I guess this is a bit of a rant. Fot the last two summers we have travelled to our holiday home in southern Spain using BA/Iberia/Air Nostrum all booked on one PNR with BA.com.

The BA system doesn't appear to be aligned with the Iberia system and the general service is poor on Iberia in comparison to BA.

These are my experiences which are all pretty minor but just all add up to posing the question why the two different carriers are not more aligned under IAG. May be IAG are not going to align them any further and that is their strategy

1. On BA.com - quite often get to the payment page to be informed that the fare isn't available anymore. Call to BAEC says its an Iberia system issue.

2. Can't book seats online for Iberia flights though sometimes can book seats on Air Nostrum via Iberia.com but not BA.com.

3. Can't check in online on with either websites. Last year my wife was informed on arrival to the airport in Spain that the flight was oversold and as she hadn't checked in she couldn't fly even though she arrived about 90 minutes prior.

4. No free wi-fi at MAD lounge.

5. No free food and beverage service on Iberia, even for status passengers.

One other weird thing. My wife and kids BA status is printed on the Iberia boarding cards (Emerald and Sapphire) but mine is always blank even though my BAEC account number shows. When I asked the Iberia lounge staff about this they checked their system and couldn't see my status on there either. Seems to show a gap between the BA and Iberia systems. I mean DTKWIA???

It just feels that this purchase of Iberia went through ages ago now and IAG must have had the opportunity to align things. So may be their strategy is not to bother?