[kellyl]

Iberia did it again. Twice when I've flown using Iberia as a connector they've left me stranded in Madrid for 8 hours refusing any kind of compensation (the other was the exact same scenario, on a flight to Istanbul 2 years ago). The last flight, in April, on the 20th, I was a tour leader of a formal art delegation, so missed an entire day with the group I was in charge of. Iberia offered a meal & hotel room, but refused us free access to airport wi-fi, or just a lounge to rest, and of course we couldn't sit at a gate to sleep, as it hadn't been assigned. None of us accepted the hotel, not worth the hassle of leaving the airport for those 5 hrs having not slept for more than 30.
Their answer was the 'no control' excuse, but that's NOT TRUE! Iberia CHOSE to hold our flight in Chicago for 20 or more minutes (the captain said we had no problem with the weather), that it was a corporate decision to let on some connecting (VIP?) passengers. That left many of us "stranded" in Madrid, despite the fact we got to the gate 30 minutes or so before flight took off, and they were still boarding. There was plenty of time. They said we couldn't fly without our luggage and they didn't have time to put it aboard (although of course we were all more than happy to have it sent to us later. I understand the airport security of flying with your luggage, but we WANTED to, so non-security related. And our flight got in 40 mins before the next one took off, an efficient system would have procured the luggage if it was a real issue).
I heard later (from some other passengers who WERE compensated, when we saw each other on the evening flight to Berlin) that Iberia had overbooked the flight, therefor WANTED our seats, so basically co-opted them. So they were 'bumped' by choice.
I fly a great deal, and with this poor attitude Iberia is exhibiting - again, I waited months for the promised response from Iberia (to the forms we filled out at the gate, and they promised a fast inquiry and response). It never came. Prompting me to write. To no avail, they basically have written me 3 'not our problem' letters to my own.