Iberia

Iberia is the flag carrier most travellers associate with Spain itself, especially for routes through Madrid and the wider Oneworld network. By our assessment, its big strength is reach: it connects a home hub to long-haul and European traffic in a way that makes sense for people moving through Spain and onward. The honest downside is familiar airline reality — fares, schedules, bag rules and cabin experience can all feel more like network management than warmth. In practice, Iberia is a practical tool for getting from A to B through Madrid, not a luxury object. It sits alongside other legacy European airlines rather than low-cost carriers, and that means more structure, more connections and more rules at check-in.