Iberia Plus has announced a significant shift in its elite status earning structure, moving to a spend-based system effective April 1, 2025. This change aligns with the recent adjustments made by British Airways, another member of the Oneworld alliance. Both airlines are part of the International Airlines Group.
Members of Iberia Plus will see the program rebranded as Club Iberia Plus and will need to meet specific thresholds for various elite statuses. The new tiers include Plata (Oneworld Ruby) at 3,500 elite points or 20 flights, Oro (Oneworld Sapphire) at 7,500 elite points or 40 flights, Platino (Oneworld Emerald) at 20,000 elite points or 90 flights, and two lifetime levels: Infinita and Infinita Prime.
A novel addition is the Platino Prime tier which offers two years of status along with four upgrade vouchers and bonus Avios. Under this new system, members earn one elite point per euro spent on qualifying activities excluding fees and taxes but including carrier-imposed surcharges.
Unlike British Airways’ temporary bonuses for their membership year in 2025, Iberia’s cabin bonuses are permanent for flights operated by Iberia itself as well as those credited from British Airways and American Airlines.
Additionally, members can earn points through non-airline partners such as hotels and rental cars at a rate linked to Avios earned. However, transferring credit card points will not contribute towards earning elite points under Club Iberia Plus.
The new model presents some advantages over British Airways’ Executive Club due to differing currency values between euros and pounds. This results in a lower spending requirement for attaining similar status levels within Iberia’s program compared to British Airways’. Furthermore, the new Platino Prime level offers an extended period of Oneworld Emerald status that does not have an equivalent in British Airways’ offering.
Overall success in achieving desired statuses will largely depend on individual travel patterns but could be more accessible through Iberia’s revamped program than its counterpart at British Airways.
