Iberia offers a distance-based award chart that also features off-peak and peak award pricing. For years, awards between Chicago and Madrid have priced like those from East Coast cities like New York and Boston, rather than exactly how you might expect them to measure up. Sadly, as reported over the weekend in our Frequent Miler Insiders Facebook group and today on Thrifty Traveler, Iberia has changed the Chicago pricing overnight, increasing the cost of awards without warning. You might still be able to snag the old price via British Airways, but that is probably an opportunity living on borrowed time.
Award pricing increased by ~25% without warning
For years, Iberia has priced awards between Chicago and Madrid like those from New York or Boston. Despite an unannounced award pricing increase last year, award pricing has been just 16,000 Avios one-way in economy class or 40,500 points each way in business class on off-peak dates up until a couple of days ago.
Sadly, awards now price from 20K each way in economy class, 36.5K each way in premium economy, or 50.5K each way in business class on off-peak dates. During peak travel periods, the price can be as high as 74,000 Avios each way in business class.
That’s a huge bummer for sure, particularly since it happened without notice. On the other hand, this does put pricing from Chicago where it should be based on distance…though that’s cold comfort for those who had been planning on a redemption.
Thrifty Traveler reports that it is still possible to find awards priced at the old price of 40,500 Avios and about $140 one-way if you book via British Airways Avios. There’s no telling how long that will last, though I wouldn’t expect it to last for very long.
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“Chciago”?
I’ve found that while it shows 20k Avios when selecting a flight in economy, when you go to pay, the price is 16k Avios. Not sure if it’s a glitch or not. Booked an economy flight from Madrid to Chicago when this was already showing a few days ago and was able to book for 16k Avios and $142 in fees.