Great BA service at T5 Galleries South ticket desk (following Iberia shambles)
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2001
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Great BA service at T5 Galleries South ticket desk (following Iberia shambles)
Just thought I’d share a recent experience that culminated in great experience with BA ground staff (and an equally appalling experience with Iberia)...
We recently flew LHR-MAD-LHR on BA and had a separate IB ticket (with a buffer night in Madrid each way) MAD-LEI (Almeria)-MAD for the Easter break.
On the day of travel LHR-MAD, we had an email notification from Iberia that due to a pilot strike in Spain, our MAD-LEI (operated by Iberia regional Air Nostrum) had been cancelled. I called IB straightway and the chap on the line told me the other remaining Iberia air nostrum flight only had 1 seat left (we needed 4) so he rebooked us on Vueling from MAD-BCN-LEI. We had no problem with that.
I then became doubtful about whether we could keep our free baggage allowance as BA EC gold on the rebooked Vueling flights (our original IB booking was a fare that itself allowed no baggage but we knew that each passenger with Oneworld Emerald status would get a free bag), so called Iberia again about an hour later to check regarding the baggage allowance on the rebooked Vueling flights. I was then told that the chap earlier in the morning had in fact made a mistake in rebooking us on Vueling, that we needed to be rebooked in Iberia air nostrum, that there were in fact 6 seats available (not just 1 like we had been told by the chap earlier that morning). I said that’s great, go ahead and rebook us.
That’s when it all became a nightmare with Iberia, because they then said to rebook again it needs central office supervisor authorisation and this may take several hours. The agent said they are only allowed to make one change without supervisor authorisation and they wouldn’t accept the fact that the reason my booking required 2 changes was due to their own error. I was promised a call back within 2 hours, which never came.
I called back back at least twice to check on the status of my booking but each time was told that here is nothing they can do to speed things up and I would need to wait. Meanwhile, the number of available seats on the flight that we were awaiting rebooking on went down from 6 to 4 (we were worried that all those on the cancelled flight would book onto the remaining service so if we didn’t get rebooked, we would hen be told there were no seats and that would have taken out a chunk of our holiday in Almeria).
We reached LHR a couple of hours later for our LHR-MAD flight. In desperation, I asked if BA could at all help with the IB ticket. I was not optimistic, as it was a completely separate IB ticket not even linked to our LHR-MAD BA booking. To my utter amazement, a lovely lady at the BA T5S galleries club ticket desk simply endorsed by IB ticket over to BA (ie issued new ticket numbers beginning with 125- ) and booked us the last 4 seats on the remaining IB air nostrum flight (the one that IB said needs a supervisor authorisation).
We flew as planned and there were no issues with the new BA ticket.
Amazing service from the BA team- hopeless service from Iberia.
If anyone ever gets into trouble with an Iberia ticket and is getting nowhere with Iberia, it’s worth asking BA to help.
We recently flew LHR-MAD-LHR on BA and had a separate IB ticket (with a buffer night in Madrid each way) MAD-LEI (Almeria)-MAD for the Easter break.
On the day of travel LHR-MAD, we had an email notification from Iberia that due to a pilot strike in Spain, our MAD-LEI (operated by Iberia regional Air Nostrum) had been cancelled. I called IB straightway and the chap on the line told me the other remaining Iberia air nostrum flight only had 1 seat left (we needed 4) so he rebooked us on Vueling from MAD-BCN-LEI. We had no problem with that.
I then became doubtful about whether we could keep our free baggage allowance as BA EC gold on the rebooked Vueling flights (our original IB booking was a fare that itself allowed no baggage but we knew that each passenger with Oneworld Emerald status would get a free bag), so called Iberia again about an hour later to check regarding the baggage allowance on the rebooked Vueling flights. I was then told that the chap earlier in the morning had in fact made a mistake in rebooking us on Vueling, that we needed to be rebooked in Iberia air nostrum, that there were in fact 6 seats available (not just 1 like we had been told by the chap earlier that morning). I said that’s great, go ahead and rebook us.
