Why is Iberia's Avios booking engine so rubbish?!!
Nov 7, 2015, 3:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD, LHR, FCO
Programs: BA Gold, etc. etc.
Posts: 1,402
Why is Iberia's Avios booking engine so rubbish?!!
Their damn system is so buggy it's been driving me insane. 
Often when there is an available J/F award seat in U/Z class on a specific flight (which you know is there because you've already seen it up for Avios redemption on ba.com), it may or may not randomly show as available on iberia.com if you do a one-way search, however if you change your search to a return itinerary by inputting a random return date magically that flight will come up as available.
For example a search for flights from LON to ORD on 26 December shows no availability but if you change it to a return search with the return date say on 15 January it magically shows Avios availability on AA 47 from LHR to ORD in J/F. The same happens if you try bookings to ORD from MAD or another European city, e.g MAD-ORD, their crappy system will show no availability on the 26th on a one-way search but searching for a return look and behold you can book IB3162 and AA 47 for MAD-LHR-ORD.
Totally ridiculous.
Often when there is an available J/F award seat in U/Z class on a specific flight (which you know is there because you've already seen it up for Avios redemption on ba.com), it may or may not randomly show as available on iberia.com if you do a one-way search, however if you change your search to a return itinerary by inputting a random return date magically that flight will come up as available.
For example a search for flights from LON to ORD on 26 December shows no availability but if you change it to a return search with the return date say on 15 January it magically shows Avios availability on AA 47 from LHR to ORD in J/F. The same happens if you try bookings to ORD from MAD or another European city, e.g MAD-ORD, their crappy system will show no availability on the 26th on a one-way search but searching for a return look and behold you can book IB3162 and AA 47 for MAD-LHR-ORD.
Totally ridiculous.
Nov 7, 2015, 12:10 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: LH SEN, FB Plat., HH D.
Posts: 5,050
Their damn system is so buggy it's been driving me insane.
Often when there is an available J/F award seat in U/Z class on a specific flight (which you know is there because you've already seen it up for Avios redemption on ba.com), it may or may not randomly show as available on iberia.com if you do a one-way search, however if you change your search to a return itinerary by inputting a random return date magically that flight will come up as available.
For example a search for flights from LON to ORD on 26 December shows no availability but if you change it to a return search with the return date say on 15 January it magically shows Avios availability on AA 47 from LHR to ORD in J/F. The same happens if you try bookings to ORD from MAD or another European city, e.g MAD-ORD, their crappy system will show no availability on the 26th on a one-way search but searching for a return look and behold you can book IB3162 and AA 47 for MAD-LHR-ORD.
Totally ridiculous.
Often when there is an available J/F award seat in U/Z class on a specific flight (which you know is there because you've already seen it up for Avios redemption on ba.com), it may or may not randomly show as available on iberia.com if you do a one-way search, however if you change your search to a return itinerary by inputting a random return date magically that flight will come up as available.
For example a search for flights from LON to ORD on 26 December shows no availability but if you change it to a return search with the return date say on 15 January it magically shows Avios availability on AA 47 from LHR to ORD in J/F. The same happens if you try bookings to ORD from MAD or another European city, e.g MAD-ORD, their crappy system will show no availability on the 26th on a one-way search but searching for a return look and behold you can book IB3162 and AA 47 for MAD-LHR-ORD.
Totally ridiculous.
absolutely ill-designed!
Nov 7, 2015, 12:12 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 109
IB systems are sometimes buggy, so as many other airlines’.
However, in this case it’s having troubles displaying availability because you can´t book one-way flights with partner airlines (Oneworld included), only RT. That’s why availability may suddenly appear when you include a return date.
MAD-ORD (IB) has no availability for Dec 26.
When you include a dummy return date, the system opens up Oneworld options via LHR (so the system is not that buggy after all).
Granted, it could be made clearer. For example, having the system tell you why it can't display availability (OW vs RT issue)
Are you aware that you can’t cancel or change Oneworld/Partner Avios bookings via Iberia Plus ?
However, in this case it’s having troubles displaying availability because you can´t book one-way flights with partner airlines (Oneworld included), only RT. That’s why availability may suddenly appear when you include a return date.
MAD-ORD (IB) has no availability for Dec 26.
When you include a dummy return date, the system opens up Oneworld options via LHR (so the system is not that buggy after all).
