Flight cancelled due to strike
 

I suffered a recent cancellation from BCN due to the Iberia ground staff strike. Had to extend my stay at the hotel. Asked for a refund of the room cost on the IB customer service website form. Keep getting the same message:

"We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the incident on your flight IB3482 dated 28/07/2019. In order to carry out our daily operation, we depend on external factors that are beyond our scope of control and before which we have no possibility of action. Our main objective is to offer a better service to our customers every day and reduce the impact of these factors on their experience. Unfortunately, and despite our efforts, in this case we were not been able to prevent our customers from being affected. We thank you for your understanding and reiterate our apologies for not having fulfilled your expectations."

How do I escalate and should I also request EC compensation?

Thanks!

The way to escalate would be to send the complaint to AESA: https://sede.seguridadaerea.gob.es/S...aspx?idioma=en

This is always needed for EC261 monetary compensation, since IB always rejects claims. However, your case should be more straightforward since you are only entitled to duty of care (i.e., a refund of your room, delays due to strikes are not eligible for monetary compensation), so I would try calling Iberia first or sending them an email.

Good luck. Did you speak with IB before that they would reimburse the costs? Was your flight operated by Iberia?

There's something fishy, because IB3482 is not a flight originating in BCN. What's the relationship with BCN here?

Assistance in the event of cancellation

Airlines should offer you and provide assistance free of charge while you wait. In the event of travel disruption, you should make yourself known to the airline, to avoid a situation where you have to make your own arrangements. Airlines should also ensure, where available, that accommodation is accessible for people with disabilities and their service dogs. The assistance to be provided includes:

• Refreshments
• Food
• Accommodation (if you are rebooked to travel the next day)
• Transport to your accommodation and return to the airport
• 2 telephone calls, telex, fax messages or emails

If assistance is not offered and you paid for your own meals and refreshments etc., the airline should reimburse you, provided the expenses were necessary, reasonable and appropriate. You should keep all receipts for this purpose. You only have the right to assistance as long as you have to wait for re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to your final destination at the earliest opportunity or a return flight.

In exceptional cases, the airline may decide to limit or decline assistance if it would cause further delay to passengers waiting for an alternative or a delayed flight.

IB 3482 operates MAD-GVA. I am not clear why BCN is involved.

EC 261/2004 does impose a duty of care, but it is unclear whether you may simply engage in self-help and then seek a reimbursement (not a refund) from IB.

The exact details will matter, e.g., how is BCN involved and what did you request from IB at the time?

The cancelled flight was IB1631, BCN-MAD. IB3482 was the connection.

Thanks for your clarification. Was the NEXT day the earliest opportunity or was that the option you requested?

You only have the right to assistance as long as you have to wait for re-routing, under comparable transport conditions, to your final destination at the earliest opportunity or a return flight.

If say, they offered you on the non-stop Vueling/SWISS flight the same day, and you declined it... I'm afraid but it will be VERY difficult to recover the expenses.

The IB flight I was rebooked on was the next available option in J. It departed the next day at 1330.

Still need to know whether IB declined your request for hotel & meal vouchers. Or perhaps they simply told you to go ahead and book on your own,

They advised me that the only seat in J was the next afternoon. Did not discuss accommodations for the evening. This was all done through the telephone.

I advise you in this case to take you phone and call Customer Services to discuss your issue. Otherwise you will end up in an automatic reply loop. But, good luck.

Anyway, still don't understand how someone would fly BCN-MAD-GVA in J (backtracking!!!) when there are enough options in Y non-strop BCN-GVA - where you can choose emergency exits,,, more comfortable than euro-J. But that's a different topic.

I've been unable to find a customer services phone number for IB. Do you have any? Also, the trip was a MR.

If you are able to book such a convoluted MR, you should be able to find a Customer Services phone number. It's not that difficult. Tip: Google and the Iberia website are your best friends.

I don't believe (and obviously don't support) that other users should do your own homework.

I am always suspicious when people say that they cannot locate a commonly available telephone number. I ran a clock on my search and it took me 25 seconds to find the following number in Spain. It would have taken another few seconds to find numbers in Germany or elsewhre.

As to the MR, do bear in mind that in IRROPS, IB would have provided you with original routing credit (ORC) for the ticketed route, including accepting a Y seat for the micro-hop involved from BCN.

https://www.iberia.com/es/faqs/custo...s/?language=en