Iberia Airlines Iberia Plus - To Book or Not to Book?

I'm planning a trip BOS>VLC>BOS in May (with kids). Iberia has the best flights (shortest flight times, cheapest), but the pilot strikes give me pause. Briefly reading up on it, it seems the strikes will be going on through July? Any insight on what's likely to happen, or how best to navigate around it?

You should be fine if not flying mondays or fridays, as those are the days pilots have decided to strike. I don't know how good Iberia has been lately rebooking people but have heard they have done it proactively during last strike.

You should be fine if not flying mondays or fridays, as those are the days pilots have decided to strike. I don't know how good Iberia has been lately rebooking people but have heard they have done it proactively during last strike.

Well, I fly BOS>MAD overnight Thursday, but the MAD>VLC flight is Friday on Air Nostrum. Is Air Nostrum impacted as well, or just Iberia flights?

Return is currently scheduled for Friday, but I may be able to move it to Saturday.

Well, I fly BOS>MAD overnight Thursday, but the MAD>VLC flight is Friday on Air Nostrum. Is Air Nostrum impacted as well, or just Iberia flights?

Air Nostrum flights are not being cancelled.

Air Nostrum flights are not being cancelled.

Just checked Air Nostrum's web site, and they do list the MAD>VLC and VLC>MAD flights I'm considering on the cancellation list for March 29th. So it looks like they aren't escaping this either.

That's different. Tomorrow's cancellations are because of the general strike.
The Mon & Fri cancellations (starting in April) will be because of the Iberia-Union strikes.

That's different. Tomorrow's cancellations are because of the general strike.
The Mon & Fri cancellations (starting in April) will be because of the Iberia-Union strikes.

Thanks for the explanation. So for the Mon/Fri cancellation, are all flights impacted, including international? Should I not book a BOS>MAD>VLC flight that leaves Thursday, and arrives Friday with the connecting to VLC?

Thanks for the explanation. So for the Mon/Fri cancellation, are all flights impacted, including international? Should I not book a BOS>MAD>VLC flight that leaves Thursday, and arrives Friday with the connecting to VLC?

In the other strikes (you can find the lists of cancelled flights this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/iberia-airlines-iberia-plus/1291264-iberia-pilots-strike-dec-2011-onwards-round.html)) sometimes (not always) there have been a couple of flights from the days before or after cancelled. You should probably check if the BOS-MAD flight has been cancelled in the past.

What happens is that the Ministry dictates a list of "minimum services" and then Iberia releases a list of cancelled flights.
Iberia has mentioned in their latest Facebook post (http://www.facebook.com/notes/iberia-l%C3%ADneas-a%C3%A9reas/ante-las-nuevas-fechas-de-huelga-anunciadas-por-sepla/413086915372963) that in the past

han operado con normalidad todos nuestros vuelos con las Islas Canarias y Baleares;
todos los de largo radio –América, Sudáfrica y Luanda-, excepto en aquellas rutas donde ofrezcamos más de un vuelo al día ya que, en ese caso, solo operaría uno de ellos por sentido. (Nota: para este cómputo, solo deben tenerse en cuenta los vuelos operados por Iberia y no los que se ofrecen en código compartido con otras compañías).
entre el 25 y el 50% de los vuelos en España, y el 50% -redondeado al alza- de las operaciones en el resto de Europa y norte de África.
Las huelgas convocadas por el sindicato SEPLA en Iberia tampoco afectan y, por tanto, operan con normalidad:
los vuelos operados por AirNostrum (IB8XXX).
y los que ofrecemos en código compartido con otras compañías: IB24XX a IB2699 –operados por Iberia Express-, IB5XXX –operados por vueling-, e IB4XXX e IB7XXX –operados por otras compañías-.

Which (summing up a bit) is that they claim that in the past
-all flights to Canarias and Baleares operated
-all long-range flights operated, except where there's more than one frequency per day (in which case, one flight is maintained) -- but I'm not certain whether this is true or not. I'd suggest checking the past cancelled-flights lists
-25-50% domestic Spain flights operated
-about 50% of European/North Africa flights operated
-only Iberia operated flights are affected (not Iberia Express, Air Nostrum, Vueling or codeshares).

I don't think it's likely that the BOS-MAD will be cancelled, but you probably won't be able to know 100% for sure.

Thank you Andrea. If it was just me, I wouldn't mind so much, but traveling with two small kids, the last thing I want is to get stuck somewhere for hours on end. It's too bad as the Iberia flights would have been the most convenient.

Hello, all. I'm more active on the Delta forum, and I've never flown IB before.

I'm scheduled to be on a VCE-MAD flight on Monday, April 9. What are the chances I will actually get on this flight? Or should I attempt to make alternate arrangements?

Looks like Swiss has some half-decent flights through ZRH. Guess I'll book those instead.