Granted, it could be made clearer. For example, having the system tell you why it can't display availability (OW vs RT issue)
Are you aware that you can’t cancel or change Oneworld/Partner Avios bookings via Iberia Plus ?
Nov 7, 2015, 12:52 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 46
Their damn system is so buggy it's been driving me insane.
Often when there is an available J/F award seat in U/Z class on a specific flight (which you know is there because you've already seen it up for Avios redemption on ba.com), it may or may not randomly show as available on iberia.com if you do a one-way search, however if you change your search to a return itinerary by inputting a random return date magically that flight will come up as available.
For example a search for flights from LON to ORD on 26 December shows no availability but if you change it to a return search with the return date say on 15 January it magically shows Avios availability on AA 47 from LHR to ORD in J/F. The same happens if you try bookings to ORD from MAD or another European city, e.g MAD-ORD, their crappy system will show no availability on the 26th on a one-way search but searching for a return look and behold you can book IB3162 and AA 47 for MAD-LHR-ORD.
Totally ridiculous.
Often when there is an available J/F award seat in U/Z class on a specific flight (which you know is there because you've already seen it up for Avios redemption on ba.com), it may or may not randomly show as available on iberia.com if you do a one-way search, however if you change your search to a return itinerary by inputting a random return date magically that flight will come up as available.
For example a search for flights from LON to ORD on 26 December shows no availability but if you change it to a return search with the return date say on 15 January it magically shows Avios availability on AA 47 from LHR to ORD in J/F. The same happens if you try bookings to ORD from MAD or another European city, e.g MAD-ORD, their crappy system will show no availability on the 26th on a one-way search but searching for a return look and behold you can book IB3162 and AA 47 for MAD-LHR-ORD.
Totally ridiculous.
Nov 8, 2015, 4:27 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,899
Pro's and Con's with all programs. Indeed IB rewards booking system is terrible I think they need to start again and put in a new booking engine. Lots of bugs. Then you have a great booking system with LH M&M yet a rubbish program.
Nov 8, 2015, 6:42 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD, LHR, FCO
Programs: BA Gold, etc. etc.
Posts: 1,402
Many thanks for your replies. I need to book some Avios award flights for trips originating ex-EU and the taxes and fees on J/F awards are often significantly lower if booking via Iberia Plus than they are when going through BAEC.
I was aware that airline partner awards cannot be cancelled however I did not know that partner awards cannot be booked for one-way itineraries. That explains why those AA seats would not show on one-way searches.
Regardless there is an appalling dearth of information on the Iberia Plus program 's rules on the website. For instance I have been unable to find a page where the rules with regard to partner redemptions are clearly spelled out, nor could I find even the official T&Cs for the program. The way the information on the IB+ program is organised on the website is amateurish at best.
I was aware that airline partner awards cannot be cancelled however I did not know that partner awards cannot be booked for one-way itineraries. That explains why those AA seats would not show on one-way searches.
Regardless there is an appalling dearth of information on the Iberia Plus program 's rules on the website. For instance I have been unable to find a page where the rules with regard to partner redemptions are clearly spelled out, nor could I find even the official T&Cs for the program. The way the information on the IB+ program is organised on the website is amateurish at best.
Nov 8, 2015, 8:05 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,048
Iberia Plus is for booking Iberia awards. Everything else - except for one or two exceptions - should be done via BAEC...
For AA transatlantic though - especially in Business or First - it surely works out better to use AAdvantage or Alaska miles to book those, rather than pay the Avios surcharges. Heck, it might even be cheaper to buy Alaska miles outright than pay Avios surcharges (and waste a huge number of Avios).
For AA transatlantic though - especially in Business or First - it surely works out better to use AAdvantage or Alaska miles to book those, rather than pay the Avios surcharges. Heck, it might even be cheaper to buy Alaska miles outright than pay Avios surcharges (and waste a huge number of Avios).
Nov 8, 2015, 10:32 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: LH SEN, FB Plat., HH D.
Posts: 5,050
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Nov 9, 2015, 6:03 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,048
IMO LH M&M does not have a good booking system either. It can't handle simple things like a connecting flight to FRA the night before a long haul. At <24 hours, this should be perfectly fine.
Feb 14, 2017, 5:06 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,974
Iberia Avios award chart says 3-4k distance business class award is 34k, but she's charging me 52k, any idea why? It's available as low level via Expert Flyer.
Feb 15, 2017, 4:02 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,048
I suspect you are either looking at a peak date (which would be 50K) or connecting flights of some kind.