Iberia is adjusting the schedule on considered one of its routes to the USA, and I’m an enormous fan of this transformation…
Iberia’s Madrid to Dallas reverse redeye flight
Typically talking, flights between the USA and Western Europe are redeyes within the eastbound route, and daytime flights within the westbound route. There are a restricted variety of eastbound daytime flights (sometimes between the East Coast and London), however there are at present no westbound redeye flights. Nicely, that will likely be altering, as flagged by @JoeTravels and @IshrionA.
With the beginning of the IATA winter 2025-2026 season, Iberia will likely be adjusting the schedule on its route between Madrid (MAD) and Dallas (DFW). By way of October 27, 2025, the route operates with the next schedule:
IB363 Madrid to Dallas departing 4:00PM arriving 8:10PM
IB364 Dallas to Madrid departing 9:40PM arriving 2:20PM (+1 day)
Then as of October 28, 2025, the route will function with the next schedule:
IB363 Madrid to Dallas departing 12:55AM arriving 5:30AM
IB364 Dallas to Madrid departing 1:55PM arriving 6:15AM (+1 day)
As you possibly can inform, it’s that westbound flight that’s price noting right here, because it leaves Madrid at 12:55AM, arriving in Dallas at 5:30AM the identical day. There’s a lot that’s superior about this flight:
- It’s simply usually actually environment friendly to fly in a single day, particularly given the size of the flight, since you possibly can have a full day in Madrid and a full day in Dallas
- This new schedule is so a lot better for connectivity, since an early morning arrival in Dallas will give limitless connection alternatives, whereas the 8:10PM arrival in Dallas is lower than excellent for connections
It’s price noting that there are many reverse redeyes from Europe to the Americas, for locations like Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and so on. Nonetheless, this would be the just one working between Western Europe and the USA (I particularly say Western Europe, as a result of Turkish operates some reverse redeyes from Istanbul).
The one factor that’s inefficient in regards to the routing is how a lot time the plane spends on the bottom in Dallas, to be able to maximize connections. However I assume that within the winter schedule, Iberia has some frames to spare.
I want we’d see extra reverse redeye flights!
Again in 2016, I wrote a publish about how I’d like to see airways add extra reverse redeyes between Western Europe and the USA. Okay, clearly not each airline instantly listened to me, however practically a decade later, a minimum of we’re seeing one such flight, in order that’s form of cool.
Admittedly there are some common challenges with reverse redeyes working to the USA on a widespread foundation:
- Many European airports (specifically) have curfews, so this wouldn’t work so effectively out of Frankfurt (FRA), London (LHR), and so on.
- It’s necessary for flight schedules to align with connecting banks of flights, so touchdown in New York at 3AM isn’t precisely helpful
- In some markets it’s simply not possible because of the lack of time change between the origin and vacation spot, when adjusted for native time
London to Los Angeles? In fact that wouldn’t work, given the Heathrow curfew, the eight-hour time change for many of the yr, and the flight time of roughly 11 hours. That will principally imply the flight would depart at 10PM and land at 1AM, in order that’s hardly a redeye.
However a Lisbon or Madrid to Miami flight departing at 12-1AM and arriving at 4-5AM? I’d say that will be fairly helpful. Anyway, I doubt we’ll see these on a widespread foundation, however I’m comfortable to a minimum of see one thing.
Backside line
Iberia’s Madrid to Dallas flight will see an attention-grabbing schedule change as of late October 2025, whereby the flight will depart at 12:55AM, and land at 5:30AM. This would be the solely reverse redeye between Western Europe and the USA, and I feel that’s actually cool to see.
Right here’s to hoping this flight proves profitable, and that we see extra of those flights added over time.
What do you make of Iberia’s reverse redeye flight? Would you are taking it?
