SPAIN: Passengers complain of a lack of information as flights are cancelled on second day of a strike by Iberia workers

Record ID: 341084

  • Title: SPAIN: Passengers complain of a lack of information as flights are cancelled on second day of a strike by Iberia workers
  • Date: 19th February 2013
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (FEBRUARY 19, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE VANS PARKED OUTSIDE TERMINAL 4, IBERIA'S HUB AT BARAJAS AIRPORT TAXI DRIVER UNLOADING LUGGAGE FOR PASSENGER PASSENGERS ENTERING AND LEAVING TERMINAL PASSENGERS LOOKING AT DEPARTURE BOARD DEPARTURE BOARD WITH CANCELLED FLIGHTS MAN LOOKING AT DEPARTURE BOARD VARIOUS OF PEOPLE QUEUING AT IBERIA CUSTOMER SERVICE DES
  • Embargoed: 6th March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Business,Employment,Politics,Travel / Tourism,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVAD60JWNN2STZA4MKMIWKJNOYJ1
  • Story Text: More than 200 Iberia flights were cancelled on Tuesday (February 19) as workers at loss-making Spanish flag carrier Iberia stopped for a second day of a five-day strike.
    Workers are protesting a restructuring plan that will cut 3,807 jobs and cut salaries for those who remain at the airline.
    On Tuesday police vans lined the arrival area of Terminal 4, Iberia's hub at Madrid's Barajas Airport after about 2000 Iberia employees staged a demonstration on Monday (February 18). The protesters had clashed with police; officers beating some of the strikers with truncheons to prevent them from entering the terminal.
    Iberia has cancelled 415 flights between Monday and Friday (February 22), although a total of around 1,200 flights operated by various airlines will be grounded because of the lack of handling services at Spanish airports.
    The airline said 70,000 passengers would be affected and that it had placed some customers on different flights, including those operated by different airlines, while proposing refunds and alternative travel dates for others.
    But on Tuesday, some passengers said they were not being advised about cancellations.
    "I looked at the list of cancelled flights and mine wasn't on it," said Jorge.
    "Iberia didn't tell me anything. They just wash their hands, just like in the last strike. They left me on the list and they have told me the only other flight to my destination is full. They are not giving me solutions," he added.
    Antonia Gonzalez, whose flight, was cancelled said she didn't care if there was a strike or not, all she wanted was to be informed.
    "If you come from elsewhere and you have to leave at four o'clock in the morning to get to the airport and first the check-in tickets don't work, then you go to a check-in desk and they send you to another one, you go to that one they send you to another one. Come on, please ... at least someone should know," she said.
    A passenger travelling from Brazil unable to connect on Iberia to Barcelona said the only alternative she was offered was to spend an extra 250 euro to book another flight.
    "The company cancelled the flight and didn't advise us and they have no tickets left. They want to charge us 250 euros for a ticket for a trip we have already paid for, they didn't tell us anything and now we want to be reimbursed and to be covered by insurance," Rose Angela Makowsky said.
    Iberia, which merged with profitable British Airways in 2011 to form the International Airlines Group, reported a loss of 262 million euros ($349.78 million) in the first nine months of 2012.
    IAG says the cuts are necessary to return to profitability.
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