The South Yorkshire team, who have won only once in the league away from Oakwell this term, arrived late after the coach's satellite navigation system took the team to Coventry's old ground Highfield Road.
And it didn't get much better for Simon Davey's men on the pitch.
Coventry's left-back Danny Fox was shown a yellow card in the 20th minute for fouling Jamal Campbell-Ryce, meaning the new signing from Walsall faces a one-match ban.
The home team were rewarded for their pressure when Leon Best grabbed his fourth league goal of the season in the 37th minute.
The striker turned quickly just inside the area to beat debutant keeper Tony Warner with an unstoppable shot.
Best then turned provider to set up Julian Gray and his angled shot was turned round his near post by the keeper.
Barnsley rarely troubled the Sky Blues in the final third in the first half as they were repeatedly caught offside. The Tykes skipper Brian Howard fired a 25-yard shot high over the bar in a rare effort towards goal.
Davey brought on former Coventry trainee Martin Devaney at the break for Campbell-Ryce and he posed problems down the right wing. It was his cross which Isaac Osbourne was forced to head wide before Diego Leon could pounce in the 54th minute.
Coventry notched a decisive second goal in the 70th minute when Dennis Souza failed to cut out Best's right-wing cross and Gray tapped the ball home at the far post.
The Sky Blues were on target again six minutes later when Gray's left-wing cross was headed against the bar by Best and Jay Tabb headed in the rebound.
Coventry scored four gaols against Barnsley for the second time this season when Best collected Tabb's cross before side-stepping a defender and placing a shot into the far corner of the net.