[sparkyflier]

Hi Jetset, following the advcie from TimFitzgeraldTC above, I flew on the A340-600 from, MAD to LHR, and as he advised the product was the older product.

It was in my opinion a very nice product, so I suggest to you that you will like both products – a win-win situation. The older product is like a 90’s First class, with lots of space..
The new product looks very good and functional with probably good inflight entertainment, but maybe not so much space.

Anyway let us know your findings if you go ahead with your proposed flights with IB.

Oh and Tim thank you so much for your help with that query, it was much appreciated and I should have said thank you earlier!

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Hi Sparkyflyer

No problem at all – that what the forum is for. Just to mention of the flight out to UIO it is an A340-200 – so might differ a bit from the old A340-600 product. But given the time frames there is always the possibility of aircraft changes before then.

[Ah,Mr.Bond]

Air China fly non stop between Madrid and Sao Paulo – maybe worth seeing what deals they have. Got to be better than Iberia Economy!

[sparkyflier]

IB do not have A340- 200 but use the 342 code to indicate it is the older, non refurbished product. Like they use 345 but they do not use the 500 series of the A340. Other airlines have used this before as well so unless you know airline fleets it can be confusing!

And Mr Bond when I flew IB last I was in C/J, but in Y it did seem the pax were pretty much ignored and treated as self-loading cargo!

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Hi Sparkyflyer

Good to know – I wasn’t sure they had the A340-200’s but hadn’t had time to check. So to get it right then on codes

342 – IB very old product
346 – IB Old Product
345 – IB New Product

all on A340-600’s?

Made me think – what routes in Europe have best Business class cabin (or flights which have a “longhaul” product). I could think of:

LHR-MAD – IB – selected flights
LHR-IST – TK – selected flights
MAN-MUC – SQ

Sure there must be others out there – those were the ones that sprung to mind.

[sparkyflier]

Tim

I think about the IB A340s the following

342 – A340-300 series old product
343 – A340-300 series new product

345 – A340-600 old product
346 -A340 -600 new product

I believe the only airline that has A340-200s is South African Airline
About long-haul products on European flights I cannot think of any others apart from IB & TK – but they certainly make a nice change from 320s/737.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Hi Sparkyflyer

Other way round for 345 / 346 – so 345 is new product and 346 is the old product from looking at the seat maps.

342 being a 340-300 makes sense. Indeed SA do have the 340-200’s using the code 340-200! Be nice if they used codes that matched the aircraft type!

[Jetset1808]

Hello Sparkyflyer, I booked my flights the other day, the flight back the a345 seat selection in business plus appeared to be indivual seats so I think that may have the new product? At least I hope so as it’s a night flight and a flat bed would be nice with the added privacy. I opted for an economy ticket out and I have put a bid for an upgrade, not sure how that works so any tips for Iberia upgrade bidding would be great! Either way I paid for an emergency exit seat just in case, being over 6ft the extra leg room I hope will make a difference any experience of the the emergency exit seats on the a340?

[Swissdiver]

Does this mean that when iberia.com indicates “Airbus Industrie A340-200”, it is in fact a A340-300, old seats (since according to http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Iberia.htm, IB has no A340-200)?

[sparkyflier]

I think that is right Swissdiver, and I know that IB does not have the 200 series. As detailed above, I have been in this seat, but in the 600 series, and personally really liked it.

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Hi Swissdiver

That is right as Sparkflyer has mentioned – the code 342 on Iberia is the A340-300 with the old Business Class product. What route / date are you seeing code 343 on – trawled through GDS for most routes I can think of but only getting 333/342/345/346

[Swissdiver]

Thanks
So the old seat is an angled lie-flat one while the new one is fully flat. Right?

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

That’s right. Similar to Etihad and Emirates (A380).

[matt2312]

Good read thanks. Am flying Madrid to Bogota 24/05 IB6585 and rtn 30/05 IB6586 both Business. Only code I can find indicated is a340, nothing else. Anyone have any ideas if this will be a newly refurbished or any feedback? Much appreciated.

[FirstClassWannabe]

I am sure it will be a refurbished A340 as it is classed as A340-500.

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