BA Silver benefits on Iberia Express?

[Londonsteve]

I’m booked on IB Express under an IB flight number bought on the Iberia main site. I’ve paid extra to take checked luggage by buying the ‘optimal’ fare but I’m struggling to work out what my actual luggage allowance will be as BAEC Silver. Neither the One World, nor IB nor BA sites are forthcoming about this and my booking confirmation states the standard 23kg and 1 piece that everyone is entitled to.

I believe that lounge access and fast track at Madrid won’t be a problem and I’ll accrue the usual amount of Avios as if I was flying on BA or Iberia mainline.

I read somewhere that One World Sapphire and above are entitled to checked luggage even on ‘hand baggage only’ fares when flying on Iberia or Iberia Express but I assume this is incorrect?

[Londonsteve]

PS – It would be easy to assume that I’m entitled to carry a bag(s) heavier than 23 kilos as with BA who allow each item of luggage to weigh up to 32 kg for Silver and Gold members, but I’m very wary about turning up with even one bag heavier than 23 kg and being stung with a hideous excess baggage charge at Madrid airport. Iberia’s website is clear as mud and totally contradictory. Is it 2 pieces at 23 kg each, 2 pieces of up to 32 kg? I’m fairly confident I’m allowed to take a second bag but this isn’t much use to me if I’ve got only 1 bag that’s 30 kilos. Reference my last question above, it does indeed appear that OW Sapphire and Emerald are entitled to 1 piece of luggage even if travelling on a ‘Basic’ fare which wouldn’t otherwise include checked luggage. Again, this is the opposite of BA who only allow checked bags for Silver and Gold if you’ve paid for a fare than includes checked luggage…

[Richie]

Are you ok with one checked bag 23kg, one large carry on bag and one small carry on bag?

Personally, I can’t be bothered risking an argument with Iberia at any stage and I don’t do bags heavier than 23kg because I don’t want to contribute to the risk of a handler sustaining muscoskeletal damage.

BTW at Gatwick a couple of weeks ago the boarding was a shambles.

[Londonsteve]

23 kilos is probably too little for me but if I know in advance that I can take 2 bags up to 23kg, I can pack two smaller bags and split the weight. The latter option is mighty inconvenient however as I’ll be taking public transport to Gatwick and a train in Spain. If I take two suitcases, I’m restricted to a small item of hand luggage as I’ve only got two hands.

I should be ok with 1 bag of 28 kilos and 1 trolley bag as hand luggage.

[Richie]

I couldn’t carry a 28kg bag up steps to board a train.

I’m ok with some weight in a good quality back pack than in hand.

[Londonsteve]

I don’t have a problem with carrying a suitcase that heavy, I’ve carried heavier. It’ll be on wheels most of the time anyway. There’s a good reason why I need this much luggage and therefore why I’ve posted the question to begin with, I’m not planning on travelling with lead weights from a grandfather clock just to maximise my luggage allowance.

[Richie]

Does this help https://www.iberia.com/es/iberiaplus/silver/

if so perhaps print off the relevant bits in English and Spanish.

[Londonsteve]

Thanks but it doesn’t help because I’m BAEC Silver, not Iberia Plus Silver and in any case the equivalent level of IB Plus is Oro. I did read the IB Plus privileges but treat them as a guide and don’t assume that One World Sapphire has exactly the same baggage allowance at an equivalent level.

[yonasl]

With IB and IB express (which is basically the same) status allows you to get an extra bag.

So as you are OneWorld sapphire:

– you bought a ticket with no luggage. You get 1 bag of 23kg

– you bought a ticket with luggage. Your luggage can go up to 32kg plus you get 1 extra bag of 23kg (I think most check in desk will allow you to put 2x32kg bags)

This is only for you. The benefit of extra luggage does not apply to your companions (unlike BA where everyone with luggage gets a second one). Sometimes this is not enforced really.

