Air Europa Business Class From Córdoba to Madrid: Useful, Direct, Hard to Love

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Wednesday! Today's post is a little different.

I want to tell you about my recent Air Europa business class flight from Córdoba to Madrid. I took this flight with my girlfriend (❤), and like every time I take this flight, I have been going back and forth on how I feel about it. And I think that ambivalence is actually what makes this route interesting to write about.

On one hand, this is the most convenient flight you can take if you live in Córdoba and want to get to Europe without wasting time connecting through Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Santiago, or somewhere else. On the other hand, the onboard product is far from exciting, and in some areas it feels dated enough that if this exact same seat were flying a less convenient route, I would not be especially enthusiastic about it.

So here is how I see it.

You already know how I feel about small airports. Our flight departed Córdoba at 1:00 pm, and I got to the airport at around 11:30 am. I was flying light with no bags to check, which made everything absurdly easy. Air Europa's business class baggage allowance is generous though: two checked bags up to 32 kg each, two carry-ons, plus a personal item. Very useful for anyone doing a longer trip.

Since I had no bags, I went straight to security. From the moment I got out of the car to the moment I was at the gate, it took me about 20 minutes. That is elite.

Córdoba has no lounge, so there was no pre-flight glamour here. I just sat in a regular gate chair scrolling through my phone like everybody else. But honestly, this is where I start to question how much lounges matter at airports like COR. Would I rather have a lounge if it meant arriving three hours early, or no lounge and the ability to stay home longer, arrive late, and wait around for just an hour? I would take the second option every single time.

I know that sounds slightly heretical for a points-and-miles person. But lounges are amazing when you are visiting a new one, or when we are talking about airlines like Qatar or Cathay. Regular airport lounges, though? I would rather be at home. And when the airport is easy, close, and efficient, the lack of a lounge hurts a lot less.

Then it was time to board our 787-9 for the 12-hour flight to Madrid. Like any normal avgeek, which is to say not normal at all, I had spent the previous two weeks checking which aircraft we were likely to get. Air Europa has two different business class configurations on the 787-9. One is the older 2-2-2 layout, and the other is the much better 1-2-1 layout.

Air Europa tends to send its newer long-haul product to bigger, more competitive markets like Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Lima. Smaller markets like Córdoba, Montevideo, or Asunción often get the older aircraft. I have flown this route several times and the trend lately has been pretty clear. So yes, we got the older configuration.

That was not a surprise. All but two flights in the last three months had operated with the older setup, so I was mentally prepared. The seat is not flashy at all. It is not one of those business class cabins that makes you want to take pictures. It looks, at most, just fine.

At the seat, a bottle of water and the amenity kit were waiting for us. Before departure, the crew offered welcome drinks: juice, cava, or water. I went with juice since I rarely drink alcohol on flights.

The amenity kit was one of the better parts of the experience. It is really complete: toothbrush kit, skincare items, lip balm, wooden comb, socks, eye mask, earplugs, and one detail I always appreciate, a shoe bag. That is one of those simple items I keep reusing long after the flight. Practical, and more useful than another branded pouch you will never touch again. I already have enough 😂

About 45 minutes after takeoff, the first meal service began. Service started with the choice of chips or nuts, plus a gazpacho. The gazpacho tasted decent, though it had that unmistakable store-bought feel, partly because they poured it straight from the carton in front of you. Then came the main tray: a tomato caprese salad with caramelized walnuts, a pork dish with mustard sauce as the starter, bread with butter, and the mains.

I chose the gnocchi with lemon sauce and thought it was very good. Easy 8 out of 10 by airplane standards. My girlfriend had the braised beef with pumpkin purée and really liked it. The tomato salad was probably the nicest surprise of the meal, fresh enough and better balanced than I expected. The bread, though, was stale.

After that came cheese with jam and crackers, followed by a chocolate mousse for dessert. The mousse did not do much for me.

Overall, I would rate the food and service around a 7 out of 10 on its own terms. Compared with top business class products out there, it probably drops closer to a 6. The crew, however, was very warm throughout the flight, and that helped a lot. Nothing cold or unfriendly about the service at all.

We all agree one of the most important parts on a business class flight, even for one that leaves in the afternoon, is the bed. There was a thin seat cover, plus a decent pillow and blanket. The pillow was good. The blanket was fine, though a bit small for someone my height. I am 186 cm, so I notice these things quickly. The seat goes fully flat, which is the baseline requirement, but it is not an especially comfortable seat. It does the job without inviting you to relax into it.

I only slept around two hours. That said, I do not think the seat was entirely to blame. The bigger problem is the timing of this flight. You are trying to sleep when your body feels like it is still the middle of the afternoon. I was basically asking myself to go to bed at around 5 pm Argentina time, which for me is close to impossible unless I am completely exhausted.

After a mix of light sleep and a lot of movies, breakfast arrived. And here I have to give Air Europa real credit, because breakfast is consistently one of the better parts of this flight. I guess I was so tired that I forgot to take a photo of it 🙃 .

I always order the spinach quiche when available, and I did again this time. I love it. Yes, it can be a little soggy at the bottom, but the flavor is excellent. Breakfast also came with fruit, a large portion of Argentine blueberry yogurt, a croissant, butter, jams, juice, and espresso on demand. As a coffee lover, this is a game changer for me. Everything was good.

There is something funny about eating that meal when your body thinks it is around 10 pm, but I enjoyed it. 

Air Europa also gets some credit for Wi-Fi. Business class passengers get complimentary messaging, which is useful enough for most people, and full-flight Wi-Fi was available for €25 - €35. Not comparable to having free Starlink, but it does the job.

We landed in Madrid at around 4 am local time.

Now for the part that you all want to know. Thanks to the Points Master program, I booked this seat for about $760 USD one way.

That is a remarkable price for a 12-hour business class flight to Europe. Paying cash for this kind of route, you could easily be looking at $3,000 to $5,000 one way in business class, sometimes more depending on the season and how close to departure you book.

That does not turn the seat into a world-class product, but it completely changes the way I judge the overall experience. If I had paid several thousand dollars in cash, I would be much more critical of the older seat, the average hard product, and the cabin that feels dated compared to what many airlines now offer. At around $760, I can forgive a lot more.

And here is the part that really puts it in perspective: this same flight in economy would have cost $700 one way. So I basically paid $60 extra for business class. Sixty dollars! For a fully flat seat on a 12-hour flight to Europe.

That is why I love this kind of redemption. If I had paid $5,000 for this flight, I would be very upset. For $760, it is a different story entirely.

You can also save up to 80% on Business and First Class flights! If you want to learn all the tips and tricks to book flights like this one, and many more all over the world, check out Points Master!!!!!!!

For the product, not especially. The older 2-2-2 seat is dated. The hard product is not competitive with what many airlines are offering today. The soft product is decent, the crew is warm, the food is fine, and breakfast is surprisingly good.

But put this exact same seat on a more inconvenient routing with a connection in the middle, and I would not be defending it.

What saves it is the nonstop. Being able to leave Córdoba and land in Europe after one flight, in around 12 hours, without a connection, without extra airport time, without re-clearing security, and without the stress of another boarding process is a huge advantage. For travelers based in small cities (is 1.5M people still considered to be small?), that convenience is not a small detail. 

For the product, not especially. For the comfort and practicality of the route, yes. And that is why I keep booking it.

For the return, you know I flew Air France on a different route, and I will compare the two in a future post. I think that comparison will make this one even more interesting.

That's it for today. More deals, news, and trip reviews coming your way on Friday.

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi from Points Master