Originally Posted by
volar
OK that makes sense. Speculating, I guess the most favourable combination in J (the one I want, with the 2 hour connection rather than 5 hours) is therefore the most expensive which is why it's not available as a reward. I might just book the economy seats as you suggest, I can access the lounge in MAD via my BA status. Thanks for the helpful response.
I've definitely seen many cases with IB where the shortest connection costs more than a longer connection. If you took a look at the cash fares for your dates, you might see that as well, in which case my explanation would likely be on the right track.
But if you've got BA status for the lounge, it really won't make a huge difference...