rapidex

I flew LHR-MAD on this service yesterday in Y,silly me.I read that BA had arranged for Iberia to operate some of their MAD services,so I wasn't expecting much change.When the CC came around with the trolley it was 2.30 Euro for a coffee.

I was under the impression that BA code shares were 4 digit flight numbers, not 3 digit as in BA 516.So I book a flight with a regular BA 3 digit flight number and get charged for my drinks.This BAEC GGL member is not a happy bunny.

LTN Phobia

When you book the flight on BA.com, doesn't it show the operating carrier under the flight number?

Bakpapier

It should have shown 'Operated by Iberia Express' upon booking. And that, to me, means not book it if you have any expendable income at all (I don't so I have to but I am not so happy then !).

Iberia express is almost WORSE than RyanAir. No joke.

ENTP

Some services on that route are run by Iberia with BOB in Y. Others are "Iberia for British Airways", I.e. scheduled BA services being run with Iberia metal and crew during BA's summer peak, with BA food and drink. The typical sullenness of Iberia crew aside, these services are fine. It sounds like you may have been on one of the former.

Prospero

Yes it does; third party online booking agencies may not be so clear though.

Here is the current breakdown:

LHR-MAD
British Airways operated (BA in-flight service)
BA456, BA462, BA464

Iberia operated (IB in-flight service)
BA510, BA512, BA514, BA516, BA518, BA520, BA522, BA524

Iberia operated (BA in-flight service)
BA458, BA460

MAD-LHR
British Airways operated (BA in-flight service)
BA457, BA463, BA465

Iberia operated (IB in-flight service)
BA7050, BA7052, BA7054, BA7056, BA7058, BA7060, BA7066, BA7068

Iberia operated (BA in-flight service)
BA459, BA461

Swiss Tony

Perhaps the trunk routes on the IAG network (so basically MAD-LHR, LHR-DUB & DUB-MAD) should see some standardised level of catering being offered.

If the accountants decide that's pay for everything then so be it, but at least passengers would know where they stand.

rapidex

I think when I booked this long ago it was a BA service.Looking carefully now some flights say Iberia for BA and most just say Iberia.

I then need to look to another page to see if it is bob or free coffee.How far is one supposed to go to find out what kind of service is available on 2 types of Iberia flight with a BA codeshare.

TabTraveller

Having flown this on Friday in J, I thought the service and food was a notch above CE although the LH J seating looked out of the 90s.

megaloman

This is very confusing, but if you booked BA516 then this flight from start was operated by Iberia. Any BA4xx flight would be a British Airways flight, any BA5xx on LHR-MAD route would be Iberia operated flight.

This is a "special route" as BA and Iberia has a monopoly there. All flights departing to Madrid depart from BA's T5, everything is handled by BA and till boarding all standard BA rules apply. On board you'll get Iberia's rubbish service though. And when you land at Madrid, your "BA516" flight may not be displayed at all so you'll need to know your IB flight number or ask at the baggage reclaim desk where to look for your luggage (happened to me twice!).

I have a MAD-LHR next week booked long time ago, it's a BA flight, but it will be operated by "Iberia for British Airways" - can't wait to see how bad or good this flight will be.

cornishsimon

For what my opinion is worth I think that's a splendid idea as far as customers go.


cs

Phil the Flyer

Mrs and Master PtF are on BA460 this week. At the time of booking (8 April 2016) this was definitely a BA-operated flight, but a notification from My Flights (not BA) on 14 June 2016 confirmed it was now an IB-operated flight - although seats 1A and 1C were retained from the original booking (it looks as though seats 1D and 1F don't exist on IB for this flight).

They are also on BA459 the second week of September, together with my sister and brother-in-law - and have seats 1A, 1C, 1D and 1F. However it looks as though this remains a BA-operated flight - I guess the temporary arrangement may be over by then.

KARFA

Yes, they were BA operated, but now will be IB operated. I am on BA460 as well in a few weeks time. More information here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...behalf-ba.html

Phil the Flyer

KARFA - thanks, mystery solved! The thread you directed me to states an end date of 4 September; my lot are flying BA459 the second week of September (connecting from CX CEB-HKG-MAD).

orbitmic

This has been an issue for every jointly shared airlines trunk routes (e.g. CDG-AMS on AF-KL, FRA-ZRH on LH-LX, etc) as well as JVs for that matter) and I guess that there is no perfect way around it.

As you point out, from a route-specific point of you, it would seem to make sense to harmonise the product as its heterogeneity is frustrating for customers.

But of course, if you do that, you simply "displace" the product heterogeneity at a network level with customers being equally upset that they got free food and drink on their MAD-LHR and that now that they flying an eve longer MAD-FRA they are being asked to pay and how come. And conversely, imagine that they do the same in C where in my view, the IB product is significantly better, I can easily imagine people complaining that they received a nice full hot meal at 10am or 3pm on their 2h30 LHR-MAD but are only getting a silly afternoon tea or "brunch" snack type meal on LHR-HEL which is nearly an hour longer.

And of course, this assumes the not at all obvious notion that it would be harmonised on the higher offering (assuming this can actually be defined) while it could be harmonised on a "medium" or "low" value instead. Indeed, is the idea that in Y, you would get free food and full bar (BA) but also seat assignments for OWE/OWS on all fares without HBO exception? And in C do you get hot meals throughout the day as well as Sherry and Spanish liqueurs (IB), but also Champagne (BA) and both herbal tea collections?

And if it is indeed harmonised upwards, who will be picking up the bill(s)?

To my knowledge, ultimately all jointly-owned airline groups ended up choosing to keep network homogeneity rather than focus on route homogeneity with the exception of AF-KL introducing premium economy on all CDG-AMS flights for a relatively short period of time but arguably that was not a product harmonisation but mostly an attempt to provide of all AF's three travel classes on all CDG-AMS flights. I doubt that BA-IB will do more and if they ever did, I would imagine that it would be in the form of piloting any attempt to worsen the Y product on their MAD route.

PS: as a footnote, the BA arrangement is absurdly complex with the mix of codeshared and leased IB flights and I can understand how many passengers, let alone non-frequent ones - would be frankly confused.

TedToToe

I don't understand why the 'Iberia operated (IB in-flight service)' flights have BA 3 digit flight numbers outbound, but 4 digit on the return! This, surely, is just going to add to the confusion.