[hotpipes]

Flight schedule on July 1, 2016: Almeria - Madrid - JFK - Cleveland (Madrid to Cleveland was on American, booked through Iberia)

On checking in at Almeria, I was told that I couldn't be booked all the way through to Cleveland as there was a 'computer problem'. My baggage, though, was tagged to go all the way. On arrival at Madrid, I had to report to the American Airlines desk to confirm my flight to JFK, but my baggage transfer was handled automatically, or so I had been told. When arriving at the gate to board the AA flight, I was taken aside for the staff to confirm that my single checked bag had been transferred from Iberia.

My checked bag didn't arrive at JFK. Getting help from American, especially as it was July 4 weekend and JFK staff don't care, was almost impossible. On arrival at Cleveland, I then spent the next 7 days chasing AA for the whereabouts of my bag: AA service commitments state that its baggage department would call me wth updates. None were ever received and I spent many calls to chase.

The bottom line was that Iberia had held my bag in Madrid (and I have the tags to prove it) for 8 days. It was scheduled to be on a flight to Philadelphia and Cleveland after some 5 days, but it wasn't on the flight. Finally Iberia put it on a flight to Boston and Cleveland the day before I returned home: I collected it myself from Cleveland Hopkins as I didn't trust any courier service to deliver it to my hotel before I left.

It took four and a half months to get reimbursed by American for replacement clothing etc. I have never had an apology from Iberia.

I will not be flying Iberia again.