Schultzois

I'm not sure if this has been treated elsewhere (I did a quick look around and didn't find anything), but I am trying to arrange a redemption in J from ORY/CDG to EZE, and as the 245 seems to be quite busy on most of the dates I'd like, IB connections via MAD come up as the next option. I will add that the booking is not for me, but for a Silver Card holder who is in Paris and needs to come here.

The thing that keeps happening is this... I look for availability on expertflyer, find dates that work, look for the same on BA.com, generally find that the availability there is the same, but then one of two things happens:

If there is availability in U (redemption J) for both ORY-MAD and MAD-EZE, I get the following message: "Sorry, we cannot currently book the journey you have chosen. You may wish to reselect a different cabin, try again later, or call your service center."

If, on the other hand, there seems only to be availability only in Economy for ORY-MAD, and in U for MAD-EZE, it will go ahead and build the itinerary, and quote it out at 70000 miles plus EUR270. This has happened with such consistency that I'm rather convinced there's some glitch by which BA.com never handles a business to business connection on IB in redemption bookings correctly (although it will show them as being available) but, oddly, will generally let you book a short-haul economy flight together with the long-haul business.

Has anyone else encountered this, and if so, is there an explanation??

Given that the differences between J and Y on ORY-MAD is nothing to write home about, I'm wondering if I should should book what BA.com allows me to book. Alternatively we can always call the BAEC, but as the passenger is registered in France, and I'm already in Argentina, and BAEC has decided it's not a global product for European members, we would have to call between very specific hours - which is why I always end up checking availability and communicating with passenger at times that it's not even possible to call.

Alternatively, are there any other good suggestions for J redemption on a one-way basis from ORY/CDG to EZE in mid-October? I'm frankly hoping that a seat on the 245 opens up, but I'm really not holding my breath for that one.

pauldb

On ba.com, I can only find availability MAD-EZE on the 18th Oct, and I can get a J-J connection that day.

So it may be that Expertflyer is inaccurae, or is looking at IB's system which may have different availability than BA are able to access.

ORY-JFK-EZE might be a possibility,maybe using OpenSkies to JFK (if that counts as ba rather than as a second partner which would increase the miles), but that'll need a call to ba as it's not coming up online. And unless you want to visit NYC I think I'd stick to the IB routing.

I suppose you could try going -LHR-"USA"-EZE on ba and then AA/LA, with the "USA" options being JFK, DFW, MIA or (outside the box, via LGW) Punta Cana.

edit: if this is a flexible trip, IB have some alternative availability to COR or MVD, a train/boat ride away.

geronimo

I think it's a glitch as I've experienced the same scenario (even today) on BA.com with IB J>J connections on LHR>MAD>GRU & REC.
On calling the BAEC, they have found the same availability but usually have to send it to ticketing to calculate the fare.
As you mention, if there's a BA flight on the booking (all classes), BA.com seems capable of doing the maths on its own.

Schultzois

Thanks for echoing the same experience, geronimo. Seems we will have to ring up BAEC, at least if we want to stick to the J->J connection. As I mentioned, the Y->J seems, for whatever reason, to manage just fine on BA.com, although I have not tried to get through as far as ticketing it.

As for US routings, those would pose visa issues for the passenger, and we're really looking for as quick a journey as possible as well.

In another matter, I never realized IB sent an A340 into Cordoba! With the onward flight on LAN costing only US$167, this would be a good alternative, were it not for the baggage issues (passenger will be making full use of J baggage allowance flying down, which would likely trigger hefty baggage fees for that COR-AEP flight).

Schultzois

As a follow on to this, he did end up ringing up, although timing ended up still only having a Y->J connection available for booking. As this was not a booking for me, the passenger rang up, and even with all the impossibilities of BA.com never giving straightforward answers about what's available and what it is willing to book (always two different things - and the default answer is almost always Error
Sorry, we cannot currently book the journey you have chosen. You may wish to reselect a different cabin, try again later, or call your service center.), the BAEC center still charged him EUR15 for the phone booking.

Now that a redemption space in J has finally opened up for the ORY-MAD flight, I was going to suggest he call back to see if he can change the Y segment to J (of course we've tried to accomplish this online, and of course it's beyond BA.com's capability).

Does anyone know if he should expect to be charged again to amend the booking this way, and if so, how much?

As another matter, can anyone explain to me why BA.com handles AA redemptions so many times better than it handles IB redemptions. I would have thought that with IAG and all, a BA customer wouldn't be made to feel like he's asking the impossible to redeem with IB a little more seemlessly...

OPebble

IMHO it is because the IB computer systems are cr*p and are almost impossible to use. Prime example is if you want a seat reservation on an IB flight before check in you have to go to the Finnair site to make it!

James S

Lol unbelievable but true!!

Schultzois

I suppose you're quite right... now that I think about it, I've never had a straighforward experience booking on IB, regardless of mechanism. Last time I wanted to make a revenue booking in Business, and Iberia's web site and phone reservations both seemed to imply the flights were sold out. Of course third party booking agents, travel agents and AA.com were all able to quote fares and even seemed to confirm seats available.

Eventually, I made one booking with AA (had to twist their arm to do it) and another through a travel agent (who happily did so in exchange for a service fee). All the while, IB treated the flights as sold out... and wouldn't sell me a ticket directly.

I was naive to think that it would be low-hanging fruit for IAG to make the left hand's airline start using the same reservation system as the right hand's airline...

globalste

Very true, although even then the seat isn't guaranteed.

The ba.com booking system pretty much does not talk to the Iberia.com booking system, hence 2 different PNRs being generated when you are flying BA metal then Iberia metal.

Only recently have the BA checkin been able to print a boarding pass for the Iberia leg, something that was very annoying flying an LCY-MAD-XXX route because most of the time it is impossible to checkin for the Iberia domestic leg, and you end up in Barajas T4S, airside with no check-in or ticket, but your baggage checked through to your destination!

The other annoyance (and deeply ironic considering the OP wants a J-J ticket) is LCY-MAD-XXX which will only book in J on BA.com but will happily book discounted economy on Iberia.com. Then BA claim that you have earnt Iberia miles because you were on a Codeshare and not a BA ticketed plane (bearing in mind they would not sell the ticket in the first place). Totally and utterly ridiculous.

Don't get me started on everything not being a code-share, it seems to have got far worse since the IAG merger.