Front desk was closed at 6 pm, I was unable to get my boarding pass and as such missed my connecting flight home.
We travelled with Level, which is a subsidiary of Iberia. They mixed up all our seats, downgraded few from premium economy fo economy. The crew were not professional, they seem to be in a rush! Also some with an attitude
I paid to upgrade to Business Class. The queue to check in at the Business Class aisle was full of people without Business Class tickets, the fast-track immigration line was “closed” but the representative opened it up for his friends, regardless (there was a lot of fist-bumping), and the lounge was an absolute mess…..4 staff sitting playing with their phones while every table had dirty plates and glasses waiting to be cleared…..and the least said about the rude lady on the reception desk at the lounge , the better!
We upgraded to Business class paying approx. $1,300. Despite the upgrade, we were still required to pay an additional €70 for a checked bag. Furthermore, we were informed that another €70 would have been charged for our carry-on bag, as it was 3kg over the limit. To avoid this, we had to move clothing from the carry-on into the checked bag, which was both inconvenient and frustrating. Given the significant amount paid for the Business Class upgrade, we found this treatment to be quite appalling and disappointing. We expected a higher level of service and consideration for our luggage, and this experience did not meet those expectations.
The cabin crew were great very helpful and accommodating. We had a fellow passenger throw up next to us. The flight crew did an amazing job cleaning up and reseating us. We did question as to if he should have been let on the flight as his condition was likely self imposed.
At Barcelona, you have to get your passports checked before going to the E gates so give yourself time for that. The restaurants around the D and E gates are really limited compared to prior to passport control. On boarding, the gate staff tried to charge me EUR100 for my carryon, saying it was too big. I put it in their ‘measurement box’ and it fit with the top slightly protruding where the handle was. The gate staff then said my bag was ok to carry and put an ‘approved’ tag on my bag. I was bussed to the plane I boarded a ‘Level’ carrier which I had not heard of before. If you booked through a code share like American, you will be served food and alcohol on the plane. They do not provide complimentary ear phones or blankets. The internet was free but only for texting. WhatsApp worked but Spotify did not. Entertainment choice was adequate, movies were old and selection was limited. On arrival at LAX, my checked in bag was damaged as the wheel was broken. I am taking this up with Iberia. Their website and customer service was moderate in terms of user friendliness. You have to have all your documents and prepared to be patient and persistent. Let’s see how this goes. All n all, for the price I paid, I would recommend Level.
The airline refused to board me because I showed up only 50 minutes prior to departure time, despite the fact that shortly before that, when I arrived at the airport still in time, they changed the terminal and I had to take a bus that took 20 minutes. Personal at the airport was unable to let me in, customer care was beyond useless, the original airline operator (Iberia) was as useless as a toilet paper roll core in time of a wipe and all this uselessness made me waste my ticket, my reservations, my long time parking, food and most of all the joy of being with my family for the new year after working my bottom off even at Christmas. Am I happy? Come and ask me in person!
Overall a great. However, the seating is way too narrow, for guys with any shoulder width. Luckily the crew moved the guy next to me, or it would have been miserable.
The plane was not well maintained. The entertainment system didn’t work properly, eg moving map. Many of the seat controls did not work. Cabin temperature fluctuated considerably during the flight. The seat allocated was poor, it was noisy and offered no privacy. The perfume in the toilet triggered severe allergies. Crew was very goid.
The flight was delayed over 3 hours and at the gate, we waited for an hour to start boarding. The gate lack of communication with the passengers was atrocious and when asked they even said they didn't work there and were just standing in for someone else so they couldn't give us an information about the flight status. The crew did not offer blankets, pillows nor headphones.
