Carving a path from the Midwest to Spain's third city requires patience, since no carrier flies Indianapolis to Valencia nonstop — but that's precisely where the strategy gets interesting. There is no nonstop service between IND and VLC; every itinerary routes through a major hub, and the two most efficient options are American Airlines connecting via Philadelphia or Charlotte onto its transatlantic joint venture partner, or a British Airways routing through London Heathrow with an onward hop to Valencia, or Iberia's more elegant solution via Madrid, where its widebody metal often continues in the same cabin. I've routed this journey enough times to know that the Iberia-via-Madrid connection is the sleeper favorite: Iberia's A330 and A350 business class, with proper lie-flat seats and Spanish wine lists that actually reflect the country you're headed to, makes the last leg feel like a warm-up rather than an afterthought.
The real decision comes down to which long-haul product you want to spend eight-plus hours in. British Airways' Club Suite, with its sliding door and direct aisle access on the 777 and A350 fleet, is the most private option if you route through Heathrow — though Heathrow's T5 connections demand buffer time, especially during peak summer congestion. American Airlines, depending on the specific transatlantic partner aircraft, can put you in a Flagship Suite with similar privacy panels if your connection banks correctly through Philadelphia. My insider tip: book the Iberia-operated segment when possible rather than an AA codeshare on the same route, since seat assignment flexibility and lounge access in Madrid's Iberia-run spaces tend to be more generous for connecting business passengers than what you'd get transiting a codeshare partner's hub.
Shoulder seasons — April, May, September, and October — consistently offer the best combination of fare value and pleasant Valencia weather, avoiding both the August crowds and winter's thinner schedules. Because fares on this three-airline corridor shift quickly with fuel surcharges and seasonal demand, setting up automated price tracking for the Indianapolis-Valencia business class route is the smartest way to catch a fare drop before it disappears.
