Has This Ever Happened To You With IBeria Airlines-Minors Bumped?

[yakov116]

"Hi Daniel!

I hope that you are fine.

First of all, I would like to apologize for not being able to answer your e-mail before.

As you already know, our three customers have tickets issued by American Airlines that included two flights operated by Iberia: Miami-Madrid and Madrid-Tel Aviv. The first flight (Miami-Madrid) was booked under an American Airlines flight code, but operated by Iberia.

According to airline regulations, children who are younger than 12 years old cannot fly without an adult. Iberia offers an Unaccompanied Minor service for children aged 5 to 12 years old, who travel on their own. We also offer the Young People service for children aged 12 to 17 years old travelling on their own.

Though the Unaccompanied Minor service needs to be booked for children aged 5 to 12 years old when flying on Iberia flights on their own, the Young People service for children aged 12 to 17 years old can be booked, but it is not mandatory.

In this case, we weren’t able to find any Young People service in the booking of the three passengers. As in this case, there were two young people, aged 15 and 17, who are allowed to fly on their own according to the procedures mentioned above, accompanying a child, who was 11 years old, and this is also allowed. As no Young People Service was booked, that service wasn’t offered.

Upon arrival at Madrid airport, the flight to Tel Aviv was overbooked, the three customers were offered a hotel and meal vouchers. The three customers are also entitled to a compensation of 600€ per person. According to our records, the compensation wasn’t denied, but we have already issued an electronic-voucher to pay it. My colleagues in the Customer Service department are going to contact the customers to explain them how to proceed to receive the compensation.

Hope that this information helps you.

Best regards,

 

Consuelo Arias "

Meh. Bad responce.

Looks like they are not taking the issue seriously and trying to get away with it

[henche]

Meh. Bad responce.

Looks like they are not taking the issue seriously and trying to get away with it

Don't just sit there.  Help us think of a title for the post

[yakov116]

Don't just sit there.  Help us think of a title for the post

Night-beria Flight, No-Kidding!

[ExGingi]

This make sense for a response?

Thanks for the response, but can you please explain why those 3 passengers were chosen?

1. If they flew on an Iberia operated flight from Miami that connected in Madrid to Tel Aviv, wouldn't they have been checked in when in Miami for the entire journey? How is it possible that they were the last to checkin, which is allegedly what caused them to have been bumped?

2. Even if they were the last to checkin and didn't pay for unaccompanied minor services, why would a gate agent proceed to bump 3 minors overnight in Madrid, when surely there were adults on the plane who would be better suited to have been bumped?

Oh. And don't forget that they are entitled to mandatory Israeli compensation, which IINM is greater than EUR 600.

Also, maybe they should be reminded of the United fiasco, and be made aware that within the next 24 hours this is going to hit the headlines.

[yelped]

Wow. A real non-response. But I would send them one more email pointing out that they didn't address the point before rushing to post a slam story.

[yakov116]

Wow. A real non-response. But I would send them one more email pointing out that they didn't address the point before rushing to post a slam story.

-1

[ExGingi]

Wow. A real non-response. But I would send them one more email pointing out that they didn't address the point before rushing to post a slam story.

Maybe reach out to IAG, Iberia parent company. Though they should definitely be given a deadline.

[LeeAddi]

This make sense for a response?

Dan you asked if this makes sense.
I would love to know the answer to these questions

Why were these 3 children singled out to get bumped when
a) They were denied their boarding passes in Miami for the 2nd leg of the flight from Madrid to Israel despite their grandfather in Miami insisting they receive it.

b) In Madrid their mother begged the flight attendant not to bump her children regardless of the monetary compensation.  Couldn't they find other more willing volunteers, perhaps adults local to Madrid??  Instead, the mother was denied permission to speak any further with Iberia agents and her children were forced to stay in Spain to search for another flight that ultimately left over 12 hours later after already flying for over 9 hours.

BTW: Just to get the record straight: My 3 children did not stay overnight.  Their planned flight was supposed to take off at 10:35 AM and instead were changed to a flight that left at 11:05 PM.  So it was the whole day and into the night after a 9 hour flight.
I loved reading everyone's subject titles.  It is so comforting because I feel a bit more justified.

[skyguy918]

The Kids in Spain are Forced off the Plane: Iberia pulls a United

The Kids in Spain are Forced off the Plane: A nightmare with Iberia

As an aside, I predict fourteen seconds from posting until a DDMS commenter makes an Inquisition reference.

Obligatory

[MeirS]

They basically ignored the whole complaint of bumping minors.

+100

They spend 70% of the email writing unaccompanied minor policies. Who cares?  They are trying to gain time. Just go ahead and post their response and bring out the fact that they didn't even have the manors to apologize for bumping minors, they didn't even bother addressing the issue.

Well, after explaining their UM policies which leads to the fact that this family obviously decided that these 3 can travel (and everything that comes with it) on their own, when they could have requested and paid for the airline to take care of them, Iberia is left with little to no responsibility here.

I would still expect an explanation as to why they weren't checked in in Miami, as well as to why they couldn't find better candidates but in Iberia's response they have sort of explained how they haven't violated any regulations.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Iberia and these stories get me furious but I'm just trying to look at this objectively.

[henche]

Well, after explaining their UM policies which leads to the fact that this family obviously decided that these 3 can travel (and everything that comes with it) on their own, when they could have requested and paid for the airline to take care of them, Iberia is left with little to no responsibility here.

I would still expect an explanation as to why they weren't checked in in Miami, as well as to why they couldn't find better candidates but in Iberia's response they have sort of explained how they haven't violated any regulations.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Iberia and these stories get me furious but I'm just trying to look at this objectively.

If the story gets you furious, that should tell you they did something wrong.

[MeirS]

If the story gets you furious, that should tell you they did something wrong.

Some people get furious by the way DDFers do business but not me.

The West Indian parade infuriates me.

A subway price hike infuriates me.

That I have to pay a chunk of my income to the IRS infuriates me.

Just to name a few.

That doesn't mean that they are wrong.

[henche]

Some people get furious by the way DDFers do business but not me.

The West Indian parade infuriates me.

A subway price hike infuriates me.

That I have to pay a chunk of my income to the IRS infuriates me.

Just to name a few.

That doesn't mean that they are wrong.

Sui you'll comment on the post that you think it's OK and you would have hung up on the mother yourself.

Heck, you would have searched out and deliberately called her back just to hang up again

[chaim0m]

Stranded on a peninsula children denied boarding!

[lubaby]

Stranded on a peninsula children denied boarding!

Makes me think of "The Lost Children of Tarshish" 

[henche]

Marooned in Madrid.
Putting the I in Iberia

[Zevi16]

Iberia Forces 3 kids off plane in foreign country!

[6girls]

Iberia Forces 3 kids off plane in foreign country!

Like

[ar]

IMHO this will make it to the major news outlets in no time

[Zevi16]

IMHO this will make it to the major news outlets in no time

Especially with that picture of the hotel room. Adds to the dramatic story