Despite "Y" booking class on the shorter segment, the rules will be those of the business class fare (most likely, inflexible).

I think the website will offer I-Y by default where I is not available on the short segment, but it is possible to call up and ask to price business class on both segments in the higher booking classes.

I believe, only if the connection is to/from a long-haul flight. In this your friend will only get access before the flight to LHR.

Without status, access in MAD only by flying in business class (as printed on the boarding pass, regardless of what the booking site showed!) or as a guest of someone with status.

Seems weird for BA to not try the upsell....

I just don’t understand it. I have done this journey dozens of times. When selecting Business Class it has always put me in Business Class on Both flights.

I have called BA 3 times now and they just can not explain this anomaly

It�s not complicated, you�re trying to book an I class fare but I is not available on the second leg so it�s defaulting to Y instead. If you didn�t spot it during booking you can call and cancel within 24 hours, wait times are currently very short and you�ll be done in under 5 mins - certainly less time than writing multiple posts here.

As suggested above, the alternative is to ask for a more expensive fare overall (e.g. D class), which would give you Business on both legs.

Dear OP - I may be castigated for this - but why do you give yourself all the aggravation of doing a change of flight in MAD? If you live nearby LHR - I can understand that.Indeed some days the LGW flight goes out at at egregiously early times - and I hate that as well. However, the LGW flight is extremely convenient. I used it last Friday and I avoided all that perambulation at Barajas. It is immense and most of the Air Nostrum flights are from those K gates. It's miles to walk. Do you mind me asking? It may be useful for others.

edited to say that I think that the Lounges at Gatwick are streets ahead of LHR if that helps.

Did you specifically ask them to give you a price for business class on both legs?

Dearest Pucci, not everyone wants the simplest life, or even the simplest according to your rules.

I don�t dare speak for the OP, but I have also taken many indirect routings via MAD over the years. I actually quite like the beautiful terminal and don�t curse a dwell there. Even less so if I manage to time it for when the Velazquez barman is on duty to fix me a decent G&T. I do like LGW S and the lounges there, but anything earlier than about 11am and I need a hotel the night before, while LHR is much more convenient. In the old days the extra TPs didn�t hurt either.

Fundamentally I suppose it�s no different really from flying BUD-LHR-HEL-JFK-LAX, when LHR-LAX is also available. For some of us, the journey is part of the enjoyment.

Yes, if you select "cheapest fare", but then select Business on leg1, it doesn't necessarily follow that any selection on leg2 is also Business. Alternatively if you select Business on the fare selector drop down, at least in theory all legs should be Business. But as mentioned, it's quite straightforward to change anything like this for no change fee so long as you call within 24 hours. You will have to pay a fare difference if you ended up with a lowest cost option first time around.

Slightly off topic but possibly relevant.

I booked flight with Iberia through BA in economy. It was upgraded to first? Got access to the lounges without any problem but seats on flights both in economy.

Was not bothered and did not raise it either during or after flight but was not sure if some kind of booking error rather than upgrade.

Iberia doesn't operate First, so definitely sounds like an IT error on the BA side (surprise, surprise!)�

What I don't understand is on my manage my booking on BA (where I booked the flights) it is still showing as both flights in Business Class!! It is a joke...

I like the LGW lounges too, but there is only 1 direct flight that day, and that doesn�t arrive to ALC until 2100. rubbish

So are you happy to pay for D-D? You can call BA and upfare...?

I suppose it is subject to what one defines as rubbish. I will never catch an early morning flight if an afternoon will do. The only day of the week where there is a 21.00 arrival is a Friday. On Fridays (I have done this before as it was significantly cheaper) the only way to go from Heathrow to ALC via MAD, is on a beastly 06.15 flight. Now you may like to do this, but nothing on earth would persuade me too if I did not have to do so.

Other then that, everything that it is showing on Expertflyer connect only to the IB 1015 which arrives at 20.55.

I am clearly missing something?