Iberia Blamed Expedia for Leaving a Passenger Behind, Then Took It Back

When a gate agent tells you the ticket you bought was never paid for, you tend to believe it. That is what happened to Australian YouTuber Kym Illman on September 7 at Milan Malpensa airport, where he arrived about two and a half hours early for an Iberia flight to Madrid that he had booked through Expedia. According to his account, the agent said Expedia had failed to pay Iberia “this time.”

He was not allowed to board. Scrambling, he bought a replacement itinerary on ITA Airways from Milan Linate to Brussels, then Brussels Airlines on to Madrid. It cost hundreds of dollars and got him there around six hours late. Expedia, for its part, reportedly told him that payment was not the issue and that its records showed the flight was oversold.

Weeks later, Iberia changed its story. The airline said the denied boarding was because the flight was fully booked, refunded the ticket in full and paid compensation under the European Union’s EC261 passenger rights rules. It refused, however, to reimburse a taxi between the two Milan airports, arguing the invoice predated the incident.

The lesson for travelers is practical. If you are denied boarding in Europe, ask the airline to state the reason in writing, keep every receipt, and remember that EC261 compensation can apply to overbooking regardless of who you bought the ticket from. Online travel agencies and airlines often point fingers at each other, and an early, vague explanation at the check-in desk is not always the final word.

Sources: One Mile at a Time