flyinglan

Recently we took an Iberia flight redeemed from my BA account. The points were taken out of my account for myself and my partner's flight. For some reason, the reward tickets were populated our BA membership numbers. We were basic member with BA.
On the date of travel, we showed IB agent in Barcelona airport my partner's gold card with CX. The agent told us reward tickets are not eligible for elite benefits. My partner is Spanish so there is no miscommunication at all. We had the third luggage to check, and the agent insisted there was nothing he could do but to charge us for the overweight fee. We called the supervisor, and the supervisor said the same thing that we are not entitled to oneworld elite benefits. We just paid the overweight fee with AMEX card.
I am curious if this is the standard protocol for reward tickets under oneworld program? I know at least for Skyteam and Staralliance, it is not so.
If our benefits were incorrectly denied, who should we contact to get compensation?

Thank you.

orbitmic

I suspect your query would have been more logically put to either the IB (operating) or CX (status) fora.

Without directly answering your questions, I'd say that any attempt of switching FFP numbers on a booking, which, in effect, if I understand, what you were needing here in practice, is not automatically a right and is increasingly frowned at by airlines. Increasingly, airlines will refuse that passengers accrue on the x card whilst trying to benefit from the benefits of their y card, and in a way, redeeming from the x card is rather similar.

percysmith

Complaint should be with IB I reckon.

I had a mate who was able to guest me into CX lounge with his JL OWS. Operating carrier was CX, miles used were Avios and our travelling class was Y(X) so except for my mate's OWS I was not eligible to enter lounge.

Ldnn1

The thing to do is switch your number beforehand on Finnair.com. Then it will be seen in the IB booking and status should be recognised. I've not had a problem with that even on IB reward bookings.

percysmith

Can't they recode the BP with CX GO (OWS) card at IB check-in? Didn't try with Iberia, but wth CX we can.

Globalist

In short, OW benefits do apply to award tickets.
It is best to ask in the right place, as you have an award booking with IB and a CX status I would say IB forum is where you get the most results followed by the CX forum.

It is key to get the right membership number into the reservation preferably before you get to the airport.

Globalist

flyinglan

Thanks for the feedback. I will move this thread to IB forum.

flyinglan

The IB agent show us the computer screen of the codes he typed to change the FF number. At first he typed FFCA######, I corrected him that Cathay is CX. He changed it to FFCX######, and he said the system wouldn't let him.

flyinglan

Lesson learnt. We were too spoiled by the star alliance program, thought it is easier to sort it out at the airport. The worst case is by showing them the membership card, IB can override the luggage fee. We wouldn't mind forgo the operational upgrade if the flight is overbooked.

KARFA

Is it the case that all OWEs get the heavy bag charge waived on IB? Had a look here and it wasn't clear to me http://www.iberia.com/web/product.do...adrigam=EQUFRA

Yllanes

For reward tickets on IB what counts for luggage allowance is the status of the account used for the redemption. If an IB+ Oro books an award ticket to be flown by someone without any status, they get the extra luggage. But if someone without status books a ticket for an IB+ Oro, the status of the passenger does not count.

I haven't seen this rule written down anywhere, but I have seen it in effect several times, in both directions.

In any case, CX Emeralds are allowed an extra bag but not overweight bags (http://www.iberia.com/web/product.do...adrigam=EQUFRA).

flyinglan

this is really in contrary to the version the agent told us initially. He said since the avíos points were taken out of my BA account and I am a BA basic member, I am not entitled to any OW benefit. Since I used my avíos points to redeem a ticket for my partner, he has option to use another OW membership number, in this case we choose his CX sapphire status. However, the agent couldn't change my partner's frequent flier number.

KARFA

You are entitled to oneworld benefits. Don't get confused by Yllanes post, all it means is if I book a reward for myself or me and another person I get all my benefits, if I book for someone else they don't get my OWE benefits. The status holder must be travelling for their fellow passengers to benefit.

The blanket statement that you are not able to benefit from the status of the passengers on a reward ticket is certainly incorrect.

As noted though, waiving the heavy bag charge is not a OW benefit so it seems even had you got your CX status in (OWS) you would still have been liable for the charge. Were there other benefits IB denied you?

Yllanes

No, I have seen several times that the status of the account used for booking is what determines the baggage allowance on IB+ redemptions (whether this is a computer error or intended is another matter, but agents and supervisors seemed convinced).

I have booked as an IB+ Sapphire tickets for my brother (no status) and he has got extra baggage (and free exit rows). And I have seen IB+ elites trying to check an extra bag on a redemption ticket booked by someone with no status. I have seen this twice with IB+ Rubies (they had to pay) and once with an IB+ Sapphire (after getting quite angry and what seemed like the end of a long talk with a supervisor she was allowed to check it for free "just this once").

Admittedly these examples are one or two years old.

pvgman

I didn't have any issue redeeming ticket with IB+ and BA EC and still getting my OWE benefits,
I changed the FFP before to arrive at the airport on Finnair website, since I couldn't do it on IB nor BA website, hope this helps,
I Redeemed 3 LH in the las 2 months with them in J and F overtime withe extra OWE luggage allowance