The worst airline experience ever! With no explanation,IB Flight 058 left 30 min. Late, and the connecting IB flight 0333 in Madrid did not wait for us and we missed the flight to Miami by 10 minutes despite the fact that we wasted no time to get to the international gate. They knew we were on the connecting flight but they couldn’t wait for us for 10 minutes? When they booked the flights on the same ticket, they assured us we would make the connection! They rebooked us on the afternoon flight (0337) that was bad enough. Flight 0337 did not have our original good seats. At least they gave us seats together (in front of the noisy toilets) and left on time. Unfortunately though that’s when the real crap hit the fan. The food was terrible. Only two drink service passes, for the long 10 hr ride. The bathrooms were disgustingly dirty. 10 min from landing into Tampa, they announced we were diverting to Tampa. After landing in Tampa, they did not communicate why. We sat on the Tarmac for over two hours. They did not tell us they were not letting us off. We thought we were waiting for a gate. Communication from the pilot was horrible, mostly in Spanish, forgetting to repeat in English. We even booked a rental car in Tampa thinking we would get off the plane. Then they announced they were going back to Miami! We got into Miami around Midnight instead of 800pm . We got to the rental car center 10 minutes before it closed. That was another horrible experience, and all in all a 30 hr travel day for us. Dead tired still after two days home!
Posted by
Cloud
361 posts
All airlines are the worst ever. You and others could have bad luck again on any airline.
Posted by
canada
24 posts
Just noting that if you were delayed on arrival more than two hours and were flying a European carrier from Europe, you may be entitled to compensation. Details are here: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm#delay.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
9281 posts
Go for the compensation. It should be around 600 euros per person
Posted by
Freedonia
17300 posts
Welcome to the wonderful world of flying on today's airlines. Do it enough times and you could write a book.
It sounds like compensation should be coming your way for each of you.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
12498 posts
They knew we were on the connecting flight but they couldn’t wait for us for 10 minutes?
It would take a truly extraordinary circumstance to hold a a 300 passenger trans-Atlantic flight for 2 people. The gate the plane is sitting at needs to be vacated for the next arrival. The plane needs to keep its schedule, or the next batch of passengers will be late for their connections.( and probably be as unhappy as you were at missing your plane)
Posted by
Citizen of the World
2875 posts
Hey, the issue is it was Iberia who decided mkimmeth
would be able to make their connection in Madrid because Iberia scheduled it that way and then sold the ticket.
I would also ask for a refund on the upgraded seats you paid for and apparently did not get. Time for Iberia to pay up according to the EU penalty schedule.
Posted by
Chicago
3576 posts
It would take a truly extraordinary circumstance to hold a a 300
passenger trans-Atlantic flight for 2 people.
I’ve actually been on several international flights in the last few years that have waited for a passenger or two. So, it does happen.
I just yesterday purchased tickets on Iberia for March. It’s a nonstop flight from Chicago, so hopefully I won’t have any issues. But, as others have said, Issues can happen with any airline.
I hope the rest of your trip went well.
Posted by
Chicago
8416 posts
If it is flight with a passenger that paid for first class or is elite they may wait. Airline food has never been good, so never go into that with high expectations or bring your own and just drink water. And yes that EU261 is there and solves everything once you get it as you have to apply and wait for them to transfer money to your checking. I once got $1200.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
The problem with Iberia was 1)booking us on a flight in the first place with a tight connection, T4 terminal is a long way from T4S. 2) not accommodating the initial delay, we were not the only ones. Most other airlines I have taken in the past have respected connecting flight booked on the same tickets. 3) the bathrooms were beyond filthy 4) utter lack of communication when we were diverted to Tampa and then back again to Miami, we thought we were getting off, but they left us to languish on the Tarmac. 5) Service for drinks and snacks was lacking.
Posted by
Chicago
1547 posts
One doesn't have to accept the booking proposed by the airlines. If you think the connection time could be short, choose another option. Airlines, just like travelers, don't have a crystal ball to predict what sort of problems can impact connecting times. You got unlucky - your originating flight left late.
Irritating - yes, very. Unusual - no.
Posted by
Michigan
223 posts
I'm sorry you had issues on your recent trip, mkimmeth.
Unfortunately, these issues happen often. And are not new. I experienced an issue similar to this on one trip in the mid-1980s when traveling home from Geneva.
Earlier this month flying out of Zurich, our flight to the U.S. was just a few minutes late leaving the gate when a pilot announced we were waiting for some passengers making connections. I didn't mind the wait. Last October when returning from a trip to Bavaria our connection in Charlotte was very tight. We got tied up at slow moving security and I jogged to the connecting flight gate without taking the time to put my shoes back on. When we got to the gate they had waited for us. I was most appreciative of this courtesy. We were flying main cabin plus and have no status besides being a member of their AAdvantage program.
A mention about not putting shoes back on...it is not pleasant jogging along on a people mover in stocking feet.
Happy future travels, mkimmeth!
Traveler Girl
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5541 posts
The minimum connection time for Madrid T4 to T4S is 55 minutes. Iberia has consistently for many years finished at the top of the European table for punctuality (& in the top 10 in the world for that matter) & hence is happy itself to schedule down to the minimum, taking the financial penalty as necessary when things go wrong.
On the other hand I would rarely be comfortable near the minimum connection time anywhere from anyone, whatever they say. In Madrid both 4 & 4S are large buildings. I remember a connection just within T4 where it turned out on the day I needed to walk the full length of the gate area. This took me 25 minutes & I am a fairly brisk walker. Involving 4S adds a shuttle & passport control. A lot of variables.