Unlike BA, if you buy a ticket without luggage you can still check-in a 1x23kg bag as said before.

https://www.iberia.com/es/iberiaplus/gold/

[gtellez]

I’m IB Gold (lost my Platinum two months ago after many years…) and I have taken bag with 32kg many times with Iberia without paying anything extra.
However, if you go to this website: https://www.iberia.com/gb/luggage/allowance-in-hold/?_gl=1*sp3fb8*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7PCjBhDwARIsANo7CglaHcNWSHzPxYOWrRYOMziQgp4XNT0hIN8AEowQrvGg5VVevkkaYxoaAvfLEALw_wcB#!/baggages-search
Scroll down to Iberia Plus Customers, in Medium and Short Haul flights, it says: “Operated by Iberia, Iberia Express and Air Nostrum.” and then it mentions:
“1) Overweight baggage up to 32 kg per bag only applies to Iberia Plus Infinita Prime, Infinita, Singular and Platino cardholders, and Emerald cardholders with American Airlines and British Airways. Emerald cardholders with all other oneworld airlines are already entitled to an additional bag (23 kg).
On flights operated by the Iberia Group (Iberia, Iberia Regional Air Nostrum and Iberia Express), Iberia Plus Infinita Prime, Infinita, Singular and Platino cardholders travelling in Business can take a second additional bag free of charge.

(2) For Iberia Plus Oro and Plata.

(3) Iberia Plus Oro and oneworld Sapphire cardholders are allowed an additional item of luggage (23 kg) when their allowance is 0 to 1 bags.”

So, I think it is pretty clear that you have an extra piece of baggage, but no overweight allowance.

[yonasl]

Iberia loves to write complicated stuff. From re-reading I now understand that:

– being silver (BA) gives you an extra luggage (even if you booked without)

– in economy that is 23kg. If business class then 32kg

[Londonsteve]

Thanks for your contributions. In summary it therefore appears that I can check in two items of luggage, each up to 23 kilos.
I think the solution is to use all 23 kilos for 1 suitcase and locate some heavy items in a trolley case I can either check in as a second item of luggage or decide to carry as hand luggage if I’m denied a second bag for whatever reason or prefer to keep the bag with me. This is the safer option compared to turning up with a suitcase that weighs nearly 30 kilos.

I agree that Iberia could do with lessons on writing succinctly and with clarity. The luggage allowance page is extremely confusing, unless perhaps if you have status within IB Plus but even then it’s not completely clear if your bags can weigh 23kg or up to 32kg. An alternative solution of course is that booking confirmations recognise your OW status and automatically tell you your real luggage allowance. It does appear I perhaps wasted the cost of upgrading from Basic to Optimal as the £17 saving would have motivated me take heavy items as hand luggage and stick to one lower weight suitcase but I assumed that like BA an HBO fare doesn’t include a bag even if you have status.

[alexm]

You get all the benefits on IB express when on a IB flight number. If you call the call centre they have no idea but yeah i’ve travelled numerous times on a hbo and been allowed to check luggage in, select my seat, board first and access the lounge

[yonasl]

Both IB and IB express allow you to check in your hand luggage (up to 10Kg). It is a not very well advertised benefit of using them vs. BA.

The other (main one) is that if you buy the cheapest HBO ticket you can still get a checked-in bag if you have Silver/Gold status with BA. (So technically you can check in 2 bag: your carry on case and a larger suitcase).

But there is more, given nobody is really checking what you are bringing with you into the plane vs. what you checked in … nothing stops you from walking with an extra bag into the plane!

[Londonsteve]

That’s remarkable, I didn’t know you could check in your hand luggage. At that point it doesn’t really become hand luggage any longer, it’s just a 10kg second suitcase!

Your comment about the call centre having ‘no idea’ just underscored the reason why I came here for answers rather than bother to contact Iberia direct!

I’m actually travelling on a ‘rail & fly’ ticket that includes a ride on the high speed train from Malaga to Madrid, the Cercanias commuter train to the airport followed by the IB Express flight to London. Will be an interesting experience, I’m especially looking forward to try the Spanish AVE service.

[yonasl]

The phone people at Iberia are the most useless bunch I have ever spoken to in my life.

Many are based on Latin America and May have never seen an Iberia plane in their life.

– I called once and they told me I could not book seat as a OW emerald until 24 hrs before the flight or going to the airport. Even paying!

– another one did not understand the concept of an IB flight booked on BA with a BA flight number. Kept telling me I must have flown with BA

– but the most useless of all is the fact that if you book an IB flight on BA you CANNOT request disability help such as bottle oxygen. For some reason their systems won’t allow changes of a BA issued flight