Flying Iberia

By SHELLY PAZ
There are no direct flights from Israel to South America and a trip to any Latin American destination must include a stop in Europe, most likely in Spain, the home base of the veteran carrier Iberia, which controls most of the aerial activity between Europe and South America. Recently Iberia launched a Business Plus Class that allows more people to fly with absolute comfort to destinations in North and South America, Africa and the Middle East. Our trip with Iberia's Business Plus turned this long journey, five hours to Madrid and 12 more to Buenos Aires, into an aerial experience. Iberia pays a lot of attention to the gastronomical aspect of the flight, and the Business Plus stewards encourage the passengers to try the month's selection of Spanish wines along with Spanish cuisine. After being welcomed with a glass of sparkling Spanish white wine, you will be happy to choose your meal and the wines that will accompany it. After your meal, you can choose a movie or a TV series from the private entertainment screen. Once you have enough, you can simply change your seat into flat bed mode and sleep all the way to or from your exciting vacation. The smoking and non-smoking lounges operated by Iberia and Oneworld make a long trip more than bearable. While waiting for the next flight, you can have a snack or a full meal in the lounge, sip a few drinks, use the full business services they provide and even take a shower and get into your pajamas for a sleep. And if you fall asleep while waiting for your flight in one of the sleeping cabins, the lounge crew will make sure you are awake in time for the flight. Flying with Iberia from Tel Aviv to Buenos Aires starts at $1,085 for a round trip in economy class and goes up to $3,875 in Business Plus class. Iberia flies twice a day from Tel Aviv to Madrid and also twice a day between the Spanish and Argentinean capitals. From January 1 until the end of March, the high season in South America, it will add another daily flight from Madrid to Buenos Aires and to other capitals in the region.