Actually we were paid BF customers.
After racing thru immigration & customs, the baggage re-check employee said the connecting flight was going to depart "on time" & we didn't have enough time to go from terminal B to C. So we were directed to the Customer Service desk.
Luckily the CO rep handling Elite/BF customers had no line compared to a very long line having formed for everyone else. At first the rep did her thing on the keyboard and said we would be accommodated on the next scheduled departure but that only BF one seat was available. (She also said the BF passenger having to ride coach would get a re-imbursement for the fare difference.)
However after a few more pounds on the keyboard she "found" that we already had been given seats up front, aisle seats in row one.
Don't know if it was a computer activated IRROPS re-accommodation or if the CSR in MAD had sent a fax after the flight had left late.
(As an aside, later after we had boarded, a fellow that had been upgraded into row 2 was told he'd have to go to the back since a late arriving passenger had been pre-assigned the seat.)