Paul Ockelford

I'm not sure what in the OneWorld is happening here...

I've booked Iberia operated flights LHR-MAD-BIO and BIO-MAD-LHR for three passengers (including myself) this coming June via BA using Avios part-payment.

As soon as I had the BA-issued confirmation email I used the reference in the Iberia app to log in and select seats for free (BA Silver). Three of the flights (LHR-MAD/MAD-BIO/MAD-LHR) let me choose the seats I wanted, and show in the Iberia app as selected. BIO-MAD simply refuses - It put my three passengers in 1C, 4A, and 4D. When I try to move row 4 to the open seats 2D and 2F, the seats in row 4 remain filled, the app gives an error and keeps the row 4 seats. When I try the same on the Iberia website, all other flights are fine, but choosing new seats on BIO-MAD also returns "General error".

I phoned Iberia, who were able to move row 4 to row 2 - nothing has changed on the app or website. They sent me the amadeus readout for my flights that shows no seat info at all for LHR-MAD, completely the wrong "confirmed" seats for MAD-BIO (three in row 3, when the app tells me I'm in 1A, 1C, 1D as selected... BIO-MAD has the row 2 seats "requested" and no mention of 1C, and MAD-LHR again shows three in row 3, when the app suggests 1A, 1C, 1D (again, the seats I selected). When I questioned the row 3 seats, the agent said something along the lines of "it'll look different on the app as they're not confirmed yet" - I worry "confirmed" by amadeus will trump "requested" in the app...

I read on FT about trying RJ or Malaysian to try and force the assignments... I used my reference on RJ which returned empty cabins for all flights...

I've just checked on BA's website and it's telling me for LHR-MAD completely different seats (row 1) are "requested not yet confirmed", and the seats I actually WANT for the remaining three flights are "requested not yet confirmed".

EF says:
LHR-MAD = my originally requested seats are shown as occupied (correlates with the IB app)
MAD-BIO = my originally requested seats are shown as occupied (correlates with the IB app)
BIO-MAD = 1C (correct), 4A and 4D (correlates with the IB app, the seats it won't let me leave!) - 2D and 2F are available ('requested' on my amadeus readout)
MAD-LHR = my originally requested seats are shown as occupied (correlates with the IB app)

I'm at a loss as to what's actually happening with my seats... Conflicting information everywhere I look. I guess what I want to know is the process from requested to assigned to confirmed - and which systems override others. When confirmation time arrives will the "confirmed" in amadeus overwrite the requests in the app leaving me in row 3, for example?

Redacted amadeus:
IBERIA-PLUS ESPANA CODIGO DE RES.: ******
ZONA INDUSTRIAL LA MUNOZA FECHA: 18 ABRIL 2024
28042 MADRID SPAIN
TELEFONO: 91 5878787

PASSENGER 1
PASSENGER 2
PASSENGER 3

VUELO BA 7055 - BRITISH AIRWAYS SAB 08 JUNIO 2024
OPERADO POR: IBERIA, IB 3175
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SALIDA: LONDON, GB (HEATHROW), TERMINAL 5 08 JUN 10:50
LLEGADA: MADRID, ES (ADOLFO SUAREZ BARAJAS), TERMINAL 4S - 08 JUN 14:15
4S
RESERVA CONFIRMADA, BUSINESS (I) DURACION: 02:25
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
EQUIPAJE PERMITIDO: 2PC
VIAJERO FRECUENTE: BA-*****
VIAJERO FRECUENTE: BA-*****
COMIDA: APERITIVO

SIN PARADAS LONDON A MADRID
DUENO DEL AVION: IBERIA, IB
EQUIPO: AIRBUS A330-300


VUELO BA 7242 - BRITISH AIRWAYS SAB 08 JUNIO 2024
OPERADO POR: IBERIA, IB 438
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SALIDA: MADRID, ES (ADOLFO SUAREZ BARAJAS), TERMINAL 4 - 08 JUN 15:55
T4
LLEGADA: BILBAO, ES (BILBAO AIRPORT) 08 JUN 17:00
RESERVA CONFIRMADA, BUSINESS (I) DURACION: 01:05
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
EQUIPAJE PERMITIDO: 2PC
ASIENTO: 03A CONFIRMADO POR PASSENGER 1
ASIENTO: 03D CONFIRMADO POR PASSENGER 2
ASIENTO: 03C CONFIRMADO POR PASSENGER 3
VIAJERO FRECUENTE: BA-*****
VIAJERO FRECUENTE: BA-*****
COMIDA: APERITIVO

