Iberia unveils new products

Iberia

Accra, Feb 01, GNA-Spanish airline Iberia has unveiled new products and services which it would be rolling out at the 2013 Fitur holiday fair in Madrid, Spain.

These innovations include its all-new Business and Economy class sections in the airline's long-haul fleet, a makeover of the www.iberia.com website, and major improvements at its T4 hub in Madrid-Barajas airport.

The biggest innovations however, are the new seating sections which passengers can enjoy starting in February with the delivery of the first of eight new Airbus A330s, to be incorporated through March 2014. The new Airbus A330s burn some 15 per cent less fuel than the A340-300s they replace. Iberia's A330-300s will come with 36 Business class and 242 Economy class seats.

A statement released to GNA in Accra on Friday said starting in May; the cabins of Iberia's long-haul A340-600 fleet would also be refitted with the new seating sections; 46 Business class and 300 Economy class seats.

'The A330s will be used on flights to and from New York, Miami, Chicago, Boston, and Luanda (Angola), while the A340-600s will fly to Los Angeles and to Iberia's Latin American destinations' the statement said, adding 'the extra-wide Business Plus seats unfold into perfectly flat beds nearly 2 metres long and are housed in individual modules, each with direct access to the aisle. The design and positioning of the new seats ensure greater privacy and comfort to passengers as they work, relax, or sleep. '

Business Plus customers would also enjoy new, intuitive entertainment options, using 15.5' screens similar to that of tablet computers, plus 4.2' touch screen remotes with virtual keyboard, with which passengers can make telephone calls, send text messages, and easily access entertainment options.

Each month some 50 feature films will be available, plus television series, documentaries, some 200 musical options, and 3D games, among many other choices.

Iberia would also soon be adding Wi-Fi Internet access and SMS capability for all its long-haul customers, and both Business and Economy class seats will feature power and communications jacks for passengers' electronic devices.

The atmosphere of the new Business Plus section feature light and clarity. Lighting changes at the different phases of the flight, reading lights are more powerful, and passengers have more space for their belongings.

Individual entertainment equipment for Economy class passengers will be available on the new Airbus A330s and Airbus A340-600s. Using intuitive 9' touch screens, passengers can choose amongst feature films in numerous languages, television series, documentaries, children's programmes, etc. Economy class seats have a modern design and are wider and more comfortable than current ones.

In addition to the new cabins, Iberia is launching other products and services to renovate its commercial offer and improve customers' travel experience on the ground and in the air.

In the course of the year 2013, the www.iberia.com site is to undergo a complete makeover, with improvements to contents and greater ease of browsing. Iberia will also work on 'socialising' its website, with the aim of connecting its more than 34 million visitors to the nearly 1.3 million followers of its social network profiles.

Passengers' travel experience at Iberia's T4 hub in Madrid-Barajas airport is also being enhanced by the numerous innovations introduced under the Ágora programme, including holographic 'virtual agents' providing information, fast-track luggage check-in, new auto check-in machines, and quick services point for interacting with the company. A new customer service space for economy class passengers is also to be opened shortly.

'All these changes reflect Iberia's commitment to improving the quality of its services. In the second half of 2012 the airline obtained an 85 per cent punctuality rating and its 'perceived quality' rating rose by more than seven points.'

Passengers can make easy connections at the T4 from Accra to Iberia's 31 destinations in Spain, 27 cities in Europe and 23 destinations in the Americas (5 in the United States and 18 in Latin America).

Iberia, a partner airline with British Airways, began operations to Accra in June 2012. 

 GNA