That’s when it all became a nightmare with Iberia, because they then said to rebook again it needs central office supervisor authorisation and this may take several hours. The agent said they are only allowed to make one change without supervisor authorisation and they wouldn’t accept the fact that the reason my booking required 2 changes was due to their own error. I was promised a call back within 2 hours, which never came.
I called back back at least twice to check on the status of my booking but each time was told that here is nothing they can do to speed things up and I would need to wait. Meanwhile, the number of available seats on the flight that we were awaiting rebooking on went down from 6 to 4 (we were worried that all those on the cancelled flight would book onto the remaining service so if we didn’t get rebooked, we would hen be told there were no seats and that would have taken out a chunk of our holiday in Almeria).
We reached LHR a couple of hours later for our LHR-MAD flight. In desperation, I asked if BA could at all help with the IB ticket. I was not optimistic, as it was a completely separate IB ticket not even linked to our LHR-MAD BA booking. To my utter amazement, a lovely lady at the BA T5S galleries club ticket desk simply endorsed by IB ticket over to BA (ie issued new ticket numbers beginning with 125- ) and booked us the last 4 seats on the remaining IB air nostrum flight (the one that IB said needs a supervisor authorisation).
We flew as planned and there were no issues with the new BA ticket.
Amazing service from the BA team- hopeless service from Iberia.
If anyone ever gets into trouble with an Iberia ticket and is getting nowhere with Iberia, it’s worth asking BA to help.
Last edited by Jed; Apr 27, 2019 at 3:38 am Reason: Change in title
#4
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Indeed- golden ticket and feedback on BA.com duly submitted. It was a lucky escape only salvaged by BA. If we had let Iberia follow their ridiculous pathway we would surely not have got on the available remaining flight and it would have eaten into our Almeria holiday
#5
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My sole memory of Almeria are these great swathes of grey plastic poly-tunnels everywhere. I have not had that sort of nonsense reply from Iberia but knowing and living inSpain, I have no difficulty in believing it. That is exactly what passes for service from the likes of Iberdrola, Aguas de Alicante, and Movitar.
#6
Join Date: Dec 2016
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I’ve had terrible service from Iberia, but to buck the trend I had a rep at Madrid a week or two ago who despite having an attack of the horrors when asked to do a SDC and visa check, stuck with it and got me home five hours early. So as with most things, mileage varies.
#7
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Did you know that John Lennon wrote Strawberry Fields Forever there? It's a nice enough town and the weird countryside around it is used a lot for filming, including Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones. The airport is however functional even by Spanish standards, however Prospero and CWS separately enjoyed the rooftop terrace café which has a great vista over the airport and sea.
#8
Join Date: Oct 2013
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I remember flying into LEI in the late 80's and it had a ground floor outside restaurant right on the apron and you picked up your bags off a trolley in the carpark. I still love Mojacar although not been there for 10 years so I must go soon.
John
John
#9
Join Date: May 2014
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Semi-OT, and apologies if I didn't know the obvious, but... do you mean that when an OWE flies IB on an HBO fare he/she is entitled to check a bag for free anyway?
#10
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Yes, OWE flying IB gets a free checked bag, even on the cheapest HBO fares (it’s different to BA policy, where OWE doesn’t get a free checked bag on a HBO fare).
I highly recommend Almeria (where we stayed was a National Park by the sea called Cabo de gata and the Barcelo hotel was great). Rocky beach but views were great and not full of our local British tourists either
I highly recommend Almeria (where we stayed was a National Park by the sea called Cabo de gata and the Barcelo hotel was great). Rocky beach but views were great and not full of our local British tourists either
#11
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,160
Did you know that John Lennon wrote Strawberry Fields Forever there? It's a nice enough town and the weird countryside around it is used a lot for filming, including Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones. The airport is however functional even by Spanish standards, however Prospero and CWS separately enjoyed the rooftop terrace café which has a great vista over the airport and sea.
Of far greater interest is to hear that Propero and CWS were enjoying the terrace separately. Had they had a tiff? Dare one ask if they kissed and made up - this will elevate an otherwise unremarkable airport to Star Status. Your secret is safe with me - I promise that I will only tell one chatboard at a time.