Bob Atkinson, travel expert at travelsupermarket.com, said: “We offer a cautious welcome to the news of the proposed merger.
“It will expand the range of routes available to consumers, which is great news for travellers.
“But there is potential for cuts on some routes where services are duplicated and passengers will have to fly via a hub rather than directly from Spain or the UK.
“Furthermore, if any routes are cut there is always the possibility of fares rising due to reduced competition.
“Both British Airways and Iberia will need to ensure they offer the customer a competitively priced product with clear benefits that differentiate their offering from other carriers.
“Obviously, this is ultimately about cost saving, so the two companies also need to bring a swift end to the problems they are both suffering in order to focus on delivering reliability and certainty to the consumer.
"We look forward to seeing more details in the coming months.”
