Iberia and American Airlines have substantially broadened the scope of their code-sharing arrangement. Starting in mid-April, U.S.-bound Iberia passengers can choose among 16 new destinations in addition to the 22 Iberia now offers, five of them direct from Spain and 17 under code sharing.

Specifically, from the U.S. airports Iberia reached directly from Spain – Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington DC, ands Miami– travellers can continue under the Iberia code on American Airlines flights to Austin, Nashville, Columbus, Washington DC (National) El Paso, Indianapolis, Memphis, Kansas City, Portland, Raleigh, Cincinnati, San Jose, Salt Lake City, Orange County (Santa Ana), Tampa, and Tucson.

Iberia passengers can already fly under the Iberia code on American Airlines to Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Seattle.

The extension of the agreement also means that American Airlines passengers flying from Miami to Madrid can continue under the AA code to eight Spanish cities   – Bilbao, Alicante, Valencia, Seville, Jerez de la Frontera, Santiago de Compostela, Vigo and Gran Canaria –  and to four European destinations - Paris, Lisbon, Brussels and Frankfurt -.

In 2007, Iberia carried 845,179 passengers between Europe and the United States, an increase of nearly 21 per cent from the previous year. Seat occupancy on these flights reached 84.8 per cent. The Spanish airline launched new direct flights from Madrid to Washington DC and Boston last year.

Iberia offers up to two daily flights to New York, ten flights per week to Miami, six per week to Chicago, and between four and five per week to Washington DC and Boston. At the end of April Iberia customers will be able to fly direct between Barcelona and New York under the code-sharing agreement with American Airlines.