Looking for input/personal experience flying with Iberia Air - promptness, comfort, etc -
will be flying from SFO to Barcelona and would rather stopover in NYC for the connection

I have flown Iberia many times no problems, even got the baggage to the house when first plane was running late I got the connection the baggage did not.
Comfort will much depend on seat and class.
Some folks hate this airline as if it was their worse enemy.
http://www.airlinequality.com/Airlines/IB.htm
http://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/

Iberia doesn't fly from NYC to Barcelona. You're most likely seeing an Iberia codeshare on American's JFK-BCN flight.

My experience with Iberia has been ******!My connection was once in London, the other times in Chicago They code share with British Airways and it is a love/hate relationship.both times they lost my luggage and couldn't care less.I eventually found it 3 days later in another terminal!
Another time I was bumped from a flight due to overbooking!I stood my ground.They tried to ignore me but I just waited and waited and ended up going in first class-wonderful experience on Iberia and got lots of extra miles !
The crew is horrific on US/Spain flights but totallt different on flights within Spain,go figure.
I no longer fly Iberia after 6 flights.

We fly Iberia quite often in Spain, but only twice internationally. We've never had a bad experience with them, maybe because we are Iberia Plus members.

As far as British Air, I'd never fly with them again through Heathrow. It's the pits.

Robert that's what I don't understand.The crew is so pleasant within the flights in Spain but downright surly on transatlantic flights.I remeber someone asked for an extra breadroll and the attendant threw it at them!!! They are just not happy campers flying across to /from the States.I could go on and on starting with chaotic checkins at both ends etc.........

I flew MAD-IST, FCO/MAD/ORD last fall on Iberia and had no problems. Check-ins were a bit chaotic, but no worse than some airlines I have traveled. Food and wine was better than America's international flights. I was in Y and used American for the SMF/LAX/JFK/MAD and ORD/LAX/SMF portions(used AA miles). I had no issue with service on board. I even had a problem with a massive schedule change prior to leaving. Iberia confirmed IB flights that AA was not able to confirm. All in all, not a bad experience.

I've flown them about once a year or so, from JFK to MAD. No problems, and this is in coach (with paid upgrade to more comfy seats) and would fly them again anytime. Better to bring your own dinner if you are in coach.