SIN PARADAS MADRID A BILBAO
DUENO DEL AVION: IBERIA, IB
EQUIPO: AIRBUS A319


VUELO BA 7247 - BRITISH AIRWAYS SAB 15 JUNIO 2024
OPERADO POR: IBERIA, IB 447
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SALIDA: BILBAO, ES (BILBAO AIRPORT) 15 JUN 13:40
LLEGADA: MADRID, ES (ADOLFO SUAREZ BARAJAS), TERMINAL 4 - 15 JUN 14:50
T4
RESERVA CONFIRMADA, BUSINESS (I) DURACION: 01:10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
EQUIPAJE PERMITIDO: 2PC
ASIENTO: 02D PEDIDO POR PASSENGER 2
ASIENTO: 02F PEDIDO POR PASSENGER 3
VIAJERO FRECUENTE: BA-*****
VIAJERO FRECUENTE: BA-*****
COMIDA: APERITIVO

SIN PARADAS BILBAO A MADRID
DUENO DEL AVION: IBERIA, IB
EQUIPO: AIRBUS A319


VUELO BA 7056 - BRITISH AIRWAYS SAB 15 JUNIO 2024
OPERADO POR: IBERIA, IB 3164
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SALIDA: MADRID, ES (ADOLFO SUAREZ BARAJAS), TERMINAL 4S - 15 JUN 17:55
4S
LLEGADA: LONDON, GB (HEATHROW), TERMINAL 5 15 JUN 19:20
RESERVA CONFIRMADA, BUSINESS (I) DURACION: 02:25
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
EQUIPAJE PERMITIDO: 2PC
ASIENTO: 03F CONFIRMADO POR PASSENGER 1
ASIENTO: 03C CONFIRMADO POR PASSENGER 2
ASIENTO: 03D CONFIRMADO POR PASSENGER 3
VIAJERO FRECUENTE: BA-*****
VIAJERO FRECUENTE: BA-*****
COMIDA: APERITIVO

SIN PARADAS MADRID A LONDON
DUENO DEL AVION: IBERIA, IB
EQUIPO: AIRBUS A320



OTROS VIE 13 SEPTIEMBRE 2024
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SALIDA: LONDON (LON) 13 SEP
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
INTERNET BOOKING
CONFIRMADO

IBERIA App seatmap for BIO-MAD before I attempt to move to row 2:

And after I try to select 2D, 2F showing 4A, 4D as still occupied after I try to switch out of them:



And when I hit confirm:

csycsycsy

Didn't want to post this on the IB board?

Anyway, so you have the correct seat assignments for 3 of the flights, for BIO-MAD you can't get 2DF, 2DF happens to be the best seats, maybe they are blocked for OWEs.
Try selecting other seats and see what happens?

Gardyloo

Moving this to the Iberia board.

Gardyloo
Oneworld moderator

Paul Ockelford

Hello! I thought about IB board, but as it's a codeshare and I tried multiple OW routes to try and get it to work I thought maybe someone here might have an idea... [Edit: It's been moved]. I am OW Sapphire, so should be able to book 2D+F (It's already let me book row 1 and 2 on other flights in the same booking). If I select any other seats on that flight BIO-MAD the same thing happens. It throws an error and refuses to move me from row 4.

dvs7310

Have you tried to call? That tends to work with JL on blocked seats if your status should otherwise unlock those seats. I do that a lot with companions when we're on separate tickets, no issues at all.

Paul Ockelford

Called three times - the first time I couldn't convince the agent that I wanted 2D+F and not 2C (which is blocked as an accessible seat). The second time the agent said they'd moved me into 2D+F, but when I checked EF those seats were still empty (as they are now) - he did send me the amadeus read out which shows the seats I want as 'requested' - BUT when I phoned back to question the availability showing on EF AND the row 3 anomaly on amadeus the (different) agent said she had moved me to row 2 as well (so was it showing as still row 4?) and when I questioned the row 3 seats on other flights she didn't have an answer as to which was correct (amadeus OR Iberia site/app).

All I can think is it's a technical error (since the other three flights seem to be working fine in the app) and the agents don't know how to get around it. Hopefully the system will realise and reset that flight's assignments somehow so I can try again - and hope the seats are still available.

The legroom would be nice, but ultimately it's not hugely different for a couple of hours.

BA6501

If the seats you want are still showing as available on EF, go to RJ MMB with the BA PNR and just reselect all the seats you want. Save and refresh EF, and force refresh the BA/IB apps. See where that takes you - not much can be lost in the worst case as you’re all over the place as is.

Paul Ockelford

Tried this - RJ's MMB doesn't show any seats occupied by anyone at all on any of the four flights. Just entire empty cabins.