Avios + taxes/fees, which is a great deal. The booking window closes on June 29, but the travel window extends to September 30, 2026.
This is a great opportunity if you’re looking to book a family trip to Europe this summer, as the savings do add up across multiple people. Avios are also one of the easiest currencies to accrue in Canada, with 1:1 transfers from both Amex Membership Rewards (MR) and RBC Avion. You can easily move your Avios from British Airways to Iberia (to book these discounted awards) and also transfer Avios to/from others for just €10 with Finnair.
Full Promotion Details
To go over the fine print, the promotion applies only to flights on Iberia metal at the base fare. Since Iberia Avios cover the entire base fare in this example, you’ll still pay the same amount in taxes and fees out of pocket.
Iberia uses a peak-and-off-peak calendar to determine award prices, so the entire summer travel window is essentially peak season at 19,500 Avios one-way. With the 40% discount, the price drops to 11,700 Avios. If you search on the Iberia website, the discounted pricing appears automatically, which makes the process nice and straightforward.
Note that not every flight is available at this saver price.
11,700 Avios one-way is a great price for economy
The taxes and fees total €79.18 when departing the U.S. and €111.69 when departing from Madrid. These are only the government taxes, as Iberia does not pass on fuel surcharges when booking with Avios. For that reason alone, it’s a much better redemption for your Avios than booking British Airways.
If you’re flying later in September, an off-peak time, the one-way price is just 9,600 Avios once the 40% discount is applied. This is basically one of the cheapest flights you’ll ever find across the Atlantic.
Does it get better than 9,600 Avios one-way?
What’s Iberia Economy Like?
From all three participating cities, Iberia is operating its new A321XLR, a single-aisle narrowbody aircraft. Economy consists of 28 rows in a 3-3 configuration.
For those curious about business class, Iberia is flying 7 rows in a 1-1 herringbone configuration, not dissimilar to what Air Canada has chosen for its own A321XLRs.
Iberia A321XLR economy class
Evaluating This Promotion
The biggest upside is the excellent availability. Searching through the calendar, it was super easy to find award space in both directions with the 40% discount across all three cities in New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), and Washington, D.C. (IAD). That’s a major pro because all too often, we see headlines with great promotions and then just a handful of dates available.
Furthermore, the price point of 11,700 Avios or 9,600 Avios is already excellent, but it’s even better once you take into consideration a 30% transfer bonus — RBC’s ended just a few days ago. If you took advantage, the price drops to 9,000 or 7,400 RBC Avion points, which, needless to say, is impossible to beat for a one-way transatlantic flight.
The real question is whether it’s worth positioning down to these U.S. cities to book at a lower price. Normally, I’d say no to economy class flights since the cost of the positioning flight alone eats into the savings. In this case, I’d say it requires more evaluation than normal, because cash flights across the Atlantic can get quite expensive over peak summer travel dates.
In terms of Avios savings, you’re looking at savings of 15,600 Avios per person round-trip on peak dates and 12,800 Avios per person round-trip on off-peak dates.
I’d say this is worth it if you can get cheap positioning flights or are willing to take a road trip. For groups or families, the savings do add up. However, if the positioning flight costs 15,000 Aeroplan points per person, then I’d say you’re still better off just paying for a direct flight.
Takeaway
A one-way transatlantic flight for 9,600–11,700 Avios is about as good as it gets, especially when Iberia is offering widespread availability rather than just a handful of dates. If you took advantage of RBC’s recent 30% transfer bonus, the effective cost drops even further, making this one of the cheapest ways to cross the Atlantic with points this summer.
The biggest caveat is positioning. For travellers already near New York, Boston, or Washington—or those willing to make a road trip out of it—this promotion offers tremendous value, particularly for families booking multiple tickets. However, if you need an expensive positioning flight, the savings can disappear quickly, so be sure to evaluate the entire itinerary rather than just the transatlantic segment.
Featured Image Credit: Iberia
