American Airlines will expand its operations at Miami International Airport (MIA) with the launch of Miami-Barcelona service on April 3. The flight will operate...

American Airlines, which operates a transatlantic joint business with Iberia and British Airways, will expand its operations at Miami International Airport (MIA) with the launch of Miami-Barcelona service on April 3.

The flight will operate five times a week until June 14, when American Airlines will start operating it daily.


Additionally, as part of a reorganization of flights by the joint business, Iberia will increase its Miami-Madrid service as it grows its presence at Madrid Barajas Airport. (MAD). From March 25, Iberia will add a second MIA-MAD flight four times per week. American will continue to operate one daily MIA-MAD flight.

This photograph shows a Blended Winglet-equipped Boeing 767-300ER of American Airlines

Iberia’s decision to increase Miami-Madrid service came after Spanish rival Air Europa decided to end its Miami-Madrid service, a step the carrier took on January 8. Air Europa says it ended its MIA-MAD service because the supply of seats on the route now exceeds demand.

American’s new route connects its Miami hub to Barcelona’s El Prat International Airport (BCN). The new flight from Miami will complement American’s existing Barcelona service from New York JFK.

Barcelona is one of Europe’s top tourist destinations, as well as a city with a thriving business community and the world’s top-ranked professional soccer team. FC Barcelona plays in the 95,000-seat Camp Nou stadium, a considerable tourist attraction in its own right. Barcelona will be the 111th destination served by American and its regional carrier American Eagle from MIA.

American will operate its Madrid-Barcelona service with Boeing 767-300ERs with 225 seats, including 30 Business Class seats and 195 seats in the main cabin. American’s Business Class features fully motorized lie-flat seats in a 2-2-2 configuration.

Each business class seat offers a personal in-flight entertainment device with audio and video on demand, state-of-the-art cabin lighting and ergonomically designed overhead bins.

Through American’s reciprocal agreement with Iberia, each carrier’s frequent flyers will have the opportunity to earn and redeem miles on the new service, in addition to upgrade opportunities and access to joint promotions.

“The addition of Barcelona further underscores the importance of our Miami hub and our commitment to its growth,” said Peter Dolara, American’s senior vice president based in Miami. “Barcelona and Miami are both important tourism and business destinations as well cruise ports.”

Adds Dolara: “This flight will further expand South Florida’s historical ties to Spain and will complement our service to Madrid as well as Iberia’s increased service to Spain’s capital city.”

American’s new Maimi-Barcelona service calls for flight AA112 to depart MIA at 6:05 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and touch down at BCN at 9:30 a.m. the following morning, local time. The service increases to a daily flight on June 14.

In the other direction, flight AA113 (which begins on April 4) is timed to leave BCN at 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and land at MIA at 3:45 p.m. local time. The flight becomes a daily one from June 14.

American Airlines operates from the new North Terminal at Miami. At Barcelona it operates from Terminal 1 at Barcelona, along with its oneworld partners.

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