I'm scheduled to be on a VCE-MAD flight on Monday, April 9. What are the chances I will actually get on this flight? Or should I attempt to make alternate arrangements?

There are three VCE-MAD flights per day, so most likely one or two of those flights will be cancelled. Once they announce the cancelled flights, they'll let you change/refund.
Hopefully this announcement will happen sooner rather than later (but if I'd have to guess, I'd say it won't happen before Monday). Probably someone will link to the list on the other thread. I usually see it on Iberia's Facebook when it comes out.

Looks like Swiss has some half-decent flights through ZRH. Guess I'll book those instead.

I don't know what exactly "half-decent" means for you, but LX is generally considered the better choice over IB. But it's probably true that both on total travel time and on price IB beats LX in this case.

I have a similar issue in May (on a Monday). I can see a senario where all flights are cancelled for Monday, we have to overnight on the airport floor in Venice, and then overnight again in MAD due to missing our connecting flight. I doubt that Iberia is going to put you up in a hotel. This is unacceptable, so I am trying to make alternate arrangements. Even if your particicular flight is not affected, there will likely be a disruption (slowing) of all Iberia flights for that day. First, Iberia cancelled my MAD-MIA flight altogether, and now this crap. I'm finished with Iberia.




Hello, all. I'm more active on the Delta forum, and I've never flown IB before.

I'm scheduled to be on a VCE-MAD flight on Monday, April 9. What are the chances I will actually get on this flight? Or should I attempt to make alternate arrangements?

I'm planning a trip BOS>VLC>BOS in May (with kids). Iberia has the best flights (shortest flight times, cheapest), but the pilot strikes
By all means, go for Iberia. They have good service and if at the end the strike continues, as they know it beforehand, will rebook you. If there is any delays, will be easier to change to another intra spanish flight.
If there is no strike in Spain, then it is in Frankfurt or in Zurich, if not, then there is a storm and everything is cancelled....to patience
Good luck

I have a similar issue in May (on a Monday). I can see a senario where all flights are cancelled for Monday, we have to overnight on the airport floor in Venice, I'm finished with Iberia.

You are not right!
It happens a lot when something goes wrong all the things go wrong.
You miss the flight, then the cancellation, all flights are full, no way to be rebooked, your bags lost.....
But it happens with all airlines. I am surprised that being from the USA you are not aware of all the posiblilities, as in the USA, with majority of flights this happens on everyday basis.
Cheers

I am very aware of all the possibilities, as I have flown internationally many times. However, when you know that a strike has been scheduled on the day that you are scheduled to fly, and you can do something about it ahead of time, why not? The actual cancellation may not materialize, but like insurance, you are trying to protect yourself. Of course, flights are cancelled all the time, and there is nothing you can do about it, but this is not the case here.
Cheers

You are not right!
It happens a lot when something goes wrong all the things go wrong.
You miss the flight, then the cancellation, all flights are full, no way to be rebooked, your bags lost.....
But it happens with all airlines. I am surprised that being from the USA you are not aware of all the posiblilities, as in the USA, with majority of flights this happens on everyday basis.
Cheers

I'm planning a trip BOS>VLC>BOS in May (with kids). Iberia has the best flights (shortest flight times, cheapest), but the pilot strikes give me pause. Briefly reading up on it, it seems the strikes will be going on through July? Any insight on what's likely to happen, or how best to navigate around it?

The entire rpute would be: BOS-MAD-VLC-MAD-BOS

MAD-VLC-MAD is operated by YW and WILL NOT be cancelled

In S12 there will be a maximum 1 flight/day to BOS and according to the Spanish Ministry of "Fomento" (I do not know the English word), these flights cannot be cancelled.

I am ticketed to fly MAD-AGP on Friday 06 April and then AGP-MAD-JFK on Sunday 08 April, all IB-operated flights.

Thus far, my flights are not on the canceled list. However, I am concerned because I have a board meeting Monday evening that is absolutely imperative that I attend. If for any reason my Sunday flights do not operate, then I would be in trouble.

Should I cancel my little weekend jaunt over to Málaga? I'm looking for honest opinions. I know that IB sometimes cancels flights without much rhyme or reason. Can I be pretty darn sure that my flights will operate, or will the uncertain nature of those days make a general mess at MAD more likely that could create problems?

[QUOTE=andreadbc;18294437]Exactly. This only affects Iberia operated flights. (sorry for repeating, but it's important that no one misses this).



I would rely more on the "flights that are only once a day aren't cancelled" than on that.

Thanks for the info. Should I be concerned checking in luggage for the AA codeshare flight leaving Thursday and arriving into BCN on Friday? I have a connecting flight on Vueling and want to make sure I get my luggage. Otherwise I might just do carryon only.

I have decided to use Air Berlin out of Venice, connecting through Frankfurt.