There's no nonstop path connecting Salt Lake City to Alicante's smaller Spanish airport, which means every business class from Salt Lake City to Alicante itinerary requires a strategic connection — and after flying this route repeatedly, I can tell you the choice of hub matters enormously. The most reliable option routes through London on American Airlines metal or a British Airways codeshare, connecting onward to Alicante via BA's short-haul network; alternatively, Iberia's transatlantic partnership allows a Madrid connection, which suits travelers who want to experience Iberia's improving service culture before a short domestic-style hop to the Costa Blanca. Flight time from SLC to a European gateway alone runs close to 10 hours, so factor in a realistic total journey of 14-16 hours door to door once you add the connection.
My preference leans toward the American Airlines transatlantic segment paired with British Airways' Club Suite for the long-haul leg when routing through London Heathrow — the reverse-herringbone configuration gives genuine privacy with a closing door, and BA has rolled this product out fleet-wide on most widebodies serving the Salt Lake City–Heathrow pairing. Landing at Heathrow, Terminal 5 is where BA's own connections concentrate, making the transfer to an Alicante-bound flight far smoother than navigating a terminal change. If Madrid is your connection instead, Iberia's A330 or A350 business cabin offers lie-flat seating with reasonably good service, and Barajas' T4 is famously efficient for narrow-body connections onward to ALC. One insider tip few mention: book the earliest Heathrow-to-Alicante or Madrid-to-Alicante connection you can find, since BA and Iberia often route the same aircraft on a quick turnaround from an overnight arrival, meaning less risk of afternoon Spanish air traffic delays that plague this corridor in summer.
Shoulder season — April, May, September, and October — consistently delivers the best combination of fare value and manageable Mediterranean heat, plus noticeably lighter tourist crowds in Alicante itself. Because award and premium cash fares on this three-airline corridor fluctuate with little warning, especially around BA's revenue management changes, setting up automated fare alerts for this specific route is the smartest way to catch a premium seat before it disappears.
