ArcaMax

Iberia downgrades Christopher Long and his husband to economy class on a flight from Chicago to Madrid. Under European regulations, he's entitled to a 75% refund of his fare. So, why is he only getting a fraction of it?

Q: My husband and I were downgraded from premium economy to economy on an Iberia flight from Chicago to Madrid. We booked with Avios miles and paid $543 in taxes. Under EC 261, the European airline consumer protection regulation, we're entitled to 75% of the ticket value as compensation. This is roughly 29,452 Avios miles.

But Iberia only gave me 3,500 miles and ignored my husband's claim, saying that he lacked an Iberia Plus account. I filed multiple claims, cited EC 261, and even emailed executives using your contacts. No luck.

Did Iberia violate EC 261? How can we get the compensation we're owed? -- Christopher Long, Chicago

A: Getting an unexpected downgrade from premium economy to economy can be painful and frustrating. Spending 8 hours in a tiny airline seat with almost no personal space is no way to start a vacation. And if you paid for a higher class of service, you deserve to get your money or miles back.

You're right -- Iberia should have refunded 75% of the fare for your downgraded cabin under EC 261. Since you booked with miles, the compensation should reflect the fare's value in Avios points. The airline also failed to address your husband's claim properly. Requiring a loyalty account for compensation is not a valid reason to deny a passenger's rights.

You did everything right by citing EC 261 and escalating the situation to the Iberia executives listed on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Your husband should have filed a separate claim even without an Iberia Plus account and created one if it was required. Always keep a paper trail (as you did); it's critical for proving your case.

When an airline fails to follow regulations, there is a way to light a fire under it. You can file a complaint with the country's aviation regulator. In your case, this would have been Spain's Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aerea (AESA), which is responsible for enforcing EC 261 in Spain.

You had an excellent paper trail with Iberia, and you cited the correct regulations. An AESA complaint might have nudged the airline into doing the right thing.

By the way, this is the first time I've seen an airline make a loyalty program membership a prerequisite for EC 261 compensation. But it kind of makes sense. Iberia's policy is to return the miles to the ticketed traveler. How could Iberia have compensated him with Avios points if he doesn't have an account?

Iberia is following a playbook that I've seen many times during my career as a consumer advocate. An airline offers you take-it-or-leave-it compensation, and you have to decide: Take it or leave it?

I contacted Iberia on your behalf, and it refunded 75% of the miles that you and your husband spent on the flight.

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Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.

(c) 2025 Christopher Elliott

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