Does anyone have any idea if it affects code-sharing Iberia flights? I bought the tickets from Iberia. Both flights have IB codes. The homeward bound flight, however, clearly states : this flight is operated by BA.

My OH says that since we booked directly with Iberia, we're Iberia's responsibility and I can't argue with that. However, I really do not want to spend all of the next week and then all of Christmas worrying about being stranded in Madrid.

There is nothing about this on Iberia's website nor any contact-us link.

Also, there's nothing on BA's website about code-sharing airlines and whether they will or will not have their flights affected, even when passengers' e-tickets like ours state "this flight is operated by BA"



BTW it's my birthday today.

I can't help you with the airline question, but Happy Birthday.

Keep watching the BA web site. UK news stated tonight that BA will be listing flights that will definitely be operating - hopefully yours will be one of them.
BA are also going to the high court tomorrow to try and get the strike made illegal. So its a case of wait and see.
If I hear any other news I'll post it here.
If you did have to stay in Spain for a few more days, would that be unacceptable?

........and Happy Birthday from me

Thanks for the birthday greetings both of you. It's been so quiet this year that sometimes I forget that it's my birthday. No celebrations today because I'm working till midnight.....

If we get stranded in Madrid for a few days would that be unacceptable? Yes! I've only got a week off work and have to be back at this desk on the 29th. More importantly, the apartment is only rented until Monday morning 28th, so, we'd be "homeless".

Trouble is, Jan, I'm booked with Iberia so somehow I don't think BA will include that in their list - but thanks for the suggestion.

Sigh. I wish Iberia would say something about this. We're not the only ones on that flight, or indeed any of their code-sharing flights over the 12-day period in question.

We often fly on Iberia/BA code shares and they always have a BA flight number as well as the Iberia one.
You could try asking for help on the newsgroup alt.travel.uk.air
What's your return flight number? I'll see what i can find out

Hi Jan, still working here.....

return flight no. is IB7444
MAD 1405 LHR 1530
28 Dec

I've checked KLM. They can fly us to Madrid and back on same dates but that'll cost another £500++ getting up at 4am for a 6am flight PLUS a 4-hour transit outbound. Ah, also dissing the money already paid to Iberia. No I'm not panicking, just pursuing alternatives.......

I think thats BA 459

Well BA are going to the high court in London at 14:00 UK time to try and stop the strike . Also they have arranged talks with the Union bosses at " Unite " for 15:00 . We´ll see . I used to travel BA constantly but have now changed to Easyjet the last couple of times . The arrogance of BA to their clientele is beyond belief . Whilst I´m not a big fan of low cost airlines , my last Madrid - London return flight with EasyJet cost considerably less than BA even with a preferred boarding supplement . I bought some sandwiches etc , airside , to take on board and then payed for some wine in the aircraft . It was efficient and , maybe more importantly , friendly and courteous . I´m now a BIG fan of EasyJet !
Oh , and whenever i´ve flown Iberia or BA it´s always been a shared flight number between the two companies .. sort of scared me when I first saw it . But if BA are "operating" the homeward bound flight then you definitely have to keep an eye on the website . I would call them directly , with all you details , and see what they say . The website just says , more or less , wait and see ... But I think you´ll have a clearer idea later this eveneing with the high court ruling and the union negotiacions

If this strike goes ahead our return journey on the Iberia e-tickets is pretty much stuffed as far as I can make out.

Have investigated other ways of getting home from Madrid on 28th Dec. The cheapest is buying entirely new tickets from KLM @ £626.10, the most expensive is one-way home from Madrid @ £1,214.31 and the car would be parked 60 miles away because we didn't start from there. The train comes up at £719 Madrid>London.

Now the baggage handlers are threatening to go on strike too!

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8417148.stm

Ho Hum...............

Found this on Moneywise website, you may be able to glean something of use from it
*****************

What are your rights?

In a statement, British Airwats says it is reworking its flight schedules for the strike period, and aims to announce new schedules “as quickly as possible”.
Until this happens, it is hard to know which flights will be affected. However, it is expected the airline will try to prioritise long-haul flights, with flights to other destinations easier to merge.
British Airway says it will inform affected customers directly if it has their e-mail address or by SMS text if it has their mobile phone number. If the contact details you gave the airline at the time of booking are no longer up-to-date, you should contact the airline to change these.
Walsh says: “We will do everything we can to assist you at what will clearly be a very difficult time if strikes go ahead.”
Customers who are booked with British Airways to travel between 22 December 2009 and 2 January 2010 – and for 48 hours on either side of those dates – should be able to move to a different flight departing in the next 12 months at no charge.
If your flight is cancelled because of industrial action, British Airways will offer you a refund, or allow you to rebook on to a different flight or re-route your journey.
It seems unlikely at this stage that British Airways will make arrangements for customers to travel with a different airline; if it does, customers considered to bring in lots of money to the airline are likely to be prioritised.
You can manage your booking on British Airway’s website, If you made your on ba.com or direct through a British Airways call centre, then you can call 0844 493 0787 in the UK (daily 6am to 8pm local time). Or if you're in the US, you can call 1 800 247 9297 (1 800 AIRWAYS).
If you made your booking through a travel agent, then you should contact it directly.As long as the company is part of the ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing) scheme, then you should be covered for your losses.
If you are left stranded overseas as a result of a cancelled flight, then British Airways must pay for meals and other 'reasonal costs ' - such as refreshments - during your waiting time under European Union regulations for travel delay.
It must also meet the cost for two telephone calls, emails or faxes. If you need overnight accommodation or transfers, then this should also be covered.
You should also be able to claim compensation under EU law - potentially for as much as £540 for delayed long-haul flights. However, British Airways is expected to avoid paying this by arguing the strikes were out of its control.
Bob Atkinson, travel expert from travelsupermarket.com, says that passengers who booked before 2 November 2009 should check their travel insurance to see if they have cover as a result of strike action or abandonment of your trip.
However, he adds: "Flights booked on 2 November or after are not covered under insurance for this type of action as the union announced a strike ballot on that day - therefore the prospect of a strike was public knowledge."
Atkinson also urges passengers to check who their airline actually is - while you might have been issued with a BA flight number, your carrier might be a different airline. "Known as code sharing, British Airways sells flights that are operated by different airlines - mainly Quantas and BMI," he explains. "This flights shouldn't be affected."
While bookings made with a credit card are protected under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (meaning the card provider is jointly liable for any issues that might arise), this doesn't offer much additional protection as British Airways has already offered refunds on cancelled flights.
People with British Airways flights hoping to make a connecting flight made with a different airline might find they have no way to reclaim their money if, because of the strike action, they miss the second flight. In this situation, claiming under travel insurance bought before 2 November is probably their best course of action.