PcolaPaul

I booked E+ from ORD to MAD for a flight in October for my wife and I. A couple of weeks before the flight Iberia changed equipment and that plane did not have E+ so we were downgraded to Economy. I had also paid $32 for each of us to pick our E+ seats. I was told to talk to an agent in Madrid when we landed about getting a fare difference and our $64 back for picking our seats. We get to Madrid, the agent says, oh I can't do that here you have to do that online. Ok, whatever. I was tired. I fill out the forms online for the refund, they refunded the $64 that we paid for picking our seats. I replied back via the online form saying, thank you for that, but I am also entitled to 75% of fare based on Iberia's contract rules (based on length of the flight). They responded, sorry we already refunding your $64 and can't issue another refund. Are they dense? I explicitly stated I want a fare difference refund due to an equipment change and downgrade of seats. I also tried calling and they are not wanting to give a fare difference. Frustrating.

craigthemif

Small claims court in Europe...

It is an undeniable element of EC261 that you receive a refund of 75% of the amount paid for the downgraded leg of your PE ticket.

If you have definitely found the 75% refund referred to in Iberia´s own contract for carriage, then you can use the US court system and/or the DOT...

Im a new user

Can't you just do a chargeback with your credit card? Tell your credit card company that IB owes you 75% of the base fare and the fuel surcharge and specify how much that is.

NextWhiteDeath

That not how it works.
In Europe in these situations. You make a EU261 claim to the airline. If they try to deny you can then file with the local regulator in this case it would be in Spain. Usually it resolves itself after that within couple of months.
Also the claim wouldn't be for base fare and YQ. The claim in this situation would be for the $64 for seat assignment plus 75% of total ticket cost for affected sections. So if it a round trip then 75% of 50% paid.
Lastly CC would deny your claim as a service was rendered and and claim for involuntary downgrade are resolved with the airline direct.
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NextWhiteDeath

You have to specifically requested a refund for an involuntary downgrade under EU261. People who cover those claim are different from the people responsible for seat selection refunds.
You have to make a formal request for downgrade compensation on there website. They will most likely say no. Then you fill in a form on the Spanish airline regulators website and they will take up the claim and respond within couple of months. Afterwards IB will usually payout the cash within a week.
You can also just find a service that will do it for you for a commission. The process is simple enough that you shouldn't need them unless you just don't want to do the leg work.

guv1976

If it is true that IB's own contract of carriage provides for the refund that the OP is seeking, I should think that a complaint to the U.S. DOT might be the easiest way to go. Because the trip originated in the U.S., DOT has jurisdiction.

As an alternative, contacting the Ombudsman Service of Condé Nast Traveler magazine might also be successful.

PcolaPaul

Thank you all for the replies. I'll take your suggestions into consideration. This is my first time flying Iberia. Not impressed with their customer service.

swiss_global

Welcome to Europe! Agree, IB customer service is not great, but still better than many others (e.g. LH group … grrrr).