J Diver makes a good point about the AA-IB liaison staff. My problem occurred at noon in Madrid on a Sunday, or 5am in DFW. Therefore, only the night crew could help (at the AA Plat desk), and could only do so much.
My circumstances was on the JFK - MAD 9pm scheduled departure (with a FCO connection at MAD scheduled to depart at 1145am) on 6/26/2011. Sorry but I don't have the flight number details at hand, but you can look them up on AA or IB's website. Original connection time between flights was about 1 hour 45 - not really enough in the very large Madrid airport.
JFK departure was 45 minutes late. Good weather in NY, but thorms about 250 miles to the east over Atlantic with a detour. Landed late in Madrid after circling. IB gate agents didn't hand us a pass so we could get thru passport control faster. After taking underground subway between terminal 4 and 4S, sprinted to the gate. Got to gate at 1137am, or 8 minutes prior to scheduled departure at 1145am. I saw two girls walking down the jetway, probably using my wife's and my seats. Gate agents refused to allow us on plane even though we had boarding passes. Banished us to IB service desk.
No organization at service desk. One agent after one left for a break, and one supervisor watching it all. Elite line not respected. So Europe. (Paying attention Mr. President??) Probably 100 people on line because of other missed connections. One irate passenger finally stormed off and found two more IB agents to help. While waiting called AA Plat desk. They couldn't help because the way CodeShare works is that once IB controls the ticket, AA can't do anything. JDiver points out the liaison person, however, probably during business hours, and probably for EXP (please clarify) and I'm only PLAT.
Agent put me on 745pm flight to FCO (last one for the day), although I saw other passengers on the our JFK - MAD flight getting on earlier flights as we watched from the IB loft lounge. Would not allow us to go standby because we had checked luggage, and upon arrival at FCO we were taking three trains to Sorrento. Too complicated to arrange luggage transfer to Naples.
Then 745pm flight to FCO developed mechanical issues and we had to get off plane. Announcement was that the plane would be fixed and we would depart at 215 am, arriving FCO at 445am. No one worked on the plane during this time. Passengers begin milling back to gate at 130am. No gate attendants until 230am, who then told us equipment was different gate (25 slots away).
Are we having fun yet?
Arrived FCO after yet another pushback delay at 530am. Oh yes luggage delay, but fortunately, no one was working passport control or luggage search at FCO so we strolled to the Hilton for two hours sleep like we were walking to the Hyatt at DFW.
I had to eat one night hotel in Sorrento, pay 300 euros for two hours in Hilton, and eat two expensive bullet train tickets on italiarail.
IB has yet to resolve other than to acknowledge they've received my complaint. But like many things in Europe, consumers are at the mercy of